Myrmecia elegans
| Myrmecia elegans | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmeciinae |
| Tribe: | Myrmeciini |
| Genus: | Myrmecia |
| Species: | M. elegans |
| Binomial name | |
| Myrmecia elegans (Clark, 1943)
| |
Contents
Identification
Heterick (2009) - Western Australian specimens of Myrmecia elegans are very difficult to separate from Myrmecia occidentalis, and I am unable to follow Ogata and Taylor (1991) wholly in their diagnosis of the species. The mandibles are often quite dark in colour, but can also be light yellow (they are light-coloured in M. occidentalis). The mesosoma varies from uniformly red or orange to bicoloured dark red and black, similar to M. occidentalis. The yellowish pubescence on the clypeus, as well as the shorter antennal scape, seem to be the surest guides to M. elegans, and, at least in local workers, the individual mandibular teeth tend to be slanted posteriad in M. elegans but are mostly evenly triangular in M. occidentalis.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -30.21666667° to -36.81666667°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Countries Occupied
Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
Estimated Abundance
Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
Biology
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- elegans. Promyrmecia elegans Clark, 1943: 122, pl. 14, figs. 44, 45 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
- Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens (numbers not stated).
- Type-localities: Australia: Western Australia, Hovea (J. Clark), Western Australia, Mt Dale (J. Clark), Western Australia, Mundaring (J. Clark).
- Type-depository: MVMA.
- Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1971d: 248 (l.).
- Combination in Myrmecia: Brown, 1953j: 15.
- Status as species: Clark, 1951: 222 (redescription); Taylor & Brown, 1985: 8; Taylor, 1987a: 42; Ogata, 1991a: 361; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1641 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 271; Heterick, 2009: 123.
- Distribution: Australia.
Type Material
- Syntype, 1 worker, Mt. Dale, Western Australia, Australia, Clark,J., ANIC32-007734, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Syntype, 3 workers, 1 queen, Mundaring, Western Australia, Australia, Clark,J., ANIC32-015335, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Syntype, 1 worker, Emu Rock, Western Australia, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
- Syntype, worker(s), queen(s), Hovea, Mt. Dale and Mundaring, Western Australia, Australia, Museum Victoria, Melbourne.
Description
References
- Brown, W. L., Jr. 1953j. Revisionary notes on the ant genus Myrmecia of Australia. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology
111: 1-35 (page 15, Combination in Myrmecia)
- Clark, J. 1943. A revision of the genus Promyrmecia Emery (Formicidae). Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 13: 83-149 (page 122, pl. 14, figs. 44, 45 worker, queen described)
- Heterick, B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of South-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 76: 1-206.
- Heterick, B.E. 2021. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part I: Systematics. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 86, 1-245 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2021.001-245).
- Heterick, B.E. 2022. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part II: Distribution and biology. Records of the Western Australian Museum, supplement 86: 247-510 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2022.247-510).
- Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1971d. Ant larvae of the subfamily Myrmeciinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pan-Pac. Entomol. 47: 245-256 (page 248, larva described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Heterick B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of south-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 76: 1-206.
- Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.
