Aenictus acerbus

This rare species is known from a limited number of collections in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, northern Northern Territory and on Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. All specimens were collection from pitfall traps or pan traps.

Identification
A member of the ceylonicus group. Head capsule entirely smooth and essentially uniformly coloured; scape relatively short (scape index < 91); sculpturing on pronotum extending posteriorly onto the main pronotal body; body larger (head width > 0.62mm). This species is morphologically similar to A. turneri but can be separated from it by its larger size and more extensive sculpturing on the pronotum.



Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Castes
Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 * . Aenictus acerbus Shattuck, 2008c: 4, figs. 1-3, 7, 8, 24 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia).
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 2 paratype workers.
 * Type-locality: holotype Australia: Queensland, 9 km. ENE Mt Tozer, 12°43’S, 143°17’E, 5-10.vii.1986, ex pan traps (J.C. Cardale); paratypes with same data.
 * Type-depository: ANIC.
 * Distribution: Australia.

Description
Mandible narrow and subtriangular, with a large apical tooth and a smaller subapical tooth followed by 4–6 small teeth and a larger basal tooth; anterior clypeal border varying from weakly convex to weakly concave, located at or slightly posterior to anterior margin of frontal lobes in full face view; parafrontal ridges absent; subpetiolar process a large rectangular to elongate-rectangular projection; head entirely smooth, pronotum with weak, closely spaced punctures dorsally and anteriorly, smooth posterolaterally, remainder of mesosoma finely punctate with weak longitudinal rugae on lateral surfaces; body yellowred to light red-brown.

Measurements. Worker (n = 13) - CI 88–97; HL 0.66–0.73; MTL 0.59–0.67; HW 0.62–0.66; ML 1.07–1.17; SI 81–91; SL 0.53–0.58.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * CSIRO Collection
 * Shattuck, S. O. 2008. Review of the ant genus Aenictus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Australia with notes on A. ceylonicus (Mayr). Zootaxa 1926:1-19.