Rhytidoponera nodifera

Rhytidoponera nodifera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ectatomminae
Tribe:	Ectatommini
Genus:	Rhytidoponera
Species:	R. nodifera
Binomial name
Rhytidoponera nodifera (Emery, 1895) Specimen Labels
Synonyms
Ectatomma rothneyi Forel, 1900 Rhytidoponera pronotalis Crawley, 1925 Rhytidoponera rothneyi mediana Viehmeyer, 1924

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -27.08333° to -31.36667061°.

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.

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Worker. Specimen code casent0281298. Photographer Estella Ortega, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by PSWC, Philip S. Ward Collection.

Syntype of Ectatomma convexum nodiferum. Worker. Specimen code casent0903820. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.

Syntype of Ectatomma rothneyi. Worker. Specimen code casent0907151. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Nomenclature

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

• nodifera. Ectatomma (Rhytidoponera) convexum var. nodiferum Emery, 1895g: 348 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland).
  • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
  • Type-localities: Australia: Queensland, Laidily (= Laidley), and Kamerunga (Podenzana).
  • Type-depository: MSNG.
  • Clark, 1936: 69 (m.).
  • Combination in Rhytidoponera: Emery, 1911d: 38.
  • Subspecies of convexa: Emery, 1911d: 38.
  • Status as species: Clark, 1936: 68 (redescription); Brown, 1958g: 204; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 46; Taylor, 1987a: 70; Bolton, 1995b: 380.
  • Senior synonym of mediana: Clark, 1936: 68; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 46; Taylor, 1987a: 70; Bolton, 1995b: 380.
  • Senior synonym of pronotalis: Clark, 1936: 68; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 46; Taylor, 1987a: 70; Bolton, 1995b: 380.
  • Senior synonym of rothneyi: Clark, 1936: 68; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 46; Taylor, 1987a: 70; Bolton, 1995b: 380.
  • Distribution: Australia.
• mediana. Rhytidoponera rothneyi subsp. mediana Viehmeyer, 1924a: 224 (w.m.) AUSTRALIA (New South Wales).
  • Type-material: syntype workers, syntype males (numbers not stated).
  • Type-locality: Australia: New South Wales, Trial Bay (H. Overbeck).
  • Type-depository: MNHU.
  • Junior synonym of nodifera: Clark, 1936: 68; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 46; Taylor, 1987a: 70; Bolton, 1995b: 379.
• pronotalis. Rhytidoponera pronotalis Crawley, 1925b: 588 (w.) AUSTRALIA (New South Wales).
  • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
  • Type-locality: Australia: New South Wales, Lismore, no. 422 (C. Deuquet).
  • Type-depositories: NHMB, OXUM.
  • Junior synonym of nodifera: Clark, 1936: 68; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 46; Taylor, 1987a: 70; Bolton, 1995b: 380.
• rothneyi. Ectatomma (Rhytidoponera) rothneyi Forel, 1900b: 56 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland).
  • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
  • Type-locality: Australia: Queensland, Brisbane (Rothney).
  • Type-depository: MHNG.
  • Combination in Rhytidoponera: Emery, 1911d: 38.
  • Status as species: Emery, 1911d: 38.
  • Junior synonym of nodifera: Clark, 1936: 68; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 46; Taylor, 1987a: 70; Bolton, 1995b: 380.

Type Material

• Ectatomma (Rhytidoponera) convexum nodiferum Emery, 1895: Syntype, workers, Laidley (as Laidily) and Kamerunga, Queensland, Australia.
• Ectatomma (Rhytidoponera) rothneyi Forel, 1900: Syntype, 2 workers, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève.
• Rhytidoponera pronotalis Crawley, 1925: Syntype, 1 worker, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, Duequet,C.F., ANIC32-017970, Australian National Insect Collection.
• Rhytidoponera pronotalis Crawley, 1925: Syntype, worker(s), Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
• Rhytidoponera rothneyi mediana Viehmeyer, 1924: Syntype, worker(s), male(s), Trial Bay, New South Wales, Australia, Berlin Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität.

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

Description

Worker

Crawley (1925) - Length 8.5 to 9 mm.

Dark brown; mandibles, funiculi, apices of scapes, legs, and extremity of gaster dark red.

Scapes and tibiae with fine short erect pilosity, the rest glabrous.

Head as broad as long, slightly broader in front than behind, the sides feebly convex. Occiput almost straight, slightly depressed in the centre. Inferior angles ending in a sharp projection. Mandibles finely dentate, the terminal border one-fifth longer than the basal. The anterior border of clypeus evenly convex, depressed. Frontal carinse three-fifths as wide behind as in front. Eyes placed just behind the middle of sides.

Pronotum, seen from above, wider behind where the lateral angles are prominent; in profile these angles are seen more distinctly. The inferior angles of pronotum end in small teeth. Dorsum of thorax impressed at both sutures. Epinotum feebly convex, the declivity small, flattened: Petiole from above longitudinally oval, with a faint impression down the centre; in profile the node is thick, parallel-sided, the top slightly oblique; forming an acute angle with the anterior border and a rounded one with the posterior. Postpetiole broader than long, with a faint short impression in front; first segment of gaster larger, the constriction moderately deep.

Semi-opaque. Mandibles finely striate with superficial points. Whole of upper surface of head coarsely reticulate-punctate, the punctures shining. Sides and under surface covered with a fine longitudinal striation interspersed with scattered punctures, smaller than those on head. The back of the occiput has a superficial transverse striation with scattered punctures. Scapes longitudinally striate.

Pronotum covered with a fine ground striation, mostly transverse, In addition the segment is punctured, the punctures being smaller, rounder, and less shining than on the head, sparse in front and in centre, more abundant on the posterior angles. Mesonotum with similar striation and scattered punctures; base of epinotum similar but the punctures more abundant. The junction of the meso- and epinotum has transverse ground sculpture only. Declivity transversely striate. Node of petiole from above with a transverse ground striation and a few superficial punctures in front, the back smooth and shining, the sides longitudinally striate with punctures.

Postpetiole with fine transverse slightly arched striae, more pronounced at base, and some small superficial points; first segment of gaster similarly striated, but more finely. Femora with faint circular striae, tibiae with traces of longitudinal striation and superficial punctures.

References

• Crawley, W. C. 1925b. New ants from Australia. - II. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 9(16): 577-598.

• Clark, J. 1936. A revision of Australian species of Rhytidoponera Mayr (Formicidae). Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 9: 14-89 (page 69, male described)

• Clark, J. 1936. A revision of Australian species of Rhytidoponera Mayr (Formicidae). Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 9: 14-89 (page 68, Raised to species, and senior synonym of mediana, pronotalis and rothneyi)

• Emery, C. 1895h. Descriptions de quelques fourmis nouvelles d'Australie. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 39: 345-358 (page 348, worker described)

• Emery, C. 1911e. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125 (page 38, Combination in Rhytidoponera)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Clark J. 1936. A revision of Australian species of Rhytidoponera Mayr (Formicidae). Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 9: 14-89
• Emery C. 1895. Descriptions de quelques fourmis nouvelles d'Australie. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 39:345-358.
• Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.