Syscia typhla

Syscia typhla
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dorylinae
Genus:	Syscia
Species:	S. typhla
Binomial name
Syscia typhla Roger, 1861 Specimen labels

Identification

Du et al. (2024) - Workers have 9-segmented antennae. Head in full-face view subrectangular, distinctly longer than broad, lateral margins slightly convex, posterior margin also slightly convex. Mesosoma in dorsal view rather elongate, long-ellipsoidal, with lateral sides and anterior margin obviously convex in dorsal view; in lateral view, dorsal outline convex; propodeal declivity feebly concave, encircled with, distinct thin rim. Petiole in dorsal view subtrapezoid in dorsal view, anterior margin shorter than posterior margin; in lateral view (excluding sternite) subquadrate, almost as long as high, lateral margins convex; subpetiolar process in lateral view subtriangle, with ventral corner clypeiform, ventral outline strongly concave. Postpetiole in lateral view subrectangular, shorter than high, with ventral outline slightly concave; sternite anteroventrally produced as blunt angle directed downward and forward.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Asian Syscia

Distribution

Japan (doubtful), West Bengal (India), Sri Lanka (Du et al., 2024).

Du et al. (2024) - Based on a reexamination the specimens which were reported from Yunnan of China by Xu (1998) and Xu et al. (1999), we found that those specimens were misidentified as Syscia typhlus, but are actually Ooceraea biroi. In addition, Gu et al. (2019) reported that S. typhlus also occurred in Guangxi of China, but this was a misidentification of Syscia zhoui. Therefore, S. typhla is excluded from the ant fauna of China.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 24.30798° to 6.4°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Sri Lanka (type locality).
Palaearctic Region: China.

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

• 

  Du et al. (2024), Fig. 9. Syscia typhla, holotype, worker (FOCOL0804) A. Head in full-face view. B. Label. C. Body in dorsal view. D. Body in lateral view (images cited from https://www.antweb.org; imaged by Christiana Klingenberg).

Nomenclature

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

• typhla. Syscia typhla Roger, 1861a: 20 (w.) SRI LANKA.
  • Type-material: holotype worker.
  • Type-locality: Sri Lanka (“Ceylon”): (no further data) (Nietner?).
  • Type-depository: MNHU.
  • Forel, 1900d: 329 (q.).
  • Combination in Ponera (Syscia): Smith, F. 1871a: 322;
  • combination in Cerapachys (Syscia): Emery, 1902c: 24;
  • combination in Syscia: Borowiec, M.L. 2016: 224.
  • Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 21; Mayr, 1863: 455; Dalla Torre, 1893: 17; Forel, 1900d: 329; Emery, 1902c: 24; Bingham, 1903: 31; Emery, 1911d: 10; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 20; Brown, 1975: 24, 74; Bolton, 1995b: 145; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 24; Chen, Shi & Zhou, 2016: 9 (in key); Dias, R.K.S. et al. 2020: 27.
  • Distribution: China, Sri Lanka.

References

• Borowiec, M.L. 2016. Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dorylinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 608: 1-280 (doi: 10.3897/zookeys.608.9427).
• Aswaj, P., Sahanashree, R., Udayakantha, W.S., Aniruddha, M., Priyadarsanan, D.R. 2021. Two new species of doryline ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with 11-segmented antennae from India. ZooKeys 1056, 59–72 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.1056.68722).
• Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 145, catalogue)
• Borowiec, M.L. 2019. Convergent evolution of the army ant syndrome and congruence in big-data phylogenetics. Systematic Biology 68, 642–656 (doi:10.1093/sysbio/syy088).
• Brown, W. L., Jr. 1975. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. V. Ponerinae, tribes Platythyreini, Cerapachyini, Cylindromyrmecini, Acanthostichini, and Aenictogitini. Search Agric. (Ithaca N. Y.) 5(1 1: 1-115 (page 74, see also)
• Du, C., Xu, Z., Chen, Z. 2024. Taxonomic account of the ant genus Syscia Roger, 1816 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Asia, with descriptions of two new species from China. European Journal of Taxonomy 930, 157-181 (doi:10.5852/ejt.2024.930.2491).
• Emery, C. 1902c. Note mirmecologiche. Rend. Sess. R. Accad. Sci. Ist. Bologna (n.s.) 6: 22-34 (page 24, Combination in Cerapachys (Syscia))
• Forel, A. 1900f. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part VII. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 13: 303-332 (page 329, queen described)
• 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).
• Roger, J. 1861a. Die Ponera-artigen Ameisen (Schluss). Berl. Entomol. Z. 5: 1-54 (page 20, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Abe T. 1974. Notes on the fauna of ants in Iriomote Island. Ecol. Stud. Nat. Cons. Ryukyu Isl. 1:105-111.
• Brown W. L., Jr. 1975. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. V. Ponerinae, tribes Platythyreini, Cerapachyini, Cylindromyrmecini, Acanthostichini, and Aenictogitini. Search Agric. (Ithaca N. Y.) 5(1): 1-115.
• Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
• Chapman, J.W. and S.R. Capco. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monographs of the Institute of Science and Technology (Manila) 1: 1- 327
• Dias R. K. S. 2002. Current knowledge on ants of Sri Lanka. ANeT Newsletter 4: 17- 21.
• Dias R. K. S. 2006. Current taxonomic status of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. The Fauna of Sri Lanka: 43-52. Bambaradeniya, C.N.B. (Editor), 2006. Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation. The World Conservation Union, Colombo, Sri Lanka & Government of Sri Lanka. viii + 308pp.
• Dias R. K. S. 2013. Diversity and importance of soil-dweeling ants. Proceedings of the National Symposium on Soil Biodiversity, chapt 4, pp 19-22.
• Dias R. K. S., K. R. K. A. Kosgamage, and H. A. W. S. Peiris. 2012. The Taxonomy and Conservation Status of Ants (Order: Hymenoptera, Family: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. In: The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Weerakoon, D.K. & S. Wijesundara Eds., Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka. p11-19.
• Dias R. K. S., and R. P. K. C. Rajapaksa. 2016. Geographic records of subfamilies, genera and species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the four climatic zones of Sri Lanka: a review. J. Sci. Univ. Kelaniya 11(2): 23-45.
• Emery C. 1911. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125.
• Forel A. 1900. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part VII. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 13: 303-332.
• Gumawardene, N.R., J.D. Majer and J.P. Edirisinghe. 2008. Diversity and richness of ant species in a lowland wet forest reserve in Sri Lanka. Asian Myrmecology 2:71-83
• Gunawardene N. R., J. D. Majer, and J. P. Edirisinghe. 2008. Diversity and richness of ant species in a lowland wet forest reserve in Sri Lanka. Asian Myrmecology 2: 71-83.
• Gunawardene N. R., J. D. Majer, and J. P. Edirisinghe. 2012. Correlates of ant 5Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and tree species diversity in Sri Lanka. Myrmecological News 17: 81-90.
• Kami K.S., and S. E. Miller. 1998. Samoan insects and related arthropods: checklist and bibliography. Bishop Museum Technical Report 13, pp 121.
• Sonobe R. 1973. Ant fauna of the Sesoko Island, Okinawa. Sesoko Mar. Sci. Lab. Tech. Rep. 2: 15-16.
• Wetterer, James K. and Vargo, Donald Vargo L. 2003. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Samoa. Pacific Science. 57(4):409-419.