Ponera kohmoku

Ponera kohmoku
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ponerinae
Tribe:	Ponerini
Genus:	Ponera
Species:	P. kohmoku
Binomial name
	Ponera kohmoku; Terayama, 1996 Specimen Label

Common Name

Manako-hari-ari
Language:	Japanese

This species inhabits the floor of the broad-leaved forest, and nests in the soil. Alate queens have been collected in the middle August on Yaku Island, Japan. Rather rare. (Japanese Ant Image Database)

Identification

Terayama (1996), Leong et al. (2019) - The large eyes of workers, consisting of around 20 facets, distinguish this species from its congeners.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 33.8446° to 30.359°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Japan (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

Flight Period

							X
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Notes: Japan.

Check details at Worldwide Ant Nuptial Flights Data, AntNupTracker and AntKeeping.
Explore: Show all Flight Month data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

Castes

Worker


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Queen


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Leong et al. 2019. Figure 42. Paratype dealate queen, LCM_MT-Ponera-14c.

Nomenclature

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

kohmoku. Ponera kohmoku Terayama, 1996: 9, figs. 1-6 (w.q.) JAPAN.

Taxonomic Notes

Leong et al. (2019): A specimen collected from KiuShiu, Shiroyama, Japan, is mistakenly labeled as a type of Ponera scabra at Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel (AntWeb images, specimen CASENT0915299). Ponera scabra was described from Mt. Maya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Santschi (1937: 364) identified the KiuShiu specimen as a gynecoid worker of P. scabra. However, this specimen can be easily identified as P. kohmoku Terayama, 1996 by the combination of the following characters: large compound eye (ca. 30 facets), distinct metanotal groove and subcircular petiolar node in dorsal view; in contrast to P. scabra, which has small compound eye (ca. 5 facets), an indistinct metanotal groove and an arched petiolar node in dorsal view. Thus, there are no records of gynecoid workers in Ponera after the exclusion of Santschi’s record.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype. HL 0.80 mm; HW 0.68 mm; SL 0.65 mm; CI 84; SI 96; WL 1.25 mm; PW 0.58 mm; PNL 0.35 mm; PH 0.63 mm; DPW 0.45 mm; PNI 78; TL 3.6 mm.

Head subrectangular, with slightly convex sides and almost straight posterior margin in frontal view. Mandibles with 3 developed apical teeth followed by a series of about 10 minute denticles. Clypeus with a blunt but distinct median tooth. Eyes large for this genus, slightly convex, and each consisting of about 25 indistinct facets; maximum diameter 0.10 mm. Antennae with 12 segments; scape relatively long, slightly exceeding median posterior margin of head in frontal view; club not differentiated; 8th to 12th segments in a ratio of about 7:7:9:11:18 in length; terminal segment 1.4 x as long as wide.

General shape of alitrunk and petiole as in Fig. 5; lateral promesonotal and dorsal mesonotal-propodeal sutures distinctly incised; posterolateral corner of propodeum dully angulate. Petiolar node wider than long in dorsal view, with broadly convex anterior margin and straight posterior margin. Subpetiolar process with a pair of strong posterolateral teeth; fenestra relatively rarge and oval.

Head and antennal scapes microreticulate; mandibles smooth and shining. Dorsum of alitrunk and petiole microreticulate and closely punctate; mesepisterna and lateral faces of propodeum shining and weakly punctate; declivitous face of propodeum smooth and shining. Gaster closely punctate; punctures on 2nd gastral tergite weaker than those on the 1st. Pubescence moderately abundant; erect or suberect hairs present on mandibles, antennal scapes, dorsa of alitrunk and petiolar node, and entire gaster.

Body black with brownish tinge; clypeus and subpetiolar process brown; mandibles, antennae, legs and tip of gaster reddish brown.

Variation. Ten paratype workers with the following measurements and indices: HL 0.83-0.89 mm; HW 0.70-0.75 mm; SL0.63-0.66 mm; CI 85-88; SI 97-91; WL 1.20-1.28 mm; PW 0.58-0.61 mm; PNL 0.34-0.35 mm; PH 0.63-0.68 mm; DPW 0.43-0.48 mm; PNI 71-78; TL 3.4-3.7 mm.

Eyes consisting of 22 to 30 indistinct facets.

Leong et al. (2019) - (n=6): HL 0.83–0.89; HW 0.70–0.77; SL 0.61–0.68; A06L 0.05; A07L 0.05; A08L 0.08; A09L 0.10; A10L 0.11; PrW 0.57–0.65; WL 1.06–1.29; PeH 0.62–0.65; PeNL 0.34–0.37; PeW 0.44–0.51; ATL 0.63–0.71; ATW 0.76–0.80; CI 80–87, SI 82–91, PeI 73–82, LPeI 54–58, DPeI 124–143, ATI 81–89.

Head. In full-face view, head subrectangular and distinctly longer than broad (CI: 80–87), with straight posterior margin, moderately convex lateral margins, and bluntly rounded posterolateral corners. Eye large; composed of a total of 18–22 indistinct facets. Anterior clypeal margin with strong and blunt medial tooth. Masticatory margin of mandible with a series of about ten indistinct denticles, and three large teeth on the apical part. Antennal scape, when laid backward, exactly reaching the posterolateral corner; average ratio of the length of antennomeres 7/6:8/6:9/6:10/6 = 1.16: 1.68: 1.98: 2.24 (n=6).

Mesosoma. Mesosomal dorsum in lateral view slightly convex. Pronotum in dorsal view with broadly convex anterior margin, and moderately convex lateral margins. Metanotal groove deeply and broadly incised. Lateral mesopleural suture clearly incised. Propodeal dorsum in dorsal view narrow, with straight lateral margins. Propodeal corner in lateral view angular; propodeal dorsum and declivity forming approximatively a 130 degree angle.

Metasoma. Petiolar node in dorsal view subcircular and thick, with well convex anterior margin, and moderately convex posterior margin. Petiolar node in dorsal view well thick and subtrapezoid, with straight anterior and posterior margins, and slightly convex dorsal margin. Subpetiolar process thick with medium-sized and oval fenestra, anteroventral corner blunt, straight ventral margin, and posteroventral corner concave with a pair of medium-sized teeth. Third abdominal tergum broader than long (ATI: 81–89) and narrow anteriad, with broadly convex anterior margin, and well convex lateral margins.

Sculpture. Head densely punctate. Mandible sparsely punctate. Mesosomal dorsum in dorsal view evenly punctate. Mesopleuron, metapleuron and propodeum evenly striate. Propodeal declivity smooth and shining. Lateral face of petiole evenly punctate, posterior face smooth, dorsum rough and evenly punctate. The third and fourth abdominal segments densely punctate, other segments smooth and shining with few punctures.

Pubescence. Head, antennae, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster with evenly distributed short hairs. Mesopleuron, metapleuron, propodeum and lateral face of petiole with scattered short hairs. Dorsal and ventral faces of head, anterior margin of clypeus, sides of mandibles, dorsum of petiolar node and gaster with many long erect hairs. Subpetiolar process with a few long erect hairs.

Color. Body color dark. Mandible, clypeus, antennae, legs, and apex of gaster orange.

Queen

Paratypes. HL 0.93-0.95 mm; HW 0.78-0.80 mm; SL0.70-0.71 mm; CI 84-85; SI 89-90; WL 1.55-1.18 mm; AW 0.75-0.67 mm; PNL 0.38-0.39 mm; PH 0.68-0.70 mm; DPW 0.51-0.53 mm; PNI 74-75; TL4.0-4.3 mm (n = 4).

Head and alitrunk as inFigs. Eyes large, 4.0-4.3 mm in diameter. Ocelli small, forming an acute triangle. Antennal scapes exceeding posterior margin of head. Petiolar node converging above in lateral view; disc 0.53 x as long as wide, with weakly concave posterior margin in dorsal view. Color as in worker.

Leong et al. (2019) - (n=1): HL 0.94; HW 0.81; SL 0.71; A06L 0.06; A07L 0.06; A08L 0.09; A09L 0.11; A10L 0.11; PrW 0.75; WL 1.52; PeH 0.74; PeNL 0.37; PeW 0.55; ATL 0.80; ATW 0.90; CI 86, SI 88, PeI 74, LPeI 50, DPeI 150, ATI 88.

Head. Similar to worker caste, but with large and oval Eye, maximum diameter of each eye about 0.21 mm with 15 ommatidia along the maximum diameter. Three ocelli present, and forming a subequilateral triangle. In full-face view, scape similar to worker; average ratio of the length of antennomeres 7/6:8/6:9/6:10/6 = 1.07: 1.53: 1.80: 1.85 (n=1).

Mesosomal dorsum in lateral view broadly convex. Pronotum in dorsal view with convex anterior margin, and broadly convex lateral margins. Scutum suboval and narrow posteriad, with moderately convex anterior margin, and slightly convex posterior margin. Transcutal suture distinct and broad. Scutellum suboval. Anapleural sulcus clearly incised. Propodeal-metapleural suture weakly incised. Propodeal dorsum in dorsal view broad, with straight lateral margins. Propodeal corner rounded; propodeal dorsum and declivity forming approximatively a 120 degree angle.

Metasoma. Petiolar node in dorsal view thick and arched, broader than long, with broadly convex anterior margin, and slightly convex posterior margin. Petiolar node in lateral view subrectangular and moderately thick, with straight anterior and posterior margins. Subpetiolar process with large and oval fenestra, anteroventral corner blunt, ventral margin straight, and posteroventral corner concave with a pair of small teeth. The third abdominal segment similar to worker caste (ATI: 88).

Sculpture. Similar to worker caste.

Pubescence. Similar to worker caste.

Color. Similar to worker caste.

Type Material

Holotype. Worker, Kurio, Yaku-shima, Kagoshima Pref., 23.III.l981, M. Terayama leg.

Paratypes. 23 workers, 1 female, same data as holotype; 2 females, Kusukawa, Yaku-shima, Kagoshima Pref., 22.III.1981, M. Terayama leg.; 2 workers, Yaku-shima, Kagoshima Pref., 16.X.1984, M. Terayarna leg.; 4 workers, Anbou, Yaku-shima, Kagoshima Pref., M. Terayarna leg.; 3 workers, 20.VIII.1983, Shiroyarna, Kagoshima-shi, Kagoshima Pref., 20.VIII.1983, S. Kubota leg.; 2 workers, same locality, 21.VIII.1983, S. Kubota leg.; 1 worker, Sata-misaki, Kagoshima Pref., 10.VIII.1984, M. Terayarna leg.; 1 female, Yaku-shima, Osumi Is., Kagoshima Pref., 19.VIII.1983, Sk. Yamane leg.; 28 workers, Shimonoseki, Fukuoka Pref., 6.IV.1993, O. Kitade leg.

Leong et al. (2019): Type material examined: JAPAN. Paratypes, 6 workers and 1 dealate queen, Kurio, Yaku-shima, Kagoshima Pref., 23 III 1981, M Terayama leg (Maromu Terayama Collection: LCM_MT-Ponera-13, LCM_MT-Ponera-14, LCM_MT-Ponera-15). 1 worker, Sata-Misaki, Kagoshima Pref., 10 III 1981, M Terayama leg (LCM_MT-Ponera-16).

Etymology

The specific name is the Japanese noun Kohmoku-ten, which is the name of one of the four guardian deities in buddhism.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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Fukumoto S., W. Jaitrong, and S. Yamane. 2013. Ant fauna of Take-shima, Iwo-jima and Kuro-shima islands, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. Nature of Kagoshima 39: 99-105.
Harada Y. 1997. Ants from the Koshiki islands, Kagoshima-ken, southern Japan. Ari 21: 1-4.
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Leong C. M., B. Guénard, S. F. Shiao, & C. C. Lin. 2019. Taxonomic revision of the genus Ponera Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Taiwan and Japan, with a key to East Asian species. Zootaxa 4594: 1-86.
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