Chelaner rubriceps

Distribution
This taxon was described from Australia.

Biology
Monomorium rubriceps is a species with queen polymorphism. In field colonies collected and studied in NSW always one egg-laying female was found which was an intermorph. In laboratory culture such colonies produced only workers, intermorphs (and males). After the original intermorphic queen had died the colonies reared a few alate gynomorphs in addition, from the remaining larvae. The species had been identified as Monomorium rubriceps by Brian Heterick (in litt.).


 * Buschinger, A. (2011): Queen polymorphism in an Australian ant, Monomorium cf. rubriceps Mayr, 1876 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). - Myrmecol. News 15: 63-66. http://www.myrmecologicalnews.org/cms/images/pdf/volume15/mn15_63-66_non-printable.pdf and http://www.myrmecologicalnews.org/cms/images/pdf/volume15/mn15_63-66_supplement.pdf
 * Buschinger, A., Heinze, J. 1992: Polymorphism of female reproductives in ants. In: Biology and Evolution of Social Insects (J. Billen, Ed.), Leuven University Press, Leuven (Belgium), 11-23. (As Monomorium sp. 2).

Nomenclature

 *  rubriceps. Monomorium rubriceps Mayr, 1876: 101 (w.m.) AUSTRALIA. Emery, 1914b: 184 (q.). Combination in M. (Notomyrmex): Emery, 1922e: 170; in Chelaner: Ettershank, 1966: 97; in Monomorium: Bolton, 1987: 284. Senior synonym of cinctum, extreminigrum, rubrum, sanguinolentum: Heterick, 2001: 435.
 * rubra. Monomorium rubriceps var. rubra Forel, 1913g: 184 (w.q.m.) AUSTRALIA. [Also described as new by Forel, 1915b: 72 (footnote).] [Unresolved junior secondary homonym of rubrum Forel, above.] Subspecies of rubriceps: Taylor & Brown, D.R. 1985: 58. Junior synonym of rubriceps: Heterick, 2001: 435.
 * extreminigrum. Monomorium rubriceps r. extreminigrum Forel, 1915b: 73 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in Chelaner: Ettershank, 1966: 96; in Monomorium: Taylor, 1987b: 3. Junior synonym of rubriceps: Heterick, 2001: 435.
 * cinctum. Monomorium rubriceps var. cinctum Wheeler, W.M. 1917b: 113, fig. 3 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in Chelaner: Ettershank, 1966: 96; in Monomorium: Taylor, 1987b: 3. Subspecies of rubriceps: Taylor & Brown, D.R. 1985: 58. Junior synonym of rubriceps: Heterick, 2001: 435.
 * sanguinolentum. Monomorium (Notomyrmex) sanguinolentum Wheeler, W.M. 1927i: 135, fig. 4 (w.m.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in Chelaner: Ettershank, 1966: 97; in Monomorium: Bolton, 1987: 284. Junior synonym of rubriceps: Heterick, 2001: 435.