Bothroponera sulcata

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India, Sri Lanka.

Biology
In Srilanka, these ants are mainly found in less disturbed habitats in both dry and wet zones. They are found nesting under leaf litter, large logs, and within tree roots. A nest has a few chambers which are mainly used to house brood. Similar to other Ponerinae larvae, B.sulcata have active larvae which directly feed on insects with their strong mouthparts. The ants are found to be hunting millipedes, crickets, leaf litter-dwelling roaches, and other small insects. They are a calm ant species who usually keep out of trouble but will deliver a sting if tried to pick up. The pain usually lasts a few minutes and then the area that gets stung gets partially swollen and itchy. Reproduction is done by Gamergate.

Nomenclature

 * . Ponera sulcata Mayr, 1867c: 441 (w.) ("Vaterland unbekannt").
 * [Note (i): Emery, 1911d: 78 gives INDIA, possibly based on the collection data in Forel, 1900d: 326, and Bingham, 1903: 99.]
 * [Note (ii): Chapman & Capco, 1951: 51, 72, attribute this taxon to Frauenfeld; the actual author is Mayr, in Frauenfeld.]
 * [Unresolved junior primary homonym of Ponera sulcata Smith, F. 1858b: 99 (Bolton, 1995b: 310).]
 * Forel, 1900d: 326 (m.).
 * Combination in Pachycondyla (Bothroponera): Emery, 1901a: 46;
 * combination in Pachycondyla: Brown, in Bolton, 1995b: 310;
 * combination in Bothroponera: Forel, 1891b: 124; Joma & Mackay, 2013: 2; Schmidt, C.A. & Shattuck, 2014: 77.
 * Status as species: Mayr, 1879: 662 (redescription, footnote); Dalla Torre, 1893: 37; Forel, 1900d: 326; Bingham, 1903: 98; Forel, 1906b: 91; Forel, 1907a: 6; Emery, 1911d: 78; Mukerjee, 1934: 3; Menozzi, 1939a: 328; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 51, 72 (combinations in Bothroponera, Ponera, respectively); Bolton, 1995b: 310; Tiwari, 1999: 27; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 49.
 * Current subspecies: nominal plus fossulata, sulcatotesserinoda.

Description
Worker

Bingham (1903): Dull black; the mandibles, flagellum of the antennae, tibiae of the legs towards the apex and tarsi castaneous red; the scape of the antennae, the femora and base of the tibiae fuscous. Head, thorax and abdomen minutely and closely reticulate-punctate, with scattered piligerous shallow punctures, covered all over with fairly abundant long erect pale hairs and a dense fine sericeous pubescence. Head without the mandibles a little longer than broad, slightly emarginate posteriorly; mandibles smooth and shining, with a few scattered punctures, clypeus convex in the middle and subcarinate. Thorax convex, rounded above, not so broad as the head, narrowing towards the apex which is truncate, but more obliquely sloping than in B. tesserinoda; legs comparatively short, densely pubescent and pilose. Node of the pedicel thick, about as long as broad, comparatively flat and truncate anteriorly and posteriorly, greatly rounded and convex above; abdomen massive, cylindrical.

Length: 8 - 11.5 mm

Male

Bingham (1903): "Maxillary palpi 6-, labial palpi 4-jointed. Mandibles rudimentary, rectangular, thin and flat, very far from meeting in the middle. Antennae long ; scape very short, one and a half times as long as broad. Head oval, large ; eyes and ocelli large. Pro- notum vertical, not extending in front of the mesonotum. The latter with two converging furrows. Pedicel surmounted by a high and very thick node, a little broader than long, subtruncate anteriorly and posteriorly, and rounded above. Abdomen elongate and narrow, constricted after the first segment. Pygidium with a long carved point. Hypopygium nearly flat, emarginate at apex. Exterior genital valves rounded, rather small. Thorax somewhat massive. The whole insect opaque, finely punctured; wings feebly tinged with yellow and pubescent." (Forel.)

Length: 10 - 10.5 mm

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bharti H., Y. P. Sharma, M. Bharti, and M. Pfeiffer. 2013. Ant species richness, endemicity and functional groups, along an elevational gradient in the Himalayas. Asian Myrmecology 5: 79-101.
 * Dad J. M., S. A. Akbar, H. Bharti, and A. A. Wachkoo. 2019. Community structure and ant species diversity across select sites ofWestern Ghats, India. Acta Ecologica Sinica 39: 219–228.
 * Dias R. K. S., K. R. K. A. Kosgamage, and H. A. W. S. Peiris. 2012. The Taxonomy and Conservation Status of Ants (Order: Hymenoptera, Family: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. In: The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Weerakoon, D.K. & S. Wijesundara Eds., Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka. p11-19.
 * Forel A. 1900. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part VII. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 13: 303-332.
 * Forel A. 1906. Les fourmis de l'Himalaya. Bulletin de la Société Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles 42: 79-94.
 * Forel A. 1907. Formicides du Musée National Hongrois. Ann. Hist.-Nat. Mus. Natl. Hung. 5: 1-42.
 * Gumawardene, N.R., J.D. Majer and J.P. Edirisinghe. 2008. Diversity and richness of ant species in a lowland wet forest reserve in Sri Lanka. Asian Myrmecology 2:71-83
 * Gunawardene N. R., J. D. Majer, and J. P. Edirisinghe. 2008. Diversity and richness of ant species in a lowland wet forest reserve in Sri Lanka. Asian Myrmecology 2: 71-83.
 * Gunawardene N. R., J. D. Majer, and J. P. Edirisinghe. 2012. Correlates of ant 5Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and tree species diversity in Sri Lanka. Myrmecological News 17: 81-90.
 * Musthak Ali T. M. 1991. Ant Fauna of Karnataka-1. Newsletter of IUSSI Indian Chapter 5(1-2): 1-8.
 * Narendra A., H. Gibb, and T. M. Ali. 2011. Structure of ant assemblages in Western Ghats, India: role of habitat, disturbance and introduced species. Insect Conservation and diversity 4(2): 132-141.
 * Rajan P. D., M. Zacharias, and T. M. Mustak Ali. 2006. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Fauna of Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka). Conservation Area Series, Zool. Surv. India.i-iv,27: 153-188.
 * Sonune B. V., and R. J. Chavan. 2016. Distribution and diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) around Gautala Autramghat Sanctuary, Aurangabad Maharashtra, India. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 4(2): 361-364.
 * Tak N., and S. I. Kazmi. 2013. On some ants (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Nagaland, India. Rec. zool. Surv. India: 113(1): 169-182.
 * Tiwari R.N., B.G. Kundu, S. Roychowdhury, S.N. Ghosh. 1999. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Pp. 211-294 in: Director; Zoological Survey of India (ed.) 1999. Fauna of West Bengal. Part 8. Insecta (Trichoptera, Thysanoptera, Neuroptera, Hymenoptera and Anoplura). Calcutta: Zoological Survey of India, iv + 442 pp.