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Paraparatrechina subtilis
| Paraparatrechina subtilis | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Lasiini |
| Genus: | Paraparatrechina |
| Species: | P. subtilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Paraparatrechina subtilis (Santschi, 1920)
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| Synonyms | |
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Little is known about the biology of Paraparatrechina subtilis. One collection of this species was made from coastal lowland rainforest.
Identification
LaPolla et al. (2010) - Metanotal area distinct, with raised metanotal spiracles; head and scapes with decumbent pubescence; cephalic pubescence longer lateroposteriorly.
Compare with: Paraparatrechina oreias. This is a light colored species that can be distinguished by the presence of short, decumbent pubescence on the head and scapes, an uncommon character state for Paraparatrechina species. P. umbranatis also has decumbent pubescence on the head and scapes (although the pubescence is not as long), but can easily be distinguished from P. subtilis by the dark gaster contrasting with the lighter head and mesosoma.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 14.661541° to -2.234166667°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Cameroun, Gabon, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal (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. |
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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.
- subtilis. Prenolepis (Nylanderia) subtilis Santschi, 1920g: 174 (w.) SENEGAL. Combination in Paratrechina (Nylanderia): Emery, 1925b: 218; in Paraparatrechina: LaPolla, Brady & Shattuck, 2010a: 128. Senior synonym of termitophila: LaPolla, Cheng & Fisher, 2010: 13.
- termitophila. Prenolepis (Nylanderia) subtilis st. termitophila Santschi, 1921c: 122 (w.) CAMEROUN. Combination in Paratrechina (Nylanderia): Emery, 1925b: 218; in Paraparatrechina: LaPolla, Brady & Shattuck, 2010a: 128. Junior synonym of subtilis: LaPolla, Cheng & Fisher, 2010: 13.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
LaPolla et al. (2010) - (n=10): TL: 1.45–1.65; HW: 0.37–0.42; HL: 0.46–0.50; EL: 0.08–0.11; SL: 0.43–0.48; PW: 0.27–0.29; WL: 0.49–0.54; PDH: 0.22–0.25; PrFL:0.35–0.39; PrFW: 0.1–0.11; GL: 0.46–0.7. Indices: CI: 77–87; REL: 17–22; SI: 110–122; FI: 25–32.
Head yellow to light brown; cuticular surface shining. Short, decumbent pubescence covers head, especially lateroposteriorly, where it is longer than remainder of head. Scapes surpass posterior margin by about the length of the first funicular segment. Scapes covered in short, decumbent pubescence across their length. Mesosoma yellow to light brown and compact; fine pubescence covers entire mesosomal dorsum, although pubescence sparser on dorsal face of propodeum. Pronotum rises very steeply from anterior margin to dorsum. Mesonotal area distinct, with prominent mesonotal spiracles. Dorsal face of propodeum short, gently rounded, with longer declivitous face. Legs same color as remainder of the body; gaster yellow, covered in a dense layer of pubescence.
Type Material
LaPolla et al. (2010) - Holotype worker, SENEGAL: Casamance (C. Paveau) (Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel) [examined].
Unfortunately, type specimens of P. subtilis termitophila could not be located for this study (they were not found in NHMB by curator Daniel Burckhardt, pers. comm.). Based on the written description by Santschi (1921) there seems to be little to distinguish it from P. subtilis, thus our placement as a synonym.
References
- Cantone S. 2017. Winged Ants, The Male, Dichotomous key to genera of winged male ants in the World, Behavioral ecology of mating flight (self-published).
- Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 218, Combination in Paratrechina (Nylanderia))
- 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.
- Santschi, F. 1920g. Cinq nouvelles notes sur les fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 53: 163-186 (page 174, worker described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Braet Y., and B. Taylor. 2008. Mission entomologique au Parc National de Pongara (Gabon). Bilan des Formicidae (Hymenoptera) recoltes. Bulletin S. R. B. E./K.B.V.E. 144: 157-169.
- Diame L., B. Taylor, R. Blatrix, J. F. Vayssieres, J. Y. Rey, I. Grechi, and K. Diarra. 2017. A preliminary checklist of the ant (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) fauna of Senegal. Journal of Insect Biodiversity 5(15): 1-16.
- 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.