Overbeckia papuana

Overbeckia papuana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Overbeckia
Species:	O. papuana
Binomial name
Overbeckia papuana Klimes, 2022

The arboreal nest of O. papuana in Papua New Guinea was collected at 16.4 m in a dead vine growing along the tree trunk of Trichospermum pleiostigma (F. Muell.) Kosterm. (diameter at breast height = 16.3 cm). The nest consisted of less than one hundred workers, with one wingless gyne, three males, and multiple larvae and pupae enclosed in cocoons.

Identification

General appearance of worker and queen as in Overbeckia subclavata, but hairier on the head, with erect hairs on dorsum of petiole, thorax and abdomen; a few hairs also present on distal part of scape. Head integument less punctate than in O. subclavata, with many short-erect hairs extending past head margins in frontal view; tiny appressed hairs in high densities all over the head including genae; frontal carinae significantly approaching one another anteriorly (FCDI > 190) (Fig. 5d).

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -5° to -11°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: Klimes et al., 2022

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia.
Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea.

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.

Phylogeny

Overbeckia	Overbeckia jambiensis Overbeckia papuana Overbeckia subclavata

Based on Klimeš, P. et al., 2022.

Nomenclature

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

• papuana. Overbeckia papuana Klimes, in Klimes et al., 2022: 570, figs. 5, 6 (w.q.m.) PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Type Material

• Holotype. Worker (ZMHB): Morphospecies ‘CAMP021’/Acc.N. ‘HP0177’/Tree number code ‘WS4D0868’/Secondary forest/Wanang village/Madang province/Papua New Guinea/8.iii.2007/05°14′S, 145°11′E/leg. M. Rimandai.
• Paratypes. Five workers (1w ZMHB, 1w IECA, 2w NAIC, 1w MZB), one male (ZMHB), one queen without wings (ZMHB): From the same nest series as holotype (the same data).

Taxonomic Notes

The material from Australia was examined and measured mainly from photographs from the following sources: (i) the book by McArthur (2012), where a worker of Overbeckia was incorrectly assigned to Camponotus janeti (minor worker fits O. papuana, whereas major worker presumably fits C. janeti; there is uncertainty as to whether the two individuals are from different localities and pins or are on a single pin at SAMA); (ii) the photos on AntWeb of the three specimens in Heterick (2019). The Australian specimens appear to be larger in body size based on the measures from the photos (4 workers measured from photos, WL > 1.95 mm) than the Papua New Guinea (PNG) nest series (6w measured, WL < 1.74). However, we treat these as one species because the Australian single specimen sent by P. Ward for direct examination (n#15720) matches O. papuana types in the body size (WL = 1.64; Supplementary Table S1) and morphology.

References

• Klimeš, P., Drescher, J., Buchori, D., Hidayat, P., Nazarreta, R., Potocký, P., Rimandai, M., Scheu, S., Matos-Maraví, P. 2022. Uncovering cryptic diversity in the enigmatic ant genus Overbeckia and insights into the phylogeny of Camponotini (Hymenoptera:Formicidae:Formicinae). Invertebrate Systematics, 36(6), 557-579 (doi:10.1071/is21067).