Colobostruma lacuna

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Colobostruma lacuna
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Colobostruma
Species: C. lacuna
Binomial name
Colobostruma lacuna
Shattuck, 2000

Colobostruma lacuna P casent0900005.jpg

Colobostruma lacuna D casent0900005.jpg

Specimen Label

Colobostruma lacuna has been found in dry, open forested areas where it nests in soil.

Identification

This species can be separated from close relatives by the combination of 5 or more antennal segments, the shallow V-shaped posterior margin of the head and the anterior region of the head being set off from the posterior regions by a rounded angle and thus being weakly phragmotic . This last character is intermediate between the rounded, non-phragmotic condition found in most species and the highly phragmotic Colobostruma leae. The anterior region of the head is relatively flat or weakly convex and is set above the posterior and posterolateral regions of the head which are concave dorsally and round abruptly into the lateral regions (Shattuck 2000). .

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Limited to north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -21.96667° to -29.75°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Biology

Explore-icon.png Explore Overview of Colobostruma biology 
Beyond what is stated in the introduction at the top of this page, little is know about the biology of Colobostruma lacuna. Until further studies reveal more about this species we can infer that its natural history and biology should be similar to other species in this genus. In general Colobostruma can be locally common although they are often overlooked. Most species have small colonies with less than 100 workers, and workers will lie motionless when disturbed. Nests can occur in soil usually under rocks, in cracks in rocks or in rotten logs. Only a single rainforest species is known to nest arboreally. Foraging is usually on the ground at night but occasionally they are found foraging on mallee. They are also commonly found in leaf litter.

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • lacuna. Colobostruma lacuna Shattuck, in Bolton, 2000: 36 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA (New South Wales, Queensland).
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 30 paratype workers, 1 paratype queen.
    • Type-locality: holotype Australia: New South Wales, Bom Bom State Forest, 5 mi. S Grafton, 150 ft, 25.viii.1967, dry sclerophyll, Eucalyptus maculata forest, no undergrowth, little or no grass, in clay soil close to Bothroponera mayri nest (B.B. Lowery); paratypes with same data.
    • Type-depositories: ANIC (holotype); ANIC, BMNH, MCZC (paratypes).
    • Distribution: Australia.

Type Material

Paratype Specimen Labels
  • Holotype, worker, Bom Bom State Forest, 5mi. S Grafton, New South Wales, 150 ft, Australia, 25 August 1967, B.B. Lowery, Australian National Insect Collection; dry sclerophyll, Eucalyptus maculata forest with no undergrowth, little or no grass, in clay soil close to Pseudoneoponera mayri nest.
  • Paratype, 30 workers, 1 queen, Bom Bom State Forest, 5mi. S Grafton, New South Wales, 150 ft, Australia, 25 August 1967, B.B. Lowery, Australian National Insect Collection, The Natural History Museum, Museum of Comparative Zoology; dry sclerophyll, Eucalyptus maculata forest with no undergrowth, little or no grass, in clay soil close to Pseudoneoponera mayri nest.

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

Description

Worker

HOLOTYPE. TL 3. 3, HL 0.75 , HW 0.77, CI 102, ML 0.21, MI 28, SL 0.35, SI 45, PW 0.56, AL 0.87. Anterior region of head raised above the posterior regions and separated from it by a rounded angle, thus the head weakly but not obviously phragmotic. In full-face view ridge immediately in front of eye flat to weakly concave posteriorly, concave anteriorly. Frontal lobes and lateral margins of clypeus smooth relative to the surrounding surface of the head. Mandibles broadly triangular. Hairs absent from dorsum of head. Posterior margin of head forming a shallow V-shape, with relatively flat sides which meet medially in an angle. Antenna with 6 segments, often with the third and fourth funicular segments, counting from the base, partially or completely subdivided into additional segments. Scape strongly elbowed and without a subbasal lobe. In dorsal view the widest point of the pronotum is at the humeral angles. Propodeum high, its posterior face approximately the height of the petiolar node and with broad, thin lamellae; in profile the dorsum of the alitrunk broadly and weakly convex. Lateral postpetiole drawn outwards into thin flange-like wings, the wings with translucent windows along both their anterior and posterior margins, the windows separated by a narrow band of thickened integument and the anterior windows smaller than the posterior windows. First gastral tergite with very fine, delicate, closely spaced punctations, its anterior one-quarter with low, closely spaced carinae. Body colour yellow, dorsum of head slightly darker, antennae and legs slightly lighter, first gastral tergite often with slightly infuscated, weakly defined spots medially and laterally.

References

  • Shattuck, S. O. 2000. Genus Colobostruma. Genus Mesostruma. Genus Epopostruma. Pp. 31-67 in: Bolton, B. The ant tribe Dacetini. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 65: 1-1028 (page 36, worker, queen described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65