Cataulacus reticulatus

Nothing is known about the biology of Cataulacus reticulatus.

Identification
The true affinity of Cataulacus reticulatus does not lie with Cataulacus granulatus but with the species of the taprobanae group, particularly with Cataulacus praetextus, Cataulacus catuvolcus and Cataulacus chapmani, from which it is separable by the characters given in the key (Bolton 1974).

Distribution
Known from Malaysia (East and West).

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

Nomenclature

 * minor. Cataulacus reticulatus var. minor Smith, F. 1857a: 81 (w.) BORNEO. Junior synonym of reticulatus: Bolton, 1974a: 82.
 *  reticulatus. Cataulacus reticulatus Smith, F. 1857a: 81, pl. 2, fig. 8 (w.) BORNEO. Junior synonym of granulatus: Dalla Torre, 1893: 138; Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 92. Revived status as species: Donisthorpe, 1932c: 451. Senior synonym of minor: Bolton, 1974a: 82.

Cataulacus reticulatus

Holotype worker in. Labelled “SAR. 5.”

Worker
Bolton (1974) - Holotype. TL 4.2, HL 1.06, HW 1.26, CI 119, EL 0.40, OI 32, IOD 0.92, SL 0.54, SI 43, PW 0.98, AL not measurable, MTL 0.60

Occipital crest complete, the median portion raised into a low, posteriorly projecting ridge; the crest without denticles. Sides of head behind eyes crenulate-denticulate, terminating in a small triangular tooth at the occipital corners. Preocular tooth triangular, the frontal carinae in front of this at first shallowly concave, then convex over the antennal insertions. Frontal groove absent. Sides of pronotum with a marginate, subrectangular expansion which begins a short distance behind the anterior pronotal border. Sides of mesonotum convex, angular, separated from the propodeum by a distinct V-shaped impression. Propodeum behind this notch with a free anterior margin at each side, the lateral margins extremely shallowly concave and continuous with the outer margins of the spines. Propodeal spines long, well developed, broad at the base and tapering to an acute apex. Lateral borders of all constituents of the alitrunk neither crenulate nor denticulate; the dorsum devoid of sutures or sutural impressions. Petiole in profile with the anterior and posterior faces sloping and convergent dorsally so that there is no separated dorsal surface to the segment. Dorsum of postpetiole low and rounded. Subpetiolar process simple, with an acute posteroventral angle. Subpostpetiolar process low and subrectangular. First gastral tergite longer than broad, length ca 1.50, maximum width ca 1.28, the sides convex and narrowing posteriorly. Basal corners marginate, the margination scarcely extending onto the sides.

Entirety of dorsum of head and alitrunk with a fine rugoreticulum, the interspaces of which are finely and densely reticulate-punctate. First gastral tergite similarly but much more finely sculptured. Propodeal declivity predominantly reticulate-punctate with only a few very faint rugulae; the anterior face of the petiole similarly sculptured.

Erect hairs virtually absent, present only on the mandibles and antennal scapes. A few (four or five) very short, blunt hairs project beyond the margins of the frontal carinae in dorsal view; otherwise the margins of the head and alitrunk are without projecting hairs although one or two minute, flattened hairs may be present near the margins themselves. First gastral tergite without hairs; some are present on the sternites.

Type Material
Bolton (1974):

Holotype worker, BORNEO: Sarawak (A. R. Wallace) (UM, Oxford) [examined].

Cataulacus reticulatus var. minor Holotype worker, BORNEO: Sarawak (A. R. Wallace) (presumed lost).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton B. 1974. A revision of the Palaeotropical arboreal ant genus Cataulacus F. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 30: 1-105.
 * Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58
 * Smith, F.. "Catalogue of the hymenopterous insects collected at Sarawak, Borneo; Mount Ophir, Malacca; and at Singapore, by A. R. Wallace." Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 2 (1857): 42-88.
 * Widodo E.S., M. Mohamed, and Y. Hashimoto. 2001. Canopy ant diversity assessment in the fragmented rainforest of Sabah, East Malaysia. Nature and Human activities 6: 13-23.