Pristomyrmex foveolatus

Pristomyrmex foveolatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Pristomyrmex
Species:	P. foveolatus
Binomial name
	Pristomyrmex foveolatus; Taylor, 1965 Type Specimen Label

This species occurs only in rainforest in North Queensland, Australia, and has been collected in litter berlesates; its nests are constructed in rotting logs (Taylor, 1965).

Identification

Wang (2003) - Worker. Pronotum with a pair of triangular short spines (ca. 0.06-0.13); propodeal spines long (ca. 0.20-0.30); dorsum of head, except for the antennal scrobes, with foveolate-reticulate sculpture ; postpetiole unsculptured; PPI 133-150; SL 0.70-0.82 and SI 81-93.

Pristomyrmex foveolatus is extremely similar to Pristomyrmex thoracicus, also from Australia, in many characters in the workers and queens, such as (1) the dentition of the masticatory margin of mandible, (2) palp formula, (3) structure and shape of the clypeus, (4) length and shape of the pronotal and propodeal spines, and (5) sculpture of the dorsal surfaces of the head and the alitrunk. The differences between the workers of these two species are slight, as follows: P. foveolatus - Antennal scapes shorter (SL 0.70- 0.82, SI 81-93). Postpetiole in dorsal view much broader than long, PPI 133- 150, with the two sides subparallel, showing a transverse rectangle. P. thoracicus - Antennal scapes longer (SL 0.86- 0.98, SI97- 103). Postpetiole in dorsal view slightly broader than long, PPI 109-121, with the two sides not subparallel, showing a trapezoid.

A member of the quadridens species group.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -15.29° to -28.23332977°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (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.

Elevation Range

Occurrence at collecting sites during elevational surveys of rainforest in the Eungella region, Queensland, Australia (Burwell et al., 2020).
Species	Elevation (m asl)
Species	200	400	600	800	1000	1200
Pristomyrmex foveolatus	20-30	60-70	40-50
Shading indicates the bands of elevation where species was recorded. Numbers are the percentage of total samples containing this species.

Biology

Explore Overview of Pristomyrmex biology

The biology of most Pristomyrmex species is poorly known. From Wang (2003): Most species of Pristomyrmex dwell in the rainforest, foraging as predators or scavengers. An Asian species, Pristomyrmex punctatus, however, occurs in open and disturbed habitats (e.g., bare hills, agricultural areas, and beaches). These ants prefer to nest in soil, litter, or rotten wood; in rotten parts of living trees; in dead standing trees; or around plant roots.

Pristomyrmex is of great interest because it exhibits several unusual biological and evolutionary phenomena. The absence of morphologically normal queens and reproduction primarily by unmated workers in P. punctatus {=P. pungens) is a highly unusual life history in the Formicidae. Ergatoid queens, a special wingless female caste morphologically intermediate between the queen and the worker, are present in at least four species: Pristomyrmex punctatus, Pristomyrmex africanus, Pristomyrmex wheeleri, and Pristomyrmex mandibularis; two of them (P. africanus and P. wheeleri) possess both queen and ergatoid queen castes.

Simulating death, slowness of movement, and nocturnal foraging has been recorded in Pristomyrmex (Donisthorpe, 1946; Taylor, 1965; Weber, 1941). Colony size varies greatly among species, ranging from about a dozen to several thousand workers (Donisthorpe, 1946; Itow et al, 1984; Mann, 1919; Taylor, 1965, 1968). ‎

Castes

Nomenclature

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

foveolatus. Pristomyrmex foveolatus Taylor, 1965b: 38, figs. 1, 2 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Wang, M. 2003: 447 (m.).

Type Material

Holotype, worker, Clump Point, west of Tully, Queensland, Australia, 25 June 1962, R. W. Taylor, Museum of Comparative Zoology; rainforest, a few feet above sea level.
Paratype, 1 worker, Clump Point, west of Tully, Queensland, Australia, 25 June 1962, R. W. Taylor, ANIC32-015655, Australian National Insect Collection.

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

Description

Worker

Wang (2003) - TL 2.74-3.26, HL 0.78-0.92, HW 0.80-0.96, C1 100-108, SL 0.70-0.82, S1 81-93, EL 0.11-0.14, PW 0.50-0.62, AL 0.68-0.86, PPYV 0.23-0.27, PPL 0.16-0.20, PP1 133-150 (n = 74).

Mandibles usually with a few longitudinal rugae. Masticatory margin of mandible with three teeth: an apical + a preapical + a long diastema + a truncated basal tooth. Basal margin of mandible lacking a distinctly curved lobe or tooth. Clypeus with a strong median carina. Anterior clypeal margin with a median denticle and usually two to three others on each side; two or three lateral denticles are often fused into one prominence. Ventral center of clypeus with a low, broad, toothlike prominence. Palp formula 2,3. Frontal carinae well-developed, beyond the level of the posterior margins of eyes. Scrobal areas shallow, pre sent below the frontal carinae. Frontal lobes almost completely absent so that the antennal articulations are entirely exposed. Antennal scapes, when lying in the antennal scrobes, close to or just reaching the occipital margin of head. Eyes containing five to six ommatidia in the longest row. Pronotum armed with a pair of short spines (ca. 0.06-0.13). Propodeal spines long, ca. 0.20 to 0.30, usually straight but sometimes slightly upcurved along their length. Metapleural lobe small-triangular, usually with an acute apex. Petiole node in profile higher than long, with a long anterior peduncle, its anterodorsal angle forming an apex and its dorsum sloping downward posteriorly. Postpetiole in profile much higher than long, with a rounded dorsum; in dorsal view, postpetiole transverse-rectangled , much broader than long, with the two sides subparallel. Dorsum of head, except for the antennal scrobes where there are only a few transverse rugae, with well-developed foveolate-reticulate sculpture. Dorsum of alitrunk usually with foveolate-reticulate sculpture and a few coarse longitudinal rugae. Sides of pronotum with a few foveolate punctures; sides of the rest of alitrunk with some irregularly superficial rugae. Petiole node and postpetiole smooth and shining. Gaster unsculptured. Dorsal surfaces of head and alitrunk with numerous erect or suberect long hairs. Dorsal surfaces of petiole node and postpetiole with a pair of long hairs. First gastral tergite lacking erect or suberect hairs. A few pairs of forward-projecting hairs present near the anterior clypeal margin. Scapes and tibiae with some erect to suberect short hairs. Color reddish-brown.

Queen

Wang (2003) - TL 3.20, HL 0.8.3, HW 0 .86, CI 104, SL 0.74, SI 86, EL 0.16, PW 0.66, AL 0.87, PPW 0.2.5, PPL 0.16, PP1 139 (n = 1).

General shape with normal caste differences from the conspecific worker; pronotum unarmed; other characters similar to worker; propodeal spine length 0.25.

References

Burwell, C.J., Nakamura, A. 2020. Rainforest ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) along an elevational gradient at Eungella in the Clarke Range, Central Queensland coast, Australia. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 125: 43-63.
Taylor, R. W. 1965b. The Australian ants of the genus Pristomyrmex, with a case of apparent character displacement. Psyche (Camb.) 72: 35-54 (page 38, figs. 1, 2 worker described)
Wang, M. 2003. A Monographic Revision of the Ant Genus Pristomyrmex (Hymenoptera:Formicidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 157(6): 383-542 (page 446, figs 140-143 queen described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Taylor R. W. 1965. The Australian ants of the genus Pristomyrmex, with a case of apparent character displacement. Psyche (Camb.) 72: 35-54.
Wang M. 2003. A Monographic Revision of the Ant Genus Pristomyrmex (Hymenoptera:Formicidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 157(6): 383-542.
Wang M. 2003. A monographic revision of the ant genus Pristomyrmex (Hymenoptera:Formicidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 157(6):383-542