Pristomyrmex hamatus

Pristomyrmex hamatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Pristomyrmex
Species:	P. hamatus
Binomial name
	Pristomyrmex hamatus; Xu, Z. & Zhang, 2002

The types were collected in monsoon forest.

Identification

Xu and Zhang (2002) - This new species is close to Pristomyrmex pungens, but the inner margin of mandible has a distinct tooth, in dorsal view, apices of propodeal spines are curved inward and hook-like, in profile view, dorsum of alitrunk roundly convex, petiolar node broad and with dorsum relatively straight.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 21.96405556° to 21.91122222°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: China (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

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

Liu, C. et al. 2020. Ants of the Hengduan Mountains, Figure 98, Pristomyrmex hamatus.

Nomenclature

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

hamatus. Pristomyrmex hamatus Xu & Zhang, 2002: 70, figs. 9-12 (w.) CHINA.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype worker: TL 3.2, HL 0.95, HW 0.90, CI 95, SL 0.88, SI 97, PW 0.63, AL 0.90, ED 0.16. Head nearly circular, slightly longer than broad. Occipital margin nearly straight, weakly emarginated in the middle, occipital corners rounded, lateral sides roundly convex. Inner margin of mandible with a tooth in the center, masticatory margin with 4 teeth and a short diastema between the 2nd and 3rd teeth. Clypeus with a longitudinal central carina, anterior margin roundly convex and armed with 8 blunt crenatures. Frontal carinae long, extending backward beyond the posterior margin level of the eyes. Antennal scrobes shallow and distinct. Antenna with 11 segments, scape surpassing occipital corner by about 1/4 of its length, antennal club consisted of the 3 apical segments. Eyes situated on the mid-line of the head and extruding outwards laterally: In profile view, dorsum of alitrunk roundly convex, sloping downwards at rear. Anterior margin of pronotum submarginate. Pronotal suture and metanotal groove absent. Propodeal spines long, curved inward at apices and hook-like. Propodeal lobes elongate and spine-like, about 1/3 times as long as propodeal spine. In profile view, petiole with short and stout peduncle anteriorly, petiolar node inclined backward, anterior corner higher than posterior one, dorsal face slightly convex, anterior face slope-like. Postpetiolar node short and high, strongly inclined backward. In dorsal view, petiolar node nearly square, postpetiolar node transverse and rectangular. Mandibles sparsely, longitudinally and coarsely striate. Head and alitrunk largely foveolate, interface formed a coarse reticulation system. Petiole and postpetiole longitudinally and coarsely striate. Gaster smooth and shining. Head and alitrunk with abundant erect long hairs and suberect short hairs. Petiolar node with a pair of erect hairs, postpetiolar node with 2 pairs of suberect long hairs. Gaster with sparse depressed short pubescence, without erect hairs. Scapes, femorae and tibiae with abundant suberect hairs. Body reddish brown in colour, appendages yellowish brown.

Paratype workers: TL 3.2-3.4, HL 0.93-0.95, HW 0.88-0.90, CI 95-97, SL 0.88-0.90, SI 97-100, PW 0.60-0.63, AL 0.88-0.90, ED 0.15-0.16 (5 individuals measured). As holotype, but body yellow to reddish brown in colour.

Type Material

Holotype: worker, No. A97-1165, 660 m, Cuipingfeng, Menglun Town, Mengla County, Yunnan Province, Aug. 10, 1997, collected in karst monsoon forest by Mr. LIU Tai-yong. Paratypes: 1 worker, No. A98-993, 650 m, Menglun Town, Mengla County, Yunnan Province, Sep. 15, 1998, collected by YANG Xiao-dong; 5 workers, with same data as No. A98-993, but No. A98-1012, Feb, 2, 1998, collected by ZHANG Zhi-ying; 1 worker, No. A97-1687, 900 m, Manzhuang Village, Mengla County, Yunnan Province, Aug. 14, 1997, collected in semi-evergreen monsoon forest by HE Yun-feng.

References

Liu, C., Fischer, G., Hita Garcia, F., Yamane, S., Liu, Q., Peng, Y.Q., Economo, E.P., Guénard, B., Pierce, N.E. 2020. Ants of the Hengduan Mountains: a new altitudinal survey and updated checklist for Yunnan Province highlight an understudied insect biodiversity hotspot. ZooKeys 978, 1–171 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.978.55767).
Xu, Z.; Zhang, Z. 2002. Systematics of Chinese species of the ant genus Pristomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomol. Sin. 9(4): 69-72 (page 70, figs. 9-12 worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Alcantara M. J., S. Modi, T. C. Ling, J. Monkai, H. Xu, S. Huang, and A. Nakamura. 2019. Differences in geographic distribution of ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) between forests and rubber plantations: a case study in Xishuangbanna, China, and a global meta-analysis. Myrmecological News 29: 135-145.
Fontanilla A. M., A. Nakamura, Z. Xu, M. Cao, R. L. Kitching, Y. Tang, and C. J. Burwell. 2019. Taxonomic and functional ant diversity along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in southwest China. Insects 10, 128; doi:10.3390/insects10050128
Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
Xu Z. and Z. Zhang. 2002. Systematics of Chinese species of the ant genus Pristomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomologia Sinica 9(4): 69-72.