Myrmecia ludlowi

Identification
Heterick (2009) - Myrmecia chasei and Myrmecia ludlowi have the same coloration as Myrmecia elegans, but are more robust ants with hairy tibiae. The separation of the two species by Ogata and Taylor (1991) is based purely on the colour of the mandibles (yellow in chasei, dark brown in ludlowi), but specimens seen by this author are not so easily distinguished, many having intermediate light to medium brown mandibles. Both species (if indeed they are separable species) are found in the Darling Range, including the Perth area.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  ludlowi. Myrmecia chasei var. ludlowi Crawley, 1922b: 431 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Crawley, 1925b: 578 (m.). Combination in Promyrmecia: Clark, 1943: 117; in Myrmecia: Taylor & Brown, D.R. 1985: 7. Subspecies of chasei: Clark, 1951: 215. Raised to species: Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1662.

Worker
Crawley (1925) - Length 14 mm.

Dark black.brown; the whole space between the posterior border of clypeus, the eyes and the anterior ocellus, the antennae, the legs except the coxae and the middle of the anterior femora, a great part of the meso- and metasternum, a broad patch down the centre of the epinotum, the pedicel and apical segments of the gaster reddish yellow; terminal borders of mandibles brown.

A fine pale pilosity on head, thorax, and apical segments of gaster, and a feeble pubescence on the cheeks, clypeus, sides of thorax, and underside of gaster.

Mandibles triangular, with three large teeth, the apical long and curved, the basal broad and triangular, and the central similar but smaller. Eyes close to base of mandibles. Read rounded behind. Anterior border of clypeus shallowly and widely emarginate. Scape more than twice as long as first joint of funiculus, which is broader than long; second joint the longest of all.

Thorax of ordinary form, the angle between the faces of the epinotum very oblique. Stalk of petiole shorter than the node; the latter longer than wide, widest in middle and narrowest in front; a fine carina runs down the centre. In profile the node rises somewhat abruptly in frunt, but much less so than in the worker; the top is slightly higher in front than behind and evenly curved. Beneath the stalk in front is a small pointed tooth. Postpetiole as long as wide, very narrow in front, and widest behind.

Mandibles smooth and shining along terminal border, the rest opaque and microscopically punctate. Front of head microscopically reticulate, rest of head coarsely rugose.

Thorax with similar coarse sculpture, the scutum being most coarsely rugose in the centre. Epinotum transversely rugose. First node rugose-punctate, the second microscopically reticulate with a few shallow punctures. Gaster microscopically reticulate.