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Stictoponera biroi
| Stictoponera biroi | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Ectatomminae |
| Tribe: | Ectatommini |
| Genus: | Stictoponera |
| Species: | S. biroi |
| Binomial name | |
| Stictoponera biroi (Emery, 1901)
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This rainforest species is known from New Guinea (both West Papua and Papua New Guinea) with a limited number of collections from extreme northern Australia. It forms small colonies in rotten logs.
Identification
Head subquadrate in frontal view, without occipital lobes; occipital lamella well developed, convex. Petiolar node with small, narrow anteriorly projecting ventral process in lateral view. Dorsum of abdominal segment 4 varying from longitudinally costulate to mostly smooth with scattered punctae, some punctae elongate with brief longitudinal crests, posterolateral margins with brief longitudinal strigulae.
Stictoponera biroi keys out close to Stictoponera grammodes and may be closely related to it based on similarities in the occipital lamella and the shape of the subpetiolar process. The postpetiolar dorsum of S. grammodes differs from that of S. biroi in having a posterior strip of longitudinal carinulae and smoother cuticle anterad with punctae and no foveolae as in S. biroi. Stictoponera grammodes has a mostly smooth fourth abdominal tergite and is a smaller ant (HL > 1.2 mm;WL > 1.60 mm) than S. biroi.
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -3.233333333° to -13.73333333°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.
Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia, New Guinea.
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. |
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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
This is the only species of Stictoponera found in Australia, where the genus Rhytidoponera is the dominant ectatommine. Nests and individuals of S. biroi have been recorded from rotten wood in rainforest and secondary lowland forest.
Castes
Worker
   
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| . | Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology. |
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0172381. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by ANIC, Canberra, Australia. |
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0172380. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by ANIC, Canberra, Australia. |
Queen
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Specimen code CAS0172381-Antwiki.jpg. . | |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- biroi. Stictoponera biroi Emery, 1901h: 154 (w.) NEW GUINEA (Papua New Guinea).
- Type-material: holotype worker.
- Type-locality: Papua New Guinea: Sattelberg (L. Biró).
- Type-depository: MSNG.
- Lattke, 2004: 93 (q.m.).
- Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 227;
- combination in Stictoponera: Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 12.
- Status as species: Emery, 1911d: 47; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 29; Brown, 1954h: 6; Brown, 1958g: 227; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 30; Taylor, 1987a: 28; Bolton, 1995b: 208; Lattke, 2004: 92; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 12.
- Distribution: Australia, Indonesia (Irian Jaya), Papua New Guinea.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Type Material
- Stictoponera biroi Emery, 1902: Holotype, worker, Sattelburg, Papua New Guinea, museum unknown (MCSN (Genoa) or HNHM (Budapest)).
Description
Worker
Lattke (2004) - Metrics (n = 5): HL 1.25-1.38, HW 1.05-1.19, ML 0.62-0.73, SL 1.10-1.20, ED 0.28-0.39, WL 1.78-1.98 mm. CI 0.82-0.88, SI 0.99-1.08, MI 0.57-0.66, OI 0.27-0.34.
Head subquadrate in frontal view, lateral margins relatively straight, posterior margin straight to slightly concave, posterolaterally rounded, anterior margin of clypeal lamella projecting anterad into blunt point with slightly sinuate sides; frons densely foveolate with fine strigae frequently present on cuticle between foveolae; clypeus longitudinally costulate; vertex foveolate along anterior margin, mostly smooth posterad and bound by sulcus. Scape varies from mostly smooth to longitudinally strigulose; eye relatively large; no occipital lobes; occipital lamella well developed, convex. Lateral mesosoma mostly densely foveolate; mesosomal dorsum densely foevolate; anepisterum cuneiform; metapleuron with some longitudinal costulae posteroventrally; propodeal declivity depressed, mostly smooth, sometimes with longitudinal low costulae or rugosity. Petiolar node with small, narrow anteriorly projecting ventral process in lateral view, dorsum foveolate; postpetiolar dorsum longitudinally foveolate to rugulose-foveolate, foveolae round anterad, becoming progressively more elongate posterad; sternum undulate with transverse strigulae, especially anterad, sternum laterally foveolate; dorsum of abdominal segment 4 varies from longitudinally costulate to mostly smooth with scattered punctae, some punctae elongate and with brief longitudinal crests, posterolateral margins with brief longitudinal strigulae. Fore coxa varies from mostly smooth to moderately transversely strigulose in lateral view, most strigulae concentrated apically; fore tarsus opposite strigil with single stout setae, followed apically by row of smaller setae. Dorsum of thorax and abdominal segments 1-4 with abundant erect to subdecumbent hairs. Head, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster brown; mandibles, antennae, legs ferruginous.
Queen
Lattke (2004) - Metrics (n = 2): HL 1.28, 1.42; HW 1.14, 1.23; ML 0.66, 0.75; SL 1.14, 1.38; ED 0.39, 0.40; WL 2.02, 2.22 mm. CI 0.89, 0.87; SI 1.00, 1.12; MI 0.58, 0.61; OI 0.35, 0.33.
Pronotum densely foveolate, occasionally with median smooth area; mesoscutum longitudinally rugose-punctate; anepisternum with variable degree of longitudinal strigulae and smooth areas; katepisternum foevolate, posterad frequently with finely strigulose cuticle or mostly foveolate; scutellum densely foveolate to strigulose-punctate; propodeum densely foveolate.
Male
Lattke (2004) - Metrics (n = 1): HL 0.90, HW 0.83, ML 0.49, SL 0.47, ED 0.35, WL 1.66 mm. CI 0.92, SI 0.57, MI 0.59, OI 0.42.
Frons with low irregular rugulae and large patches of undulate sculpturing, foveolae tend to be areolate posterolaterally in frontal view; frons with fine longitudinal carina extending posterad from posteromedian clypeal margin to eye level in frontal view; clypeus separated from frons by broad sulcus, three ridges cross sulcus joining frons with clypeus; clypeus mostly undulate with scattered strigulae, lamella converging to blunt angle along anterior margin. Pronotum with shallow, flat-bottomed and undulate foveolae, with smooth cuticle between foveolae; mesopleuron mostly smooth with scattered punctae; mesoscutum foveolate, scutellum rugulose-foveolate; propodeum areolate; petiolar node strigulose. Postpetiole mostly smooth with undulations, especially anterolaterally; fourth abdominal tergite smooth.
Type Material
Lattke (2004) - Holotype worker: New Guinea, Sattelberg (Biró) (MCSN) [Examined].
References
- Brown, W.L., Jr. 1954. A review of the coxalis group of the ant genus Stictoponera Mayr. Breviora, Museum of Comparative Zoology, 34:1-10.
- Brown, W.L., Jr. 1958. Contributions towards a reclassification of the Formicidae. II. Tribe Ectatommini. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 118:171-362. (page 227, Combination in Gnamptogenys)
- Camacho, G.P., Franco, W., Branstetter, M.G., Pie, M.R., Longino, J.T., Schultz, T.R., Feitosa, R.M. 2022. UCE phylogenomics resolves major relationships among Ectaheteromorph ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ectatomminae, Heteroponerinae): A new classification for the subfamilies and the description of a new genus. Insect Systematics and Diversity 6(1): 5; 1–20 (doi:10.1093/isd/ixab026).
- Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
- Emery, C. 1901. Formicidarum species novae vel minus cognitae in collectione Musaei Nationalis Hungarici, quas in Nova-Guinea, colonia germanica, collegit L. Biró. Publicatio tertia. Természetrajzi Füzetek, 25:152-160. (page 154, worker described)
- Lattke, J.E. 2004. A Taxonomic Revision and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Ant Genus Gnamptogenys Roger in Southeast Asia and Australasia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae). University of California publications in entomology, 122:1-266. (page 92, fig. 17 worker, queen, male described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Brown W. L., Jr. 1954. A review of the coxalis group of the ant genus Stictoponera Mayr. Breviora 34: 1-10.
- Brown W. L., Jr. 1958. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. II. Tribe Ectatommini (Hymenoptera). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 118: 173-362.
- CSIRO Collection
- Emery C. 1901. Formicidarum species novae vel minus cognitae in collectione Musaei Nationalis Hungarici, quas in Nova-Guinea, colonia germanica, collegit L. Biró. Publicatio tertia. Természetrajzi Füzetek 25: 152-160.
- Emery C. 1911. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125.
- Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
- Lattke J. E. 2004. A taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis of the ant genus Gnamptogenys Roger in Southeast Asia and Australasia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae). University of California Publications in Entomology 122: 1-266.
- 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.
- Viehmeyer H. 1912. Ameisen aus Deutsch Neuguinea gesammelt von Dr. O. Schlaginhaufen. Nebst einem Verzeichnisse der papuanischen Arten. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Königlichen Zoologischen und Anthropologische-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden 14: 1-26.
- Wilson Edward O. 1959. Adaptive Shift and Dispersal in a Tropical Ant Fauna. Evolution 13(1): 122-144