Pseudonotoncus eurysikos

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Pseudonotoncus eurysikos
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Melophorini
Genus: Pseudonotoncus
Species: P. eurysikos
Binomial name
Pseudonotoncus eurysikos
Shattuck & O'Reilly, 2013

Shattuck & O'Reilly 2013-4Pseudonotoncus-eurysikos hal.jpg

Shattuck & O'Reilly 2013-4Pseudonotoncus-eurysikos had.jpg

Pseudonotoncus eurysikos has been found primarily within dry sclerophyll forests in cool climate areas. It is likely this species is suited to cool areas with low rainfall. The majority of samples for this species are from forests near Melbourne, with single specimens from Black Mountain in the Australian Capital Territory, and Armidale in New South Wales. Very little is known of their nesting and foraging habits. Brown (1955) described this species (as P. hirsutus) at Arthurs Seat, Victoria as nesting in soil without covering or detectable craters and with workers and dealate females foraging on nearby shrubs for nectar and honeydew.

Identification

Petiole approximately square in dorsal view; in lateral view almost as long as high and with the anterior face rounding gradually into the domed dorsal face. Dorsal surface of petiole with course longitudinal rugae.

Pseudonotoncus eurysikos is similar to Pseudonotoncus hirsutus in all features except the size of the petiole (PetNL > 0.31 mm, PetW > 0.39 mm, LPetI > 57 vs. PetNL < 0.26 mm, PetW < 0.39 mm, LPetI < 56 in P. hirsutus) and the presence of course rugae on the upper petiolar surface (this surface is at most weakly sculptured in P. hirsutus).

  • Petiole approximately square in dorsal view; in lateral view almost as long as high, the anterior face rounding gradually into the domed dorsal face. Dorsal surface of petiole with course longitudinal rugae . . . . . Pseudonotoncus eurysikos
  • Petiole broader than long in dorsal view; in lateral view much higher than long, the anterior face separated from the flat dorsal face by a rounded angle. Dorsal surface of petiole smooth or with small foveate depressions . . . . . Pseudonotoncus hirsutus

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -37.941583° to -37.941583°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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.
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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.
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Biology

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

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

  • eurysikos. Pseudonotoncus eurysikos Shattuck & O'Reilly, 2013: 289, fig. 1 (w.) AUSTRALIA.

Type Material

  • Holotype, worker, Yarra River bank, Studley Park, Kew, Victoria, Australia, 2 November 1958, B. B. Lowery, ANIC32-066557, Australian National Insect Collection; dry sclerophyll with much grass, in soil.
  • Paratype, 3 workers, 1 dealate queen, Yarra River bank, Studley Park, Kew, Victoria, Australia, 2 November 1958, B. B. Lowery, ANIC32-010745, Australian National Insect Collection; dry sclerophyll with much grass, in soil.

Description

Worker description. Body uniform chocolate brown. Head in frontal view with sides tapering slightly anteriorly, as wide as long. Mandibles with six teeth, the first, second and fourth larger than the remaining. Clypeus with a central carina, tapering anteriorly into a central tooth. Frontal carinae short and sharply margined. Eyes large, convex, positioned one third from posterior margin of head, one and a half times longer than wide. Ocelli small but distinct. Scapes extending one third their length beyond posterior margin of the head. Mesosoma strongly rugose-punctate, the rugae more strongly developed and longitudinal laterally and on the mesonotum, more weakly developed dorsally on the pronotum and propodeum. In dorsal view pronotum transversely convex, twice as wide as long and wider than mesonotum and propodeum. Promesonotal suture convex and deeply impressed. Mesonotum and propodeum in dorsal view similar in width and very slightly convex. Mesonotum slightly longer than broad. Propodeum roughly square in dorsal view, with well developed, slightly curved spines at the angle and with two small spines just above the metapleural gland bulbs. Petiolar node higher than long, with a rounded dorsal surface and two posterior facing spines which are half as long as the width between their bases. In dorsal view petiolar node approximately square, with complex longitudinal rugae. Gaster simple, first segment (abdominal segment III) extending to half its length. Legs slender; tibiae and femora somewhat spindle-shaped and with numerous erect hairs.

Measurements. Worker (n=8) - CI 97–108; PetW 0.39–0.56mm; HL 0.96–1.23mm; HTL 1.02–1.15mm; HW 1.03–1.22mm; LPetI 57–67; ML 1.37–1.85mm; PetH 0.51–0.63mm; PetNL 0.31–0.40mm; SI 82–96; SL 0.90–1.05mm.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Shattuck S. O., and A. J. O'Reilly. 2013. Revision of the Australian endemic ant genera Pseudonotoncus and Teratomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Zootaxa 3669 (3): 287–301.