Dorylus laevigatus

Identification
A member of the Dorylus laevigatus-group.

Highly polymorphic. Number of antennal segments varying allometrically from 10 to 12. Concolorous yellow brown. (Wilson 1964)

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

Nomenclature

 * . Typhlopone laevigata Smith, F. 1857a: 70 (w.) BORNEO (East Malaysia: Sarawak).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Malaysia: Borneo, Sarawak (A.R. Wallace).
 * Type-depository: BMNH.
 * [Note: Donisthorpe, 1932c: 449, could not fine these specimens in OXUM. However, there are 3 syntype workers in BMNH, labelled “SAR”.]
 * [Misspelled as laeviceps by Smith, F. 1862a: 49; misspelled as levigata by Roger, 1863b: 20, Emery, 1901c: 186, and others.]
 * Forel, 1901a: 464 (q.m.).
 * Combination in Dorylus: Dalla Torre, 1893: 12;
 * combination in Dorylus (Dichthadia): Emery, 1895j: 729.
 * Status as species: Smith, F. 1858b: 112; Roger, 1861a: 45; Smith, F. 1862a: 49; Mayr, 1862: 737; Roger, 1863b: 20; Mayr, 1863: 457; Mayr, 1867a: 91 (redescription); Smith, F. 1871a: 324; Mayr, 1872: 151; Emery, 1887b: 449; Emery, 1888b: 350; Dalla Torre, 1893: 12; Emery, 1893g: 259; Emery, 1895j: 729; Emery, 1895k: 453; Emery, 1900d: 661; Forel, 1901a: 464; Emery, 1901c: 186; Emery, 1901g: 566; Bingham, 1903: 3; Forel, 1909d: 221; Emery, 1910b: 8; Forel, 1912d: 104; Forel, 1913k: 20; Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 61; Santschi, 1920h: 160; Santschi, 1924c: 97; Wheeler, W.M. 1924b: 239; Karavaiev, 1926d: 422; Donisthorpe, 1932c: 448; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 9; Wilson, 1964a: 440; Bolton, 1995b: 179; Jaitrong & Nabhitabhata, 2005: 21; Pfeiffer, et al. 2011: 35; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 26; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 22; Jaitrong, Guénard, et al. 2016: 26.
 * Senior synonym of breviceps: Dalla Torre, 1893: 12; Emery, 1895j: 729; Emery, 1895k: 453; Forel, 1901a: 464; Bingham, 1903: 3; Wilson, 1964a: 440; Bolton, 1995b: 179.
 * Senior synonym of glaberrima: Emery, 1888b: 350; Forel, 1901a: 464; Bingham, 1903: 3; Emery, 1910b: 9; Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 161; Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 61; Santschi, 1931d: 407; Wilson, 1964a: 440; Bolton, 1995b: 179.
 * Senior synonym of klugi: Emery, 1888b: 350; Forel, 1901a: 464; Bingham, 1903: 3; Emery, 1910b: 9; Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 61; Wilson, 1964a: 440; Bolton, 1995b: 179.
 * Distribution: China, India, Indonesia (Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra), Laos, Malaysia (Peninsula, Sabah, Sarawak), Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam.
 * breviceps. Dorylus (Typhlopone) breviceps Emery, 1889b: 488 (w.) MYANMAR.
 * Type-material: 2 syntype workers.
 * Type-locality: Myanmar (“Birmania”): Tenasserim, Kawkareet (L. Fea).
 * Type-depository: MSNG.
 * Combination in D. (Dichthadia): Emery, 1895j: 729.
 * Subspecies of laevigatus: Emery, 1910b: 9; Viehmeyer, 1916a: 110; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 9.
 * Junior synonym of laevigatus: Dalla Torre, 1893: 12; Emery, 1895j: 729; Emery, 1895k: 453; Forel, 1901a: 464; Bingham, 1903: 3; Wilson, 1964a: 440; Bolton, 1995b: 178.
 * glaberrima. Dichthadia glaberrima Gerstäcker, 1863: 93, pl. 1, fig. 2 (q.) INDONESIA (Java).
 * Type-material: holotype queen.
 * Type-locality: Indonesia: Java (no further data).
 * Type-depository: unknown (“Mus. Berol.”).
 * Combination in Dorylus (Dichthadia): Emery, 1888b: 345.
 * Status as species: Mayr, 1863: 407; Roger, 1863b: 42; Dalla Torre, 1893: 10; Emery, 1895j: 729.
 * Junior synonym of laevigatus: Emery, 1888b: 350; Forel, 1901a: 464; Bingham, 1903: 3; Emery, 1910b: 9; Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 161; Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 61; Santschi, 1931d: 407; Wilson, 1964a: 440; Bolton, 1995b: 179.
 * klugi. Dorylus klugi Emery, 1887b: 448, pl. 1, fig. 10 (m.) INDONESIA (Sumatra) (attributed to Hagenbach).
 * Type-material: holotype male.
 * Type-locality: Indonesia: Sumatra, Padan Panjan, Mt Singalang (O. Beccari).
 * Type-depository: MSNG.
 * Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 12; Emery, 1895j: 729; Forel, 1901h: 47.
 * Junior synonym of laevigatus: Emery, 1888b: 350; Forel, 1901a: 464; Bingham, 1903: 3; Emery, 1910b: 9; Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 61; Wilson, 1964a: 440; Bolton, 1995b: 179.

Description
Worker

Major

Smith (1857): Chestnut-red: smooth and shining, longitudinally channeled, slightly interrupted, in some examples, near the margin of the vertex; the inner margin, and apex of the mandibles, black. Thorax: a slightly impressed channel in front; the peduncle narrowed and rounded in front; the abdomen and legs rather paler than the head, the margins of the segments slightly constricted.

Bingham (1930): Castaneous brown, smooth and shining, punctures very small and sparse. Head rectangular, much longer than broad, the occiput emarginate, the front of the head bearing a short medial longitudinally impressed line or furrow. Thorax short, flat above, about as long as the head; legs short, robust. Node of the pedicel much broader than long, anteriorly with a gradual slope forwards, posteriorly vertical; abdomen massive, somewhat lighter in colour than the head and thorax.

Length: 8 mm

Minor

Smith (1857): About half the size, pale testaceous, and more abruptly truncated on the thorax.

Bingham (1930): Similar, smaller, much lighter in colour.

Length: 4 - 5 mm

Queen

Bingham (1903): Apterous, reddish brown, smooth and shining. Head broad, transverse, destitute of eyes or ocelli; the mandibles narrow, sickle-shaped; antennae short, geniculated; the flagellum 11-jointed: thorax somewhat narrow and constricted; legs short and feeble, claws simple; pedicel with a trapezoidal node, broader than long, widely separated from the 1st abdominal segment; abdomen very long, heavy and massive. (After Gerstäcker)

Length: 32 mm

Male

Bingham (1903): Dusky brownish yellow, with a long, fairly abundant, semierect covering: of yellow hairs, and beneath it, especially on the abdomen, a pale sericeous pubescence; head and scape of the antennae fuscous black or brown, flagellum of the antennae, mandibles, and legs castaneous; wings hyaline with a fulvous brownish tint. Head short, transverse, the region of the ocelli only slightly raised. Thorax gibbous in front; mesonotum very convex; scutellutn prominent, the apex bearing a longitudinal impression; metanotum rounded posteriorly; legs very short. Node of pedicel broader than long, very convex and rounded above; abdomen massive, robust, curved downwards, clavate towards the apex.

Length: 24 mm

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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