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Paraparatrechina gnoma
| Paraparatrechina gnoma | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Lasiini |
| Genus: | Paraparatrechina |
| Species: | P. gnoma |
| Binomial name | |
| Paraparatrechina gnoma LaPolla & Cheng, 2010
| |
Known from only a few collections, this species is known from forested habitat.
Identification
LaPolla et al. (2010) - Small size (TL: 1.2–1.44); HL & SL < 0.4 mm.
Compare with: Paraparatrechina oreias and Paraparatrechina subtilis. This species is most likely to be confused with P. oreias, but can separated by its overall smaller size in head width and length and scape length. P. gnoma is currently the smallest known Afrotropical Paraparatrechina species, although P. brunnella is very small as well (TL: 1.23–1.58).
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 9.066667° to 7.9°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Ghana (type locality), Nigeria.
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. |
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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
Known only from the worker caste.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- gnoma. Paraparatrechina gnoma LaPolla & Cheng, in LaPolla, Cheng & Fisher, 2010: 10, figs. 5,16,17 (w.) GHANA.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
(n=12): TL: 1.2–1.44; HW: 0.32–0.34; HL: 0.36–0.38; EL: 0.084–0.098; SL: 0.34–0.38; PW: 0.22–0.25; WL: 0.36–0.42; PDH: 0.19–0.21; PrFL: 0.28–0.30; PrFW: 0.09–0.11; GL: 0.47–0.67. Indices: CI: 85–94; REL: 24–26; SI: 102–115; FI: 32–36
Head brownish-yellow, with lighter yellow colored clypeus, mandibles, and antennae and area around torulae. A fine, short pubescence covers the head. Scapes surpass posterior margin by about the length of the first 2 funicular segments. Mesosoma compact, laterally brownish-yellow, with dorsum lighter yellow, and a fine pubescence covering the entire mesosomal dorsum. Pronotum rises very steeply from anterior margin to dorsum; propodeum possesses a short, angular dorsal face, with a long declivitous face. Procoxae typically brownish-yellow as in mesosoma, although procoxae in some specimens are lighter yellow; overall, the legs are brownish-yellow, becoming yellow towards last tarsal segments; gaster brownish-yellow becoming lighter yellow around segmental margins.
Type Material
Holotype worker, GHANA: Mankrang For. Res. nr. Akomaden; 11.iii.1992 (R. Belshaw) (The Natural History Museum); 6 paratype workers, same locality as holotype (BMNH, National Museum of Natural History).
Etymology
The species epithet is a Latin noun in apposition for dwarf, in reference to the fact that this is the smallest species of Paraparatrechina currently known from the Afrotropics.
References
- LaPolla, J.S., Cheng, C.H. & Fisher, B.L. 2010. Taxonomic revision of the ant genus Paraparatrechina in the Afrotropical and Malagasy regions. Zootaxa 2387: 1-27.
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- LaPolla J. S., C. H. Cheng, B. L. Fisher. 2010. Taxonomic revision of the ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) genus Paraparatrechina in the Afrotropical and Malagasy region. Zootaxa 2387: 1-27.
- Lapolla, J. S., C. H. Cheng, and B. L. Fisher. "Taxonomic revision of the ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) genus Paraparatrechina in the Afrotropical and Malagasy Regions." Zootaxa 2387 (2010): 1-27.