Parvaponera cavimaculata

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Parvaponera cavimaculata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Ponerinae
Tribe: Ponerini
Genus: Parvaponera
Species: P. cavimaculata
Binomial name
Parvaponera cavimaculata
(Wang, W. & Zhao, 2009)

This little-known species was described from China.

Identification

Identification is based on the original description:

Parvaponera cavimaculata original description.jpg

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: China (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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

Nomenclature

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

  • cavimaculata. Pachycondyla cavimaculata Wang, W. & Zhao, 2009: 47, fig. 3-16 (w.) CHINA (Hubei).
    • Type-material: holotype(?) worker.
    • Type-locality: China: Hubei Prov.
    • Type-depository: unknown.
    • Combination in Parvaponera: Schmidt, C.A. & Shattuck, 2014: 200.
    • Status as species: Zhou & Ran, 2010: 107; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 60.
    • Distribution: China.

Description

See Identification above.

Taxonomic Changes

  • Placed in Parvaponera by Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014: 200.

Taxonomic Discussion

This species was originally described in Pachycondyla, which was an appropriate placement at the time. In their generic-level revision of the subfamily Ponerinae, Schmidt & Shattuck (2014) transferred it to the newly established genus Parvaponera. They did not examine type material but based their transfer on the original description. Specifically:

  • The distribution is within the known range of other Parvaponera species.
  • The original description mentions Parvaponera darwinii, the type species of Parvaponera.
  • The figure provided with the original description matches Parvaponera species more closely than species placed in other ponerine genera.

However, until reliably identified material is studied the generic placement of this species should be treated as preliminary.

References