Colobostruma alinodis

This widespread species can be abundant in some areas within its range. It can be found nesting under rocks in a variety of habitats, from dry sclerophyll to rainforest.

Identification
The presence of a 4-segmented antenna with an elongate second funicular segment will separate this taxon from others in the alinodis-group (Shattuck 2000).

Distribution
Known from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Biology
Brown (1954) - Colobostruma alinodis has been taken in moist or wet sclerophyll forest, often near or in clearings. On three occasions I took this ant, twice in the Dandenongs and once on Tamborine Mountain, southeastern Queensland, in each case under a stone also covering a flourishing nest of one of the common and dominant Rhytidoponera ("Chalcoponera") species, commonly infested with unpigmented entomobryid collembolans. I have not myself seen, nor do I know of other records definitely stating, that this species or its close relatives show any preference for nest sites near or in Rhytidoponera nests except as indicated by my three collections.

Nomenclature

 *  alinodis. Epopostruma alinodis Forel, 1913g: 179, pl. 2, figs. 1, 2 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA. Crozier, 1968b: 88 (k.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1973c: 211 (l., misspelled as alata). Combination in Clarkistruma: Brown, 1948e: 124; in Colobostruma: Brown & Wilson, 1959b: 281. See also: Shattuck, in Bolton, 2000: 34.

Worker
Shattuck (2000) - WORKER. TL 2.2 - 3.4, HL 0.52 - 0.80, HW 0.48 - 0.66, CI 81 - 92, ML 0.13 - 0.17, MI 20 - 25, SL 0.24 - 0.47, SI 50 - 70, PW 0.32 - 0.43, AL 0.59 - 0.91 (7 measured). Anterior region of head rounding gradually from the dorsal to lateral surfaces, not phragmotic. In full-face view ridge immediately in front of eye weakly defined, concave. Frontal lobes and lateral margins of clypeus smooth relative to surrounding surface of the head. Mandibles broadly triangular. Hairs on dorsum of head scattered, thin. Posterior margin of head uniformly concave. Antenna with 4 or 5 segments, when 5-segmented the third funicular segment from the base is much shorter than the second segment; the second funicular segment long, more than twice the length of the first segment. Scape strongly elbowed and without a subbasal lobe. In dorsal view the widest point of the pronotum is at the humeral angles. Propodeum high, its posterior face greater in height than the petiolar node and with broad, thin lamellae; in profile the dorsum of the alitrunk essentially flat. Lateral postpetiole drawn outwards into thin flange-like wings, the wings with translucent windows along both their anterior and posterior margins, the windows separated by a narrow band of thickened integument and the anterior windows smaller than the posterior windows. First gastral tergite smooth, superimposed with low, closely spaced carinae on the anterolateral corners. Body colour yellow-brown to dark brown, dorsum of head and alitrunk often slightly darker, antennae and legs slightly lighter, gaster often with a slightly darker, broad medial band.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
 * CSIRO Collection
 * Forel A. 1913. Fourmis de Tasmanie et d'Australie récoltées par MM. Lae, Froggatt etc. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 49: 173-195
 * 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.
 * Taylor R. W., and D. R. Brown. 1985. Formicoidea. Zoological Catalogue of Australia 2: 1-149.