Anochetus alae

This rare species has been collected only a single time, a nest found by Phil Ward under a stone in a gully rainforest.

Identification
Propodeal angles produced as spines; sculpture on front of head extending only slightly beyond eyes; body large (head length > 1.78mm, head width > 1.53mm); scapes relatively long (scape length > 1.60mm); mesonotum with a few transverse, irregular ridges.

This species is larger than the similar Anochetus veronicae, and differs in having well developed sculpturing on the mesosoma, a more convex anterior petiolar node face and more abundant pubescence on the scapes.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  alae. Anochetus alae Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012: 6, figs. 3-4 (w.) AUSTRALIA.

Description
Worker description. Body large (HL > 1.78mm, HW > 1.53mm). Sculpturing on front of head extending slightly beyond eyes. Scapes surpassing posterolateral corners ('lobes') of head; with abundant, appressed pubescence and numerous erect hairs. Pronotum with smooth and shining dorsal surface, distinctly striate laterally. Anterior part of pronotum with transverse wrinkles and ridges. Mesonotum sculptured with a few transverse, irregular striations. Propodeum with angles produced as long spines. Propodeum rounded dorsally, with coarse transverse striations and erect hairs. Metapleuron mostly smooth and shining. Petiolar node with apical margin concave medially and lateral corners produced as spines. Erect hairs on hind tibiae present on all surfaces. Colour light brown, head, antennae, mandibles yellow-brown and legs yellow.

Measurements. Worker (n = 5): CI 86–87; EI 20–22; EL 0.30–0.35; HL 1.79–1.81; HW 1.54–1.58; HFL 1.89–1.92; ML 2.18–2.32; MandL 1.05–1.12; MTL 1.26–1.35; PronI 55–58; PronW 0.85–0.89; SL 1.61–1.66; SI 104–106.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Shattuck S. O., and E. Slipinska. 2012. Revision of the Australian species of the ant genus Anochetus (Hymeoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3426: 1-28.