Anochetus risii

Biological information about A. risii is limited to a few sparse specimen records with collection information, "leaf litter" and "under Ficus".

Identification
Brown (1978) – Ferruginous yellow in color, with pale yellow legs; the pronotum is striate or rugulose in front and around the sides of the disc, but the center of the disc is smooth and shining. In A. risii and related species, the dorsal inner margin of the mandible is nearly straight and is edentate with a smooth margin, the preapical angle tends to be acute and is directed somewhat apicad as well as mesad, and the intercalary tooth of the apical trio is reduced and situated far out on the ventral apical tooth near its apex, which may thus appear furcate in young specimens. In older specimens, the intercalary tooth may be worn to a nub, or broken off, and scarcely detectable. A representative worker from Kusang, China has HL 1.62, HW 1.44, ML 1.19, scape L 1.58, eye L 0.28 mm; CI 89, MI 73.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia. Oriental Region: Taiwan, Vietnam. Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 * . Anochetus risii Forel, 1900c: 60 (w.) CHINA (Hong Kong).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: China: Hong Kong, Victoria Peak (F. Ris).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Wheeler, W.M. 1927h: 84 (m.); Wheeler, W.M. 1928c: 8 (q.).
 * Status as species: Emery, 1911d: 109; Wheeler, W.M. 1927d: 2; Wheeler, W.M. 1927h: 84; Wheeler, W.M. 1928c: 8; Wheeler, W.M. 1930h: 61; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 41; Brown, 1978c: 558, 577; Wang, M. 1993a: 226 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 65; Tang, J., Li, et al. 1995: 30; Zhou, 2001b: 29; Zhou & Ran, 2010: 103; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 58; Chen, Yang & Zhou, 2019: 64 (redescription).
 * Senior synonym of taiwaniensis: Chen, Yang & Zhou, 2019: 64.
 * Distribution: China, Taiwan, Vietnam.
 * taiwaniensis. Anochetus taiwaniensis Terayama, 1989a: 26, figs. 1-6 (w.) TAIWAN.
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 66 paratype workers.
 * Type-locality: holotype Taiwan: Kaohsiung Hsien, Liukuei, 17.viii.1987 (S. Kubota); paratypes: 45 workers with same data, 10 workers with same data but (H. Sakai), 10 workers with same data but (M. Terayama), 1 worker Taipei Hsien, Wulai, 2.viii.1981 (S. Kubota).
 * Type-depositories: NIAS (holotype); NIAS, TARI (paratypes).
 * Status as species: Wang, M. 1993a: 226 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 66; Lin & Wu, 2003: 67; Terayama, 2009: 116; Zhou & Ran, 2010: 103; Leong, Tsai, et al. 2018: 128 (in key).
 * Junior synonym of risii: Chen, Yang & Zhou, 2019: 64.

Worker
Chen et al. (2019) - TL 5.12–5.34, HL 1.67–1.69, HW 1.44–1.46, CI 85–87, SL 1.55– 1.57, SI 106–108, ED 0.11–0.12, PW 0.80–0.82, MSL 2.33–2.36, PL 0.37–0.39, PH 0.74–0.76, DPW 0.30–0.32, LPI 202–207, DPI 83–85 (n = 5).

In full-face view head longer than broad, posterior margin strongly concave. Mandibles linear, gradually broadened apically; inner margin with several denticles, gradually decreasing in size towards base; apical portion with three distinct teeth. Antennae 12-segmented; scapes surpassing to posterior corners of head by about 1/5 of its length. Eyes large, maximum diameter of eye wider than the basal width of mandibles. In lateral view mesosoma slender. Pronotum weakly convex. Promesonotal suture shallowly impressed. Mesonotum weakly convex, sloping posteriorly. Metanotal groove deeply concave. Dorsum of propodeum almost straight, posterodorsal corner bluntly angled. Petiole cone-shaped and slightly inclined posteriorly, with a pointed dorsal apex, anterior margin weakly convex, posterior margin almost straight; subpetiolar process triangular, directed posteroventrally.

Frons longitudinally to obliquely striate posteriorly; frontal lobes and clypeus weakly striate, remainder of head smooth and shining. Mesosoma smooth and shining, propodeum and lower part of metapleuron obliquely rugose. Sometimes sides of pronotum weakly longitudinal rugose. Petiole smooth and shining, basal area weakly striate. Gaster smooth and shining. Body dorsum with abundant erect to suberect hairs and dense decumbent pubescence; scapes and tibiae with scattered suberect hairs and dense decumbent pubescence. Body blackish brown; antennae and legs yellowish brown.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Brown Jr., W.L. 1978. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. Part VI. Ponerinae, Tribe Ponerini, Subtribe Odontomachiti, Section B. Genus Anochetus and Bibliography. Studia Entomologia 20(1-4): 549-XXX
 * CSIRO Collection
 * Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
 * Chen Z., Z. Yang, and S. Zhou. 2019. Review of the ant genus Anochetus Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from China, with revival of the valid status of Anochetus gracilis. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 68: 49–74.
 * Cheng D., Z. Chen, and S. Zhou. 2015. An analysis on the ant fauna of Jinzhongshan Nature Reserve in Gunagxi, China. Journal of Guangxi Normal University: Natural Science Edition 33(3): 129.137.
 * Emery C. 1911. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125.
 * Fellowes J. R., and D. Dudgeon. 2003. Common ants of lowland forests in Hong Kong, Tropical China. Proceedings of the 2nd ANeT Workshop and Seminar, p. 19-43.
 * Forel A. 1900. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part VI. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 13: 52-65.
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, 2002. Report of Rapid Biodiversity Assessments at Jianling and Shangxi Nature Reserves, Southeast Hainan, China, May 1999. South China Forest Biodiversity Survey Report Series (Online Simplified Version): No. 21. KFBG, Hong Kong SAR, ii + 18 pp.
 * Leong C. M., S. F. Shiao, and B. Guenard. 2017. Ants in the city, a preliminary checklist of Formicidae (Hymenoptera) in Macau, one of the most heavily urbanized regions of the world. Asian Myrmecology 9: e009014.
 * Li Z.h. 2006. List of Chinese Insects. Volume 4. Sun Yat-sen University Press
 * Ogata K. 2005. Asian ant inventory and international networks. Report on Insect inventory Project in Tropic Asia TAIIV: 145-170.
 * Staab M., A. Schuldt, T. Assmann, H. Bruelheide, and A.M. Klein. 2014. Ant community structure during forest succession in a subtropical forest in South-East China. Acta Oecologia 61: 32-40.
 * Tang J., Li S., Huang E., Zhang B. and Chen Y. 1995. Hymenoptera: Formicidae (1). Economic Insect Fauna of China 47: 1-133.
 * Terayama M. 1989. The ant tribe Odontomachini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Taiwan, with a description of a nes species. Edaphologia 40: 25-29.
 * Terayama M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University. Liberal Arts 17:81-266.
 * Terayama, M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta; Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1927. Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in Indochina. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 20: 83-106.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1928. Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in China. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 22: 3-38.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1930. A list of the known Chinese ants. Peking Natural History Bulletin 5: 53-81.
 * Yamane S.; Bui T. V.; Ogata K.; Okido H.; Eguchi K. 2002. Ant fauna of Cuc Phuong National Park, North Vietnam (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin of the Institute of Tropical Agriculture Kyushu University 25: 51-62.
 * Zhou S.-Y. 2001. Ants of Guangxi. Guangxi Normal University Press, Guilin, China, Guilin, China. 255 pp.
 * Zryanin V. A. 2011. An eco-faunistic review of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). In: Structure and functions of soil communities of a monsoon tropical forest (Cat Tien National Park, southern Vietnam) / A.V. Tiunov (Editor). – M.: KMK Scientific Press. 2011. 277 р.101-124.