Myrmecia simillima

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Biology
Populous and exceedingly ferocious colonies under large stones and Eucalyptus logs (Wheeler 1933 p. 34). Two colony-founding queens were found under stones, with eggs scattered on the earthen floor. A third foundress was found in a cell under a large stone with a compact cluster of young ant larvae devouring a fresh saw-fly larva; since such a larva feeds on the leaves of eucalypts, it could only have been secured by the queen on one of her foraging excursions. This is conclusive evidence for non-claustral ICF (Life History).

Castes
Both brachypterous and ergatoid queens have been described ([[Media:Myrmecia simillima Freeland pers.comm.1985.jpg|John Freeland unpublished 1]], [[Media:Myrmecia simillima BQ Freeland pers.comm 1985.jpg|John Freeland unpublished 2]], Clark 1951). This has implications for mating behaviour (probably close to natal colony), and limited dispersal distance (hence DCF).



Nomenclature

 * . Myrmecia simillima Smith, F. 1858b: 144 (w.) AUSTRALIA (no state data).
 * Type-material: holotype worker.
 * Type-locality: Australia (no further data).
 * Type-depository: BMNH.
 * Forel, 1907h: 265 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1971d: 253 (l.).
 * Junior synonym of forficata: Mayr, 1876: 95.
 * Subspecies of forficata: Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 20; Forel, 1907h: 265; Forel, 1910b: 3; Emery, 1911d: 20; Forel, 1915b: 5.
 * Status as species: Roger, 1861a: 34; Mayr, 1862: 726 (in key); Roger, 1863b: 22; Mayr, 1863: 430; Stitz, 1911a: 351; Crawley, 1926: 376 (redescription); Clark, 1927: 37; Clark, 1928c: 39; Santschi, 1928e: 465; Wheeler, W.M. 1933i: 34; Clark, 1934c: 51; Clark, 1951: 89 (redescription); Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata, 1991a: 358; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1635, 1637 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 273.
 * Senior synonym of affinis: Forel, 1907h: 265; Emery, 1911d: 20; Clark, 1951: 89; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 273.
 * Senior synonym of crudelis: Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 273.
 * Senior synonym of nigriventris: Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 273.
 * Senior synonym of paucidens: Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 273.
 * Senior synonym of rogeri: Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 273.
 * Senior synonym of spadicea: Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 273.
 * Senior synonym of tricolor: Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 273.
 * Distribution: Australia.
 * affinis. Myrmecia affinis Mayr, 1862: 725 (diagnosis in key) (w.) AUSTRALIA (no state data).
 * Type-material: holotype (?) worker.
 * [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given.]
 * Type-locality: Australia (“New Holland”): (no further data).
 * Type-depository: NHMW.
 * Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 23; Mayr, 1863: 430; Mayr, 1876: 97; Dalla Torre, 1893: 19.
 * Junior synonym of simillima: Forel, 1907h: 265; Emery, 1911d: 20; Clark, 1951: 89; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 270.
 * crudelis. Myrmecia crudelis Smith, F. 1858b: 147 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA (South Australia).
 * Type-material: 1 syntype worker, 1 syntype queen.
 * Type-locality: Australia: South Australia, Adelaide, “532”.
 * Type-depository: BMNH.
 * Subspecies of vindex: Forel, 1910b: 3 (in text).
 * Status as species: Roger, 1861a: 36; Mayr, 1862: 725 (in key); Roger, 1863b: 23; Mayr, 1863: 430; Dalla Torre, 1893: 19; Emery, 1911d: 19; Crawley, 1926: 374 (redescription); Clark, 1934c: 51; Clark, 1951: 35 (redescription).
 * Junior synonym of simillima: Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 271.
 * nigriventris. Myrmecia nigriventris Mayr, 1862: 724 (in key), 727 (w.) AUSTRALIA (no state data).
 * Type-material: holotype (?) worker.
 * [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given.]
 * Type-locality: Australia (“New Holland”): (no further data).
 * Type-depository: NHMW.
 * Clark, 1951: 46 (subapterous q.).
 * Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 23; Mayr, 1863: 430; Mayr, 1876: 97; Dalla Torre, 1893: 21.
 * Subspecies of tricolor: Forel, 1910b: 7; Emery, 1911d: 20; Clark, 1951: 45 (redescription).
 * Junior synonym of simillima: Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 272.
 * paucidens. Myrmecia paucidens Forel, 1910b: 5 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Tasmania).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Australia: Tasmania (W.W. Froggatt).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Status as species: Emery, 1911d: 20; Clark, 1951: 117.
 * Junior synonym of simillima: Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 272.
 * rogeri. Myrmecia tricolor var. rogeri Emery, 1914b: 181 (w.) AUSTRALIA (New South Wales).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Australia: New South Wales, Sydney (E. Dämel).
 * [Note: this taxon is based on material of M. tricolor Mayr, sensu Mayr, 1876: 96.]
 * Type-depository: NHMW (perhaps also in MSNG).
 * Viehmeyer, 1924a: 222 (q.); Clark, 1951: 33 (subapterous q.).
 * Subspecies of tricolor: Viehmeyer, 1924a: 222.
 * Status as species: Clark, 1951: 32 (redescription).
 * Junior synonym of simillima: Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 273.
 * spadicea. Myrmecia spadicea Mayr, 1862: 724 (diagnosis in key) (w.) AUSTRALIA (New South Wales, South Australia).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * [Note: Brown, 1953j: 12, states that the holotype is an ergatoid queen, not a worker But as specimens from two localities are included in the original description, they must be regarded as syntypes.]
 * Type-locality: Australia: New South Wales, Sydney (Novara Expd.), South Australia, Adelaide.
 * Type-depository: NHMW.
 * Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 23; Mayr, 1863: 430; Mayr, 1865: 86 (redescription); Mayr, 1876: 97; Dalla Torre, 1893: 22.
 * Junior synonym of tricolor: Emery, 1911d: 20.
 * Junior synonym of nigriventris: Forel, 1910b: 7 (in text); Clark, 1951: 45.
 * Junior synonym of simillima: Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 273.
 * tricolor. Myrmecia tricolor Mayr, 1862: 724 (diagnosis in key) (w.) AUSTRALIA (New South Wales).
 * Type-material: holotype (?) worker.
 * [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given.]
 * Type-locality: Australia: New South Wales, Sydney (Novara Expd.).
 * Type-depository: NHMW.
 * Clark, 1951: 44 (subapterous q.).
 * Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 23; Mayr, 1863: 431; Mayr, 1865: 85 (redescription); Mayr, 1876: 96; Emery, 1887b: 443; Dalla Torre, 1893: 22; Emery, 1911d: 20; Emery, 1914b: 179; Wheeler, W.M. 1933i: 44; Clark, 1951: 44 (redescription).
 * Junior synonym of simillima: Brown, 1953j: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1629; Bolton, 1995b: 273.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Brown W. L., Jr. 1953. Revisionary notes on the ant genus Myrmecia of Australia. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 111: 1-35.
 * Emery C. 1911. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125.
 * Emery C. 1914. Formiche d'Australia e di Samoa raccolte dal Prof. Silvestri nel 1913. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 8: 179-186.
 * Forel A. 1910. Formicides australiens reçus de MM. Froggatt et Rowland Turner. Rev. Suisse Zool. 18: 1-94
 * 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.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1916. The marriage-flight of a bull-dog ant (Myrmecia sanguinea F. Smith). Journal of Animal Behavior 6: 70-73.