Odontoponera transversa

Odontoponera transversa prefers fairly intact forests. This contrasts with Odontoponera denticulata, a similar species with an overlapping range. This species lives in disturbed areas, often where there is bare ground. In Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak, Borneo, these two ants never coexist in one place. Odontoponera transversa occurs in primary forest and O. transversa inhabits the grounds of the park headquarters. In Bogor Botanical Gardens, West Java, where both species are very common (Ito et al., 2001), their habitat preference are different but less distinct. Odontoponera transversa is typically found in wetter and darker places while O. denticulata is collected around buildings. (Yamane, 2009)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore. Oriental Region: India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam. Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  transversa. Ponera transversa Smith, F. 1857a: 68 (w.) SINGAPORE. Bingham, 1903: 73 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1952c: 606 (l); Imai, Baroni Urbani, et al. 1984: 5 (k.). Combination in Odontoponera: Emery, 1893g: 262. Senior synonym of reticulata: Donisthorpe, 1932c: 474; of transversa: Yamane, 2009: 3. See also: Yamane, 2009: 4. Current subspecies: nominal plus biconcentrica, infuscata.
 * nitens. Odontoponera transversa subsp. nitens Creighton, 1929: 154 (w.) BORNEO. Junior synonym of transversa: Yamane, 2009: 3.
 * reticulata. Ponera reticulata Smith, F. 1858b: 85 (m.) MYANMAR. Junior synonym of transversa: Donisthorpe, 1932c: 474.

Type Material


Ponera reticulata

Holotype male in. Labelled “Birmah. 57/16.” Acc. Reg.: “1857 no. 16. Birmah. Purchased from Stevens. Collected by Mrs Waring.” Also with a Donisthorpe det. label dated 30.vi i.1932, “Odontoponera transversa Smith, male.”

Ponera transversa

Four worker syntypes in. Labelled “SINC. 55/9.” Acc. Reg.: “1855 no. 9. Singapore (Malacca). Purchased of Stevens. Collected by Mr Alfred Wallace.” Two of the specimens also bear Farren White labels and old yellow “cotype” labels, and one has the det. “P. transversa Smith.” These four specimens are equipped with the blue syntype label.

A worker in, labelled “Sing. 5,” has been indicated as type by Donisthorpe. This does not appear to belong to the same series as the specimens and is provisionally excluded from the syntype series.