Nylanderia bibadia

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Nylanderia bibadia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Lasiini
Genus: Nylanderia
Species: N. bibadia
Binomial name
Nylanderia bibadia
LaPolla & Kallal, 2019

Nylanderia bibadia F2.jpg

Nylanderia bibadia F4.jpg

This species has been collected in rotten, moist logs in forest habitat.

Identification

LaPolla and Kallal (2019) - Larger species (in most specimens, HL greater than 0.7 mm; HW greater than 0.6 mm; SL greater than or equal to 0.81 mm); dark brown often with distinct lighter brown undulations in lateral view from posterior portion of head across mesosoma; ocelli present.

Compare with: Nylanderia bourbonica, Nylanderia fuscaspecula, Nylanderia metacista, and Nylanderia pini

Workers of this species can be separated from N. bourbonica based on the amount of pubescence on the mesosoma. In N. bibadia, dense pubescence is only located dorsally on the mesosoma as opposed to dorsally and laterally as in N. bourbonica. Workers of this species have one of the largest heads (width and length) among the West Indian Nylanderia and these measurements are an effective way to separate it from N. pini and N. metacista which are the species most likely confused with N. bibadia. All but callow workers display this unique pattern. That said, the posterolateral portions of the head are almost always lighter brown than the remainder of the head.

See the N. metacista species page for a discussion of the characters that differentiate N. bibadia and N. metacista workers, and males, as well as additional diagnostic features for both species.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Dominican Republic (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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.
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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.
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Biology

Castes

Male

LaPolla and Kallal, 2019. Figures 5–10. Nylanderia bibadia male USNMENT00921117. Full-face and lateral of the body; SEM images of external genitalia: ventral, close-up vollsellar lobes, dorsal, and lateral.

Nomenclature

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

  • bibadia. Nylanderia bibadia LaPolla & Kallal, 2019: 408, figs. 2-10 (w.q.m.) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

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

Description

Worker

(n=11): TL: 2.70–3.10; HW: 0.55–0.68; HL: 0.64–0.75; EL: 0.15–0.22; SL: 0.75–0.92; WL: 0.81–0.99; GL: 0.96–1.40. SMC: 19–27 PMC: 3–5; MMC: 2–4. Indices: CI: 82–91; REL: 23–30; SI:130–140; SI2: 21–25.

Head: sides of head in full face view rounded and slightly convergent anteriorly; posterolateral corners rounded; posterior margin rounded and slightly emarginate medially; anterior clypeal margin slightly emarginate; three ocelli present; eye well-developed. Mesosoma: in lateral view, pronotum convex; anterior margin of mesonotum raised slightly above posterior pronotal margin; metanotal area with short flat area anterior to spiracle; dorsal face of propodeum relatively flat immediately posterior to metanotal area; dorsal margin of propodeum in lateral view lower than mesonotum. Color and pilosity: dark brown; in lateral view often with undulating lighter brown patches from posterior of head across mesosoma; antenna, mandible, legs mostly lighter brown, procoxa dark brown; cephalic pubescence densest towards posterolateral corners; pronotum, mesonotum and anterior portion of propodeum with moderate pubescence; first and second gastral tergites with dense pubescence.

Queen

(n=2): TL: 4.50–4.54; HW: 0.88–0.92; HL: 0.87–0.88; EL: 0.31–0.33; SL: 0.99–1.01; WL: 1.50–1.56; GL: 2.0–2.1. SMC: 16–18; PMC: 4–7; MMC: 8; MtMC: 3–5. Indices: CI: 101–104; REL: 35–37; SI: 109–112. Generally, as in worker with modifications expected for caste.

Male

(n=2): TL: 2.70; HW: 0.54–0.59; HL: 0.60; EL: 0.23–0.26; SL: 0.79–0.80; WL: 0.98–1.00; GL: 1.17. SMC: 9–12; PMC: 0; MMC: 8–12. Indices: CI: 90; REL: 38; SI: 137–146.

Head: sides of head in full face view rounded and slightly convergent anteriad; posterior margin rounded and slightly emarginate medially; clypeus emarginate anteriorly; mandible with two teeth; a long apical tooth and much smaller subapical tooth adjacent to apical tooth; basal angle sharp and distinct; Mesosoma: in lateral view, dorsal margin of mesoscutum same as height as dorsal margin of mesoscutellum; propodeum steeply sloping without distinct dorsal and declivitous faces. Genitalia: gonopod apex coming to triangular point in lateral view; gonopod margin in dorsal view curves away from penial sclerite; digitus with pointed apex that bends away from penial sclerite; cuspis tubular, rounded at apex bending sharply toward digitus; anteroventral process of penial sclerite broadly rounded; valvura of penial sclerite placed ventral to midline. Color and pilosity: head and gaster dark brown; posterior portion of mesosoma, petiole, mesocoxa and metacoxa as well as antenna and mandible distinctly

Type Material

Holotype worker, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Parque Nacional Sierra de Baharuco, 18° 09.073’N, 71° 36.466’W, elev. 1423 m, broadleaf humid rainforest, decayed log, 26.vii.2009, J.S. LaPolla & S.A. Schneider (USNM00753618) (National Museum of Natural History); 4 paratype workers, 1 paratype queen and 1 paratype male with same locality data as holotype (specimens are from the same nest as holotype) (NMNH & Museum of Comparative Zoology).

Etymology

Species epithet is a combination of badius (L. = brown) with the prefix bi- (L. = two), named for the striking alternating pattern of shades of brown found on this species.

Determination Clarifications

This species is included in the phylogeny of Gotzek et. al (2012) as N. n. sp. 5 DR, and was found as sister to Nylanderia metacista.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • LaPolla J. S., and R. J. Kallal. 2019. Nylanderia of the World Part III: Nylanderia in the West Indies. Zootaxa 4658: 401-451.