Myrmecia michaelseni

Myrmecia michaelseni
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmeciinae
Tribe:	Myrmeciini
Genus:	Myrmecia
Species group:	pilosula
Species:	M. michaelseni
Binomial name
	Myrmecia michaelseni; Forel, 1907 Specimen Labels
Synonyms
	Myrmecia michaelseni perthensis Crawley, 1922;

Photo Gallery

A Myrmecia michaelseni worker found on a breakaway populated with Eucalyptus accedens, in Lupton Conservation Reserve, Brookton, Western Australia. Photo by Farhan Bokhari, 16 April 2011.
A Myrmecia michaelseni worker found on a breakaway populated with Eucalyptus accedens, in Lupton Conservation Reserve, Brookton, Western Australia. Photo by Farhan Bokhari, 16 April 2011.

Identification

Heterick (2009) - Myrmecia michaelseni and Myrmecia rugosa are two black Myrmecia with yellow pubescence on the gaster. Myrmecia rugosa can be distinguished by its sculptured postpetiole and canary yellow (as opposed to more orange-yellow) gastral pubescence. These two taxa are not uncommon in the Jarrah-Marri forests of the wetter south-western parts of the State.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -31.883° to -35°.


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.

michaelseni. Myrmecia michaelseni Forel, 1907h: 267 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
- Type-locality: Australia: Western Australia, NE Albany, Stat. 164, 1905 (W. Michaelsen & R. Hartmeyer).
- Type-depositories: ANIC, MCZC, MHNG, NHMB.
- Clark, 1943: 112 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1971d: 250 (l.).
- Combination in M. (Promyrmecia): Wheeler, W.M. 1933i: 59;
- combination in Promyrmecia: Clark, 1943: 111;
- combination in Myrmecia: Taylor & Brown, 1985: 12.
- Status as species: Emery, 1911d: 21; Wheeler, W.M. 1933i: 59; Clark, 1943: 111 (redescription); Clark, 1951: 204 (redescription); Taylor & Brown, 1985: 12; Taylor, 1987a: 44; Ogata, 1991a: 361; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1640 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 272; Heterick, 2009: 122.
- Senior synonym of perthensis: Clark, 1943: 111; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 12; Taylor, 1987a: 44; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1630; Bolton, 1995b: 272.
- Distribution: Australia.
perthensis. Myrmecia michaelseni var. perthensis Crawley, 1922b: 431 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
- Type-locality: Australia: Western Australia, Perth, no. 65 (J. Clark).
- Type-depository: OXUM.
- Junior synonym of michaelseni: Clark, 1943: 111; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 12; Taylor, 1987a: 44; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1630; Bolton, 1995b: 272.

Type Material

Syntype, 2 workers, NE of Albany, Western Australia, Australia, Hamburg SW Aust. Exped., ANIC32-007745, Australian National Insect Collection.
Syntype, 3 workers, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Clark,J., ANIC32-017872, Australian National Insect Collection.
Syntype, worker(s), Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
Syntype, 1 worker (incorrectly labeled as a lectotype), north-east of Albany (as "n. o. Albany"), Western Australia, Australia, Western Australian Museum.

Description

Karyotype

See additional details at the Ant Chromosome Database.

Explore: Show all Karyotype data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

2n = 27 (Australia) (Hirai et al., 1996).

References

Clark, J. 1943. A revision of the genus Promyrmecia Emery (Formicidae). Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 13: 83-149 (page 112, queen described; page 111, Combination in Promyrmecia, Senior synonym of perthensis)
Clark, J. 1951. The Formicidae of Australia. 1. Subfamily Myrmeciinae: 230 pp. CSIRO, Melbourne. [(31.xii).1951.]
Forel, A. 1907j. Formicidae. In: Michaelsen, W., Hartmeyer, R. (eds.) Die Fauna Südwest-Australiens. Band I, Lieferung 7. Jena: Gustav Fischer, pp. 263-310. (page 267, worker 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).
Taylor, R. W.; Brown, D. R. 1985. Formicoidea. Zool. Cat. Aust. 2:1- 149: 1-149, 30 (page 12, Combination in Myrmecia)
Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1971d. Ant larvae of the subfamily Myrmeciinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pan-Pac. Entomol. 47: 245-256 (page 250, larva described)
Wheeler, W. M. 1933i. Colony founding among ants, with an account of some primitive Australian species. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, viii + 179 pp. (page 59, Combination in M. (Promyrmecia))

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Taylor R. W., and D. R. Brown. 1985. Formicoidea. Zoological Catalogue of Australia 2: 1-149.