Myrmecina inaequala

Myrmecina inaequala
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Myrmecina
Species:	M. inaequala
Binomial name
Myrmecina inaequala Shattuck, 2009 Specimen labels

This is the most widespread species of Myrmecina in Australia and occurs in a range of habitats including Eucalyptus forests, meso-notophyll vine forests, Picabean palm forests, wet sclerophyll and rainforest. It is most commonly encountered in litter samples or occasionally in rotten logs. (Shattuck 2009)

Identification

Shattuck (2009) - Dorsal surface of mesosoma with continuous longitudinal carinae running from pronotum to propodeum; dorsal and lateral surfaces of mesosoma separated by an indistinct angle or ridge which interrupts or breaks the mesosomal sculpturing; carinae weak and relatively indistinct on sides of pronotum. This species can be separated from the similar Myrmecina rugosa by the more distinct and linear carinae on the mesosoma and from Myrmecina difficulta by the angle or ridge separating the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the mesosoma which interrupts the sculpturing (in difficulta the sculpturing is continuous across these surfaces).

Keys including this Species

• Key to Australian Myrmecina Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -12.71222222° to -30.4°.

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.

Elevation Range

Occurrence at collecting sites during elevational surveys of rainforest in the Eungella region, Queensland, Australia (Burwell et al., 2020).

Species	Elevation (m asl)
	200	400	600	800	1000	1200
Myrmecina inaequala	20-30	30-40	10-20	0-10
Shading indicates the bands of elevation where species was recorded. Numbers are the percentage of total samples containing this species.

Nomenclature

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

• inaequala. Myrmecina inaequala Shattuck, 2009a: 12, figs. 20-22, 51 (w.) AUSTRALIA.

Type Material

• Holotype, worker, 11km ENE Mt. Tozer, Queensland, Australia, Weir,T.A., ANIC32-047354, Australian National Insect Collection.
• Paratype, 2 workers, 11km ENE Mt. Tozer, Queensland, Australia, Weir,T.A., ANIC32-047469, Australian National Insect Collection.
• Paratype, 3 workers, 11km ENE Mt. Tozer, Queensland, Australia, Weir,T.A., ANIC32-047470, Australian National Insect Collection.
• Paratype, 3 workers, 11km ENE Mt. Tozer, Queensland, Australia, Weir,T.A., ANIC32-047471, Australian National Insect Collection.
• Paratype, 2 workers, 11km ENE Mt. Tozer, Queensland, Australia, Weir,T.A., ANIC32-047472, Australian National Insect Collection.
• Paratype, 3 workers, 11km ENE Mt. Tozer, Queensland, Australia, Weir,T.A., ANIC32-047470, The Natural History Museum.
• Paratype, 3 workers, 11km ENE Mt. Tozer, Queensland, Australia, Weir,T.A., ANIC32-047471, Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Antennal scapes with low longitudinal ridges. First segment of funiculus cone-shaped. Sides of head behind compound eyes smooth. Sculpturing on dorsal surface of mesosoma running longitudinally and generally with the central carina (or carinae) running nearly the length (the pronotum not differentiated from the mesonotum). Dorsal and lateral surfaces of mesosoma separated by an indistinct angle or ridge which interrupts or breaks the mesosomal sculpturing. Metanotal spines very short, broadly angular. Propodeal spines long. Erect hairs abundant, straight. Colour dark brown-black, antennae, mandibles and legs yellow-red.

(n = 8) — CI 97–105; HL 0.63–0.79; HW 0.62–0.78; MTL 0.33–0.43; SI 81–96; SL 0.55–0.67; WL 0.79–0.93.

References

• Burwell, C.J., Nakamura, A. 2020. Rainforest ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) along an elevational gradient at Eungella in the Clarke Range, Central Queensland coast, Australia. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 125: 43-63.
• Shattuck, S.O. 2009a. A revision of the Australian species of the ant genus Myrmecina. Zootaxa 2146: 1-21 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2146.1.1).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Shattuck S. O. 2009. A revision the Australian species of the ant genus Myrmecina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 2146: 1-21.