Odontomachus ruficeps

The only Odontomachus species recorded from the SWBP is Odontomachus ruficeps. It has a wide distribution throughout WA. In the north of the state O. ruficeps is one of the commonest ponerines, but further south it appears to be less abundant.

Identification
Heterick (2009) - Worker ants in WA localities at about the same latitude as Perth are generally concolorous black or reddish-black. Further north, workers usually have a bright red head capsule, contrasting with a darker red mesosoma and black gaster.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  ruficeps. Odontomachus ruficeps Smith, F. 1858b: 81 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Forel, 1910b: 10 (m.). Senior synonym of acutidens, coriarius, magnus, obscura, rubriceps, rufescens, semicircularis, septentrionalis, sharpei: Brown, 1976a: 105. See also: Crawley, 1922b: 438; Brown, 1976a: 120.
 * coriarius. Odontomachus coriarius Mayr, 1876: 85 (w.m.) AUSTRALIA. Subspecies of ruficeps: Emery, 1911d: 115; of haematodus: Wheeler, W.M. 1915g: 806. Junior synonym of ruficeps: Brown, 1976a: 105.
 * magnus. Odontomachus coriarius var. magnus Mayr, 1876: 85 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of ruficeps: Brown, 1976a: 105.
 * semicircularis. Odontomachus coriarius var. semicircularis Mayr, 1876: 85 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of ruficeps: Brown, 1976a: 105.
 * sharpei. Odontomachus sharpei Forel, 1893d: 458 (q.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of ruficeps: Brown, 1976a: 105.
 * acutidens. Odontomachus ruficeps r. acutidens Forel, 1900b: 56 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Crawley, 1921: 90 (q.m.). Junior synonym of ruficeps: Brown, 1976a: 105.
 * rubriceps. Odontomachus ruficeps var. rubriceps Forel, 1915b: 33 (w.m.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of ruficeps: Brown, 1976a: 105.
 * rufescens. Odontomachus ruficeps var. rufescens Forel, 1915b: 34 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of ruficeps: Brown, 1976a: 105.
 * septentrionalis. Odontomachus septentrionalis Crawley, 1915a: 130 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of ruficeps: Brown, 1976a: 105.
 * obscura. Odontomachus coriarius var. obscura Crawley, 1922b: 437, fig. 1 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of ruficeps: Brown, 1976a: 105.

Type Material


Odontomachus ruficeps

Holotype worker in. The specimen matches the description very well but Smith merely gives “Australia” as the type-locality, whereas the specimen has, “O. ruficeps Sm. Type,” and “New Holl, 44/4.” Acc. Reg.: “1844 no. 4 New Holland n. and nw. coast. Presented by Haslar Hospital. Collected by Bynoe esq. Surgeoan R.N.”

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Andersen A. N., J. C. Z. Woinarski, and B. Hoffman. 2004. Biogeography of the ant fauna of the Tiwi Islands, in northern Australia's moonsoonal tropics. Australian Journal of Zoology 52: 97-110.
 * Andersen A. N., and A. D. Patel. 1994. Meat ants as dominant members of Australian ant communities: an experimental test of their influence on the foraging success and forager abundance of other species. Oecologia 98: 15-24.
 * Andersen A. N., and A. H. Burbidge. 1991.  The ants of a vine thicket near Broome: a comparison with the northwest Kimberley. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia. 73: 79-82.
 * Andersen, Alan N., John C.Z. Woinarski and Ben D. Hoffman. 2004. Biogeography of the ant fauna of the Tiwi Islands, in northern Australia's monsoonal tropics. Australian Journal of Zoology 52: 97-110.
 * Bluthgen N., G. Gebauer, and K. Fiedler. 2003. Disentangling a rainforest food web using stable isotopes: dietary diversity in a species-rich ant community. Oecologia 137: 426-435.
 * Brown W. L., Jr. 1976. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. Part VI. Ponerinae, tribe Ponerini, subtribe Odontomachiti. Section A. Introduction, subtribal characters. Genus Odontomachus. Stud. Entomol. 19: 67-171.
 * Donisthorpe, Horace. 1943. The Ants of Waigeu Island, North Dutch New Guinea. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History 11 (10): 433-475.
 * Emery C. 1911. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125.
 * Forel A. 1893. Nouvelles fourmis d'Australie et des Canaries. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 37: 454-466.
 * Heterick B. E., B. Durrant, and N. R. Gunawardene. 2010. The ant fauna of the Pilbara Bioregion, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 78: 157-167.
 * Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.