Lioponera longitarsus

Lioponera longitarsus was originally described from India and subsequently recorded from UAE (Collingwood et al., 2011); Egypt (Sharaf, 2006); Philippines, North Australia, and Taiwan (Terayama et al., 1988). At Rawdhat Khorim, Saudi Arabia, this species is considered rare, with only four specimens. All are alate males, three attracted to a light trap and one collected by a pitfall trap. They were collected in April, October and November (Sharaf et al., 2013).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates. Australasian Region: Australia. Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea, Philippines. Oriental Region: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. Palaearctic Region: China, Egypt, Israel.

Biology
Heterick (2009) - The existence of this ant in Perth (WA) is interesting, given its tropical distribution elsewhere in Australia and overseas (south and south-east Asia). The species doubtless occurs as a tramp here: I have never seen specimens from outside of the Perth metropolitan area, and it is the only Dorylinae that can be found in built-up suburbs in Perth. Brown (1975) speculated that since it is a hollow twig dweller, L. longitarsus could have been transported across water in floating branches. However, the workers I have seen have all been found crawling on paths or grass.

Nomenclature

 * . Lioponera longitarsus Mayr, 1879: 667 (w.q.) INDIA (West Bengal).
 * Type-material: 2 syntype workers, 1 syntype queen.
 * Type-locality: India: Calcutta (= Kolkata) (Rothney).
 * Type-depositories: BMNH, MHNW.
 * Forel, 1900d: 329 (m.).
 * Combination in Cerapachys: Brown, 1975: 23;
 * combination in Lioponera: Borowiec, M.L. 2016: 164.
 * Status as species: Emery, 1887b: 444; Dalla Torre, 1893: 17; Forel, 1895f: 422; Forel, 1900d: 329; Emery, 1902c: 24; Rothney, 1903: 97; Bingham, 1903: 27; Emery, 1911d: 12; Forel, 1913f: 187; Wheeler, W.M. 1929g: 58; Donisthorpe, 1939a: 253; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 21; Brown, 1975: 23, 63; Collingwood, 1985: 237; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 26; Taylor, 1987a: 18; Kugler, J. 1988: 256; Terayama, et al. 1988: 38; Bolton, 1995b: 143; Tang, J., Li, et al. 1995: 26; Wu, J. & Wang, 1995: 48; Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 312; Tiwari, 1999: 33; Mathew & Tiwari, 2000: 269; Lin & Wu, 2003: 60; Jaitrong & Nabhitabhata, 2005: 18; Framenau & Thomas, 2008: 58; Heterick, 2009: 127; Terayama, 2009: 121; Vonshak, et al. 2009: 38; Collingwood, et al. 2011: 408; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 24; Sharaf, Abdel-Dayem, et al. 2013: 570; Bharti & Akbar, 2013a: 83 (in key); Bharti & Wachkoo, 2013d: 1192 (in key); Borowiec, L. 2014: 62; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 22; Chen, Shi & Zhou, 2016: 9 (in key); Rasheed, et al. 2019: 428.
 * Senior synonym of aegyptiacus: Bolton, 1995b: 143.
 * Senior synonym of alfierii: Bolton, 1995b: 143.
 * Senior synonym of australis Forel, 1895f: 422; Brown, 1975: 23; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 26; Taylor, 1987a: 18; Bolton, 1995b: 143.
 * Senior synonym of bicolor: Brown, 1975: 23; Bolton, 1995b: 143.
 * Senior synonym of cooperi: Bolton, 1995b: 143.
 * Senior synonym of pygmaeus: Brown, 1975: 23; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 26; Taylor, 1987a: 18; Bolton, 1995b: 143.
 * Distribution: Australia, China, Christmas I., Egypt, India, Israel, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines (Luzon), Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
 * aegyptiacus. Cerapachys aegyptiacus Brown, 1975: 22.
 * Replacement name for Lioponera cooperi Donisthorpe, 1939a: 255. [Junior secondary homonym of Phyracaces cooperi Arnold, 1915: 18.]
 * Combination in Lioponera: Borowiec, M.L. 2016: 164 (by implication).
 * Junior synonym of longitarsus: Bolton, 1995b: 142.
 * alfierii. Lioponera alfierii Donisthorpe, 1939a: 256 (m.) EGYPT.
 * Type-material: holotype male.
 * Type-locality: Egypt: Wadi Digla, 23.viii.1925 (Alfieri).
 * Type-depository: BMNH.
 * Combination in Cerapachys: Brown, 1975: 22.
 * Status as species: Brown, 1975: 22.
 * Junior synonym of longitarsus: Bolton, 1995b: 142.
 * aranus. Cerapachys aranus Bolton, 1995b: 142.
 * Unnecessary replacement name for Phyracaces emeryi Viehmeyer, 1914b: 26; hence junior synonym of emeryi.
 * australis. Lioponera longitarsus var. australis Forel, 1895f: 422 (w.) AUSTRALIA.
 * Type-material: holotype (?) worker.
 * [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 26, suspect a syntype series.]
 * Type-locality: Australia: Queensland, Mackay (G. Turner).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Subspecies of longitarsus: Emery, 1911d: 12; Donisthorpe, 1939a: 254.
 * Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1918a: 264.
 * Junior synonym of longitarsus: Forel, 1895f: 422; Brown, 1975: 23; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 26; Taylor, 1987a: 18; Bolton, 1995b: 142.
 * bicolor. Lioponera bicolor Wheeler, W.M. & Chapman, 1925: 54, pl. 1, figs. 15, 16 (w.q.m.) PHILIPPINES (Luzon I.).
 * Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens, syntype males (numbers not stated, “several”).
 * Type-locality: Philippines: Luzon, Laguna Prov., Los Baños (Willliams).
 * Type-depository: MCZC.
 * [Unresolved junior secondary homonym of Phyracaces bicolor Clark, 1924b: 77 (Bolton, 1995b: 142).]
 * Status as species: Donisthorpe, 1939a: 255; Baltazar, 1966: 233.
 * Junior synonym of longitarsus: Brown, 1975: 23; Bolton, 1995b: 142.
 * princeps. Phyracaces princeps Clark, 1934b: 24, pl. 2, fig. 4 (w.) AUSTRALIA (South Australia).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Australia: South Australia, NE corner, Minnie Downs (no collector’s name, perhaps J. Clark?).
 * Type-depository: SAMA.
 * Combination in Cerapachys: Brown, 1975: 23.
 * Synonym of clara: Brown, 1975: 23, 65; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 27; Taylor, 1987a: 18; Bolton, 1995b: 144; Heterick, 2009: 127.
 * [Note: all these authors give princeps as senior synonym, but clara has priority. The error arose from Brown’s assumption that clara was a junior homonym, which is not the case.]
 * Distribution: Australia.
 * pygmaeus. Phyracaces pygmaeus Clark, 1934b: 26, pl. 2, fig. 7 (w.) AUSTRALIA.
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Australia: N Queensland, Kuranda (F.P. Dodd).
 * Type-depository: MVMA.
 * Junior synonym of longitarsus: Brown, 1975: 23; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 26; Taylor, 1987a: 18; Bolton, 1995b: 144.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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