Crematogaster laeviceps

Crematogaster laeviceps is the most common species of Crematogaster found in the southwest of Western Australia. It nests arboreally and is ubiquitous in nearly all environments (Heterick, 2009).

Wheeler (1934) collected many workers and queens of this ant near Government House, on Rottnest Island, under bark of large Callitris robustai trees and running in files on their trunks, near White Hill, under stones, near Longreach Bay, under stones, and Serpentine Lake, on the trunks of wattles and nesting under their bark.

Identification
A member of the Crematogaster rogenhoferi group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 * . Crematogaster laeviceps Smith, F. 1858b: 138 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Victoria).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Australia: Melbourne (no collector’s name).
 * Type-depository: BMNH.
 * [Misspelled as leviceps by Roger, 1863b: 37, Dalla Torre, 1893: 83, and others.]
 * Combination in C. (Acrocoelia): Emery, 1922e: 152;
 * combination in C. (Crematogaster): Bolton, 1995b: 166.
 * Status as species: Mayr, 1863: 404; Roger, 1863b: 37; Mayr, 1876: 107 (in key); Dalla Torre, 1893: 83; Forel, 1902h: 413; Forel, 1907a: 25; Forel, 1915b: 55; Emery, 1922e: 152; Clark, 1938: 366; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 61; Taylor, 1987a: 23; Bolton, 1995b: 155; Heterick, 2009: 148.
 * Senior synonym of broomensis: Heterick, 2021: 12.
 * Senior synonym of chasei: Heterick, 2021: 12.
 * Distribution: Australia.
 * broomensis. Crematogaster leviceps var. broomensis Forel, 1915b: 56 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Australia: NW Australia, Broome (E. Mjöberg).
 * Type-depository: MHNG (perhaps also in NHRS).
 * Subspecies of laeviceps: Taylor & Brown, 1985: 61; Taylor, 1987a: 23; Bolton, 1995b: 149.
 * Junior synonym of laeviceps: Heterick, 2021: 12.
 * chasei. Crematogaster laeviceps var. chasei Forel, 1902h: 413 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Australia: Western Australia, Perth (Chase).
 * Type-depositories: ANIC, MHNG.
 * Wheeler, W.M. 1934d: 144 (q.m.).
 * Combination in C. (Acrocoelia): Emery, 1922e: 152.
 * Subspecies of laeviceps: Forel, 1907h: 279; Forel, 1915b: 55; Emery, 1922e: 152; Wheeler, W.M. 1934d: 144; Clark, 1938: 366; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 61; Taylor, 1987a: 23; Bolton, 1995b: 150; Heterick, 2009: 148.
 * Junior synonym of laeviceps: Heterick, 2021: 12.

Taxonomic Notes
Heterick (2021): Crematogaster laeviceps broomensis appears to represent no more than an ergatoid of C. laeviceps with vestigial ocelli and an indentation that represents the pronotal suture, whereas the AntWeb image of the C. laeviceps syntype is smoother and shinier and lacks the promesonotal sculpture and hint of a suture. This feature seems to vary with size and possibly also with populations. The AntWeb imaged type specimen of Crematogaster laeviceps chasei, despite Forel’s comments, is indistinguishable from the ant bearing the senior name. Crematogaster laeviceps chasei and C. laeviceps broomensis become junior synonyms under C. laeviceps in this work.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Andersen A. N., T. D. Penman, N. Debas, and M. Houadria. 2009. Ant community responses to experimental fire and logging in a Eucalypt forest of south-eastern Australia. Forest Ecology and Management 258: 188-197.
 * Clark J. 1938. The Sir Joseph Banks Islands. Reports of the McCoy Society for Field Investigation and Research. Part 10. Formicidae (Hymenoptera). Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria (n.s.)50: 356-382.
 * Forel A. 1893. Nouvelles fourmis d'Australie et des Canaries. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 37: 454-466.
 * Nooten S. S., P. Schultheiss, R. C. Rowe, S. L. Facey, and J. M. Cook. Habitat complexity affects functional traits and diversity of ant assemblages in urban green spaces (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 29: 67-77.