Myrmecia fulgida

Myrmecia fulgida
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmeciinae
Tribe:	Myrmeciini
Genus:	Myrmecia
Species:	M. fulgida
Binomial name
Myrmecia fulgida Clark, 1951
Synonyms
Myrmecia suttoni Clark, 1951

Curtin University staff and students at Carrabin Nature reserve inspected an active nest of this huge species, near where a specimen was also collected in a pitfall trap (Heterick 2009).

Identification

Heterick (2009) - Distinguished by the long, erect setae on the side of the head capsule.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Australian Myrmecia Species
• Key to Myrmecia of the southwestern Australian Botanical Province

Distribution

Heterick (2009) - Myrmecia fulgida has been recorded from the western goldfields of WA.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -28.76666667° to -34.7°.

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.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

• fulgida. Myrmecia fulgida Clark, 1951: 73, fig. 52 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
  • Type-material: holotype worker, paratype workers (number not stated).
  • Type-locality: holotype Australia: Western Australia, Parker’s Range, xi.1947 (T. Greaves); paratypes with same data.
  • Type-depository: ANIC.
  • Status as species: Taylor & Brown, 1985: 10; Taylor, 1987a: 43; Ogata, 1991a: 358; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1637 (in key), 1657; Bolton, 1995b: 271; Heterick, 2009: 121.
  • Senior synonym of suttoni: Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1657; Bolton, 1995b: 271.
  • Distribution: Australia.
• suttoni. Myrmecia suttoni Clark, 1951: 72, figs. 50, 51 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland).
  • Type-material: holotype worker, paratype workers, paratype queens (numbers not stated).
  • Type-locality: holotype Australia: Queensland, Fletcher (E. Sutton); paratypes with same data.
  • Type-depository: ANIC.
  • Status as species: Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata, 1991a: 358.
  • Junior synonym of fulgida: Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1657; Bolton, 1995b: 273.

Type Material

• Myrmecia fulgida: Holotype, worker, Parker Range, Western Australia, Australia, Greaves,T., ANIC32-006412, Australian National Insect Collection.
• Myrmecia fulgida: Paratype, 4 workers, Parker Range, Western Australia, Australia, Greaves,T., ANIC32-015324, Australian National Insect Collection.
• Myrmecia suttoni: Holotype, worker, Fletcher, Queensland, Australia, Sutton,E., ANIC32-015326, Australian National Insect Collection.
• Myrmecia suttoni: Paratype, 3 workers, Fletcher, Queensland, Australia, Sutton,E., ANIC32-006416, Australian National Insect Collection.

References

• Clark, J. 1951. The Formicidae of Australia. 1. Subfamily Myrmeciinae: 230 pp. CSIRO, Melbourne. [(31.xii).1951.]
• 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).
• Ogata, K.; Taylor, R. W. 1991. Ants of the genus Myrmecia Fabricius: a preliminary review and key to the named species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmeciinae). J. Nat. Hist. 2 25: 1623-1673 (page 1657, Senior synonym of suttoni)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Ogata K. and Taylor R.W. 1991. Ants of the genus Myrmecia Fabricius: a preliminary review and key to the named species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmeciinae), Journal of Natural History, 25: 1623-1673
• 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.