Plagiolepis breviscapa

Plagiolepis breviscapa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Plagiolepidini
Genus:	Plagiolepis
Species:	P. breviscapa
Binomial name
	Plagiolepis breviscapa; Collingwood & van Harten, 2005

Described and only known from a type collection of workers found in a malaise sample.

Identification

Sharaf et al. (2011) - The head, body and legs are completely pale. The head is nearly as long as broad, the antennal scapes are distinctly short, about half of head length. The funicular segments are quadrate.

Keys including this Species

Key to Arabian Plagiolepis Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 13.06666667° to 13.06666667°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Yemen (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.

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.

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.

breviscapa. Plagiolepis breviscapa Collingwood & van Harten, 2005: 77, fig. 8 (w.) YEMEN. See also: , Aldawood & Taylor, 2011: 205.

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

Description

Worker

TL 1.40, HL 0.47, HW 0.41, ScL 0.26, CI 87.2, SI 63.4, Eye L 0.09. The head, body and legs are completely pale. The antennal scape is unusually short for the genus. The funicular segments are quadrate.

Type Material

Holotype: worker, Yemen: Lahj, 1.X-17.XII.2001, in Malaise trap, A. VAN HARTEN & A. SALLAM leg. - Paratypes: 7 workers, same data as holotype. The types of the new species will be deposited in the Liverpool Museum, Liverpool, UK.

Sharaf et al. (2011) - Holotype worker, Yemen, Lahj, 1.x.-17.xii.2001, (A. v. Harten & A. Sallam) (not in World Museum, Liverpool, presumably lost).

References