Acropyga dubia

Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Identification
From Lapolla (2004):

Diagnosis - Worker: 11 segmented antennae; mandible with 6 teeth; head slightly longer than broad; dorsum with dense layer of appressed hairs, with occasional scattered erect hairs. Queen: as in worker with modifications expected for caste. Male: unknown. Compare with Acropyga myops.

This species has workers that are morphologically similar to Acropyga myops, but differ primarily in possessing a narrower head (< 0.6 mm in A. dubia versus > 0.6 mm in A. myops), and in geographical distribution (A. dubia has not been found in Australia, the only known location for A. myops).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia.

From LaPolla (2004): I have only examined specimens of this species from Malaysian Borneo, though the original description reports the syntypes as being from Sumatra.

Nomenclature

 *  dubia. Acropyga (Rhizomyrma) dubia Karavaiev, 1933a: 311, fig. 3 (w.m.) INDONESIA (Sumatra). LaPolla, 2004a: 61 (q.).

Worker
From LaPolla (2004) - Head: yellow; head slightly longer than broad; posterior margin entire to slightly concave medially; 11 segmented, incrassate antennae; scape reaches or nearly reaches (approximately 1/3 length of pedicel) posterior margin; clypeus convex medially, with appressed to erect hairs on surface; mandible broad with 6 teeth; 3rd tooth from apical smaller than others; basal tooth sometimes smaller than others and set back further than other teeth on masticatory margin; dorsal surface of mandible covered in a thick layer of short erect hairs (approximately 25 hairs); inner mandibular margin and anterior clypeal margin nearly parallel with each other. Mesosoma: yellow; in lateral view pronotum rises steeply toward mesonotum; pronotum covered in layer of appressed hairs, with scattered erect hairs posteriorly; mesonotum rounded, covered in layer of appressed hairs; scattered erect hairs throughout; metanotal area distinct; propodeum rounded, covered in layer of appressed hairs; declivity steep. Gaster: petiole thick and erect, reaching height of upper portion of propodeal spiracle; gaster yellow; covered in a thick layer of appressed hairs, with scattered erect hairs throughout.

Measurements (n=8): TL: 1.79-2.15; HW: 0.485-0.55; HL: 0.499-0.585; SL: 0.399-0.447; ML: 0.538-0.611; GL: 0.623-0.957; CI: 89.91-97.21; SI: 79.89-81.81.

Queen
From LaPolla (2004) - As in worker with modifications expected for caste and with the following differences: overall color brownish-yellow, darker toward apex of head and on gaster dorsum.

Measurements (n=1): TL: 3.06; HW: 0.663; HL: 0.6; SL: 0.606; ML: 1.1; GL: 1.36; CI: 110.5; SI: 91.40.

Male
Males are not known for this species.

Type Material
Acropyga dubia Karavaiev, 1933: 311 (w.m.). 3 syntype workers, 1 syntype male, INDONESIA: Sumatra (O. John) (depository unknown) [not examined]. The syntypes of this species could not located for examination. The original description includes description of a male, but because the syntypes could not be located and no other male specimens have been found in collections, the male unfortunately cannot be described at this time.

Additional References

 * Biinzli, G.H. 1935. Untersuchungen iiber coccidophile Ameisen aus den Kaffeefelden von Surinam. Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft 16:455-593.


 * Brown, W.L., Jr. 1945. An unusual behavior pattern observed in a Szechuanese ant. Journal of the West China Border Research Society 15:185-186.


 * Buschinger, J., J. Heinze & K. Jessen. 1987. First European record ofa queen ant carrying a mealybug during her mating flight. NatUlwissenschaften 74:139-140.


 * Eberhard, W.G. 1978. Mating swarms ofa South American Acropygia [sic.] (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomological News 89(1 & 2):14-16.


 * Eisner, T. 1957. A comparative morphological study ofthc proventriculus of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin ofthe Museum of Comparative Zoology 116:439-490.


 * Holldobler B . & E.O. Wilson. 1990. The Ants. Belknap Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 732 pp.


 * Johnson, c., D. Agosti, J.H. Delabie, K. Dumpert, OJ. Williams, M. von Tschimhaus & U. Maschwitz. 2001 . Acropyga and Azteca Ants with Scale Insects: 20 Million Years ofIntimate Symbiosis. American Museum Noviates 3335:1-18.


 * LaPolla, J.S., S.P. Cover & U.G. Mueller. 2002. Natural history of the mealybug-tending ant Acropyga epedana, with descriptions of the male and queen castes. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 128(3):367-376.


 * Prins, AJ. 1982. Review of Anoplolepis with reference to male genitalia, and notes on Acropyga. Annals of the South African Museum 89:215-247.


 * Weber, N.A. 1944. The Neotropical coccid-tending ants of the genus Acropyga Roger. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 37:89-122.


 * Wheeler, G.C. & J.C. Wheeler. 1953. The ant larvae of the subfamily Formicinae. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 46:126-171.


 * Wheeler, W.M. 1935b. Ants of the genus Acropyga Roger, with description ofa new species. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 43:321-329.


 * Williams, D J . 1998. Mealybugs of the genera Eumyrmococcus Silvestri and Xenococcus Silvestri associated with the ant genus Acropyga Roger and a review of the subfamily (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Pseudoccidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History)(Entomology) 67:1-64.