Nylanderia hystrix

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Nylanderia hystrix
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Lasiini
Genus: Nylanderia
Species: N. hystrix
Binomial name
Nylanderia hystrix
(Trager, 1984)

Paratrechina hystrix casent0005424 profile 1.jpg

Paratrechina hystrix casent0005424 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Nylanderia hystrix nests are commonly found under stones in desert washes. Reproductive flights are not known for this species, although it is suspected they follow the pattern of other Nearctic species (Trager, 1984). it apparently does not occur sympatrically with Nylanderia bruesii in the Sonoran Desert.

Identification

Kallal & LaPolla (2012) - Uniformly yellow with numerous strongly contrasting black macrosetae. This desert species has a very distinctive appearance. Being a large, uniformly yellow species with strikingly contrasting black macrosetae all over its body, it cannot easily be confused with any other Nearctic Nylanderia species.

Identification Keys including this Taxon

Distribution

This species is known from the Mojave and Great Basin deserts.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 38.7946° to 31.723839°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: United States (type locality).
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

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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Habitat

They can be found at elevations between 500 and 1500 m. Habitats in which they have been collected range from creosote-sagebrush deserts to pine-juniper woodlands (Trager, 1984).

Biology

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Paratrechina hystrix casent0106037 head 1.jpgParatrechina hystrix casent0106037 profile 1.jpgParatrechina hystrix casent0106037 dorsal 1.jpgParatrechina hystrix casent0106037 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0106037. Photographer Michael Branstetter, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by UCDC, Davis, CA, USA.

Queen

Mcz-ent00669175 Nylanderia hystrix qu hef.jpgMcz-ent00669175 Nylanderia hystrix queen hal.jpgMcz-ent00669175 Nylanderia hystrix queen had.jpgMcz-ent00669175 Nylanderia hystrix queen lbs.JPG
. Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Nomenclature

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

  • hystrix. Paratrechina hystrix Trager, 1984b: 134, figs. 28, 30, 40 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. Combination in Nylanderia: LaPolla, Brady & Shattuck, 2010a: 127. See also: Kallal & LaPolla, 2012: 23.

Type Material

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

Description

Worker

Kallal & LaPolla (2012) - Measurements (n=10) TL: 2.51–3.10; HW: 0.56–0.66; HL: 0.68–0.82; EL: 0.15–0.19; SL: 0.81–1.05; PW: 0.40–0.49; WL: 0.82–1.13; GL: 0.87–1.21; PH: 0.22–0.31; PFL: 0.68–0.76; PFW: 0.13–0.18. SMC: 10–29; PMC: 8–16; MMC: 4–10. Indices: CI: 80–87; REL: 21–25; SI: 119–132; FI: 91–103.

Overall uniformly yellow to brownish yellow in color; mesocoxae and metacoxae same color as mesosoma; cuticle smooth and shiny; cephalic pubescence sparse; mesosoma and gastral pubescence virtually absent; macrosetae black, contrasting strongly with cuticle color; macrosetae numerous on head, mesosoma, and gaster. Head ovate; posterior margin emarginated medially; scapes surpass posterior margin by first 3–4 funicular segments; ocelli apparent. Pronotal anterior face approximately 45° or less; pronotum inflected with pronotal anterior face shorter than pronotal dorsal face; anterior margin of mesonotum continuous with pronotal margin; propodeum with dome-like dorsal face and long declivitous face.

Queen

Kallal & LaPolla (2012) - Measurements (n=1) TL: 4.37; HW: 0.82; HL: 0.91; EL: 0.23; SL: 1.03; PW: 0.78; MW: 0.72; WL: 1.50; GL: 1.95; PH: 0.39; PFL: 0.88; PFW: 0.19. SMC: 26; PMC: 17; MMC: 12; MtMC: 4. Indices: CI: 90; REL: 25; SI: 112; FI: 97.

Uniform yellow to brownish yellow in color; cuticle smooth and shiny; body with dense pubescence; macrosetae black and numerous. Head nearly as broad as it is long; median ridge on clypeus; posterior margin with shallow medial emargination; scapes surpass posterior margin by first 3 funicular segments. Propodeum with very short dorsal face and long declivitous face.

Male

Kallal & LaPolla (2012) - Measurements (n=4) TL: 2.35–2.58; HW: 0.51–0.55; HL: 0.57–0.60; EL: 0.18–0.19; SL: 0.71–0.83; PW: 0.53–0.58; MW: 0.45–0.52; WL: 0.84–0.94; GL: 0.85–1.04; PH: 0.23–0.33; PFL: 0.62–0.70; PFW: 0.12–0.14; PL: 0.24–0.26. SMC: 15–35; MMC: 8–18; MtMC: 3–6. Indices: CI: 86–91; REL: 31–33; SI: 120–145; FI: 106–117.

Yellowish-brown with dark brown gaster; mandibles, scapes, legs, and parameres brownish yellow; cuticle smooth and shiny; cephalic pubescence sparse; mesosoma and gastral pubescence absent; macrosetae black and numerous. Head longer than it is broad; eyes convex, extending beyond lateral margins of the head in full face view; scapes surpass posterior margin by first 4–5 funicular segments; inner mandibular margin long and straight; basal angle approximately 90°; smooth masticatory margin with large apical tooth. Mesosoma enlarged to accommodate flight muscles; in lateral view, pronotal margin short and relatively straight with slight inflection towards mesonotal margin; propodeum with dorsal and declivitous faces of approximately equal lengths. Genitalia: parameres laterally oriented, triangular; digitus slightly longer than parameres, as long as aedeagal valves, angled ventrally; cuspis about half as long; both structures with rounded teeth where they meet; aedeagal valves with thickened distal tips, teeth absent; ninth sternite very long and broad with very reduced lateral apodemes and very short ventral apodeme.

References

  • Kallal, R.J. & LaPolla, J.S. 2012. Monograph of Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the World, Part II: Nylanderia in the Nearctic. Zootaxa 3508, 1-64.
  • Trager, J. C. 1984b. A revision of the genus Paratrechina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the continental United States. Sociobiology 9: 49-162 (page 134, figs. 28, 30, 40 worker, queen, male described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Johnson R. Personnal Database. Accessed on February 5th 2014 at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/resources.htm
  • Johnson, R.A. and P.S. Ward. 2002. Biogeography and endemism of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Baja California, Mexico: a first overview. Journal of Biogeography 29:1009–1026/
  • Kallal R. J, and J. S. Lapolla. 2012. Monograph of Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the world, part II: Nylanderia in the Nearctic. Zootaxa 3508: 1-64.
  • Trager J. C. 1984. A revision of the genus Paratrechina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the continental United States. Sociobiology 9: 49-162
  • Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133
  • Wheeler G. C., and J. Wheeler. 1986. The ants of Nevada. Los Angeles: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, vii + 138 pp.