Dolichoderus rufotibialis

Dolichoderus rufotibialis is found in open forested habitats such as dry sandy sclerophyll and heath of coastal south-western Western Australia. Foraging is on the ground with nests under rocks and logs.

Identification
Pronotum rounded, lacking spines; propodeum with elongate spines directed upward at angle of 45° or less to horizontal plane, the angle between them at least 90°; dorsum of petiolar node angular, base of propodeal spines forming a "V" with a narrowly rounded angle connecting their bases; legs long and bicoloured.

This species most closely resembles Dolichoderus niger and Dolichoderus ypsilon but can be distinguished by the dark femora and lightly coloured tibiae of D. rufotibialis compared to the uniformly coloured legs in D. niger (dark-brown) and D. ypsilon (light red or orange).

Identification Keys including this Taxon

 * Key to Australian Dolichoderus Species

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  rufotibialis. Dolichoderus (Hypoclinea) ypsilon var. rufotibialis Clark, 1930b: 259, fig. 9 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Raised to species: Shattuck & Marsden, 2013: 132.

Worker
Clark (1930) - Differs from Dolichoderus ypsilon, as follows:

Apical margins of the mandibles, trochanters, knees, tibia and tarsi red; antennae and femora brown. The spines of the epinotum shorter and thicker, the dorsum of the epinotum longer. The mesonotum level, with the pronotum and epinotum forming almost a straight back. The tooth on the side of the mesonotum much less pronounced. The node thinner below, much more convex behind.

Shattuck and Marsden (2013) - All specimens are morphologically similar.

Measurements (n=5). CI 92–98; EI 23–24; EL 0.26–0.31; HL 1.19–1.43; HW 1.10–1.23; ML 1.59–2.11; MTL 0.99–1.35; PronI 70.36–75.71; PronW 0.77–0.99; SI 106–117; SL 1.17–1.51.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Shattuck S. O., and S. Marsden. 2013. Australian species of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3716(2): 101-143.