Dolichoderus modiglianii

Believed to be a herdsmen species, little is known about the biology of .

Identification
Dill (2002) - A member of the Dolichoderus cuspidatus species group. Regarding its body shape, coloration, and fine sculpturing, modiglianii is very close to Dolichoderus feae. It differs, however, in the areolate sculpturing of the lateral portions of the head and the mesopleuron, the more distinctly overhanging propodeum, the higher mesonotum hump, and the distinct shape of the petiole scale. Yet, particularly the feae series from Southern Thailand show clinal transitions in the areolate sculpturing of the head. Although a definitive statement on the species status is particularly difficult due to the small amount of material available and also the geographical di stance of the allopatric feae and modiglianii, on the basis of the examined material it appears justifiable retain the species status for modiglianlii.

Distribution
Mentawei Islands: Sipora.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia.

Nomenclature

 *  modiglianii. Dolichoderus modiglianii Emery, 1900d: 693, fig. 9 (w.) INDONESIA (Mentawei I.). Combination in D. (Hypoclinea): Emery, 1913a: 14. Senior synonym of rubescens: Dill, 2002: 47.
 * rubescens. Dolichoderus modiglianii var. rubescens Emery, 1900d: 693 (w.) INDONESIA (Mentawei I.). Combination in D. (Hypoclinea): Emery, 1913a: 14. Junior synonym of modiglianii: Dill, 2002: 47.

Worker
Dill (2002) - Lectotype in brackets: HL 1.24-1.49 [1.35]; HW 1.12-1.39 [1.25]; EL 0.27-0.31; SL 1.18-1.33 [1.25]; AL 1.72-2.13 [1.97]; PnW 0.82-0.94 [0.86]; ML 0.55-0.65; MW 0.36-0.43; PpL 0.71-0.90 [0.82]; PpW 0.61-0.69 [0.61]; PpH 0.69-0.82 [0.76]; PpSW 0.30-0.45 [0.35]; PtW 0.43-0.49 [0.43]; TL 4.76-5.89 [5.69]. Indices: CI 89-96 [93]; OI 22-25; SI 92-112 [100]; MI 145-160; PpSPpI 50-70 [58]; (n = 11).

Head: Yellow-brown, reel-brown, castaneous to black (lectotype). Entire head finely and densely punctate (= micro-imbricate); in addition to this fine sculpturing, particularly on the lateral port ions of the head, areolate-rugose, i.e. a net- like structure of irregular and shallow pits; vertex only finely wrinkled; matt; pubescent, void of erect hairs. Head somewhat longer than wide, suboval, sides rounded, occipital margin emarginate, without superoccipital pit.

Alitrunk: Yellow-brown, red-brown, castaneous to black (lectotype); legs reddish, yellow, or brown. Finely pubescent; erect hairs scarce and restricted to ventral face and coxae; finely punctate or reticulate (= micro-imbricate), partly (mesonotum, mesopleuron, propodeum) somewhat coarser reticulate or areolate-rugose, wrinkles on mesopleuron not ± parallel. Hump of mesonotum in profile ± flat and evenly rounded, with median depression; processes at anterior margin of mesopleuron either completely lacking or weakly developed; propodeum high rising, distinctly overtopping the mesonotum; posterior margin of ascending face of propodeum very sharp, distinctly overhanging the concavely curved declivity (fig. III- 12b); declivity of propodeum ± smooth und shining.

Petiole: Finely (micro-imbricate) reticulate-punctate and pubescent. Apical margin of scale usually slightly emarginate, the lateral corners somewhat expanded to tips, in profile tapering off towards the top.

Gaster: Basal portions of tergites yellow or yellow-brown, rest medium-brown. Very finely reticulate, with fine, light -grey, ± dense pubescence that dorsally merges in a median line; erect hairs only on ventral face and tip of gaster.

Type Material
Dill (2002) - Syntype workers, Mentawei, Sipora, Sereinu (E. Modigliani) [examined]; Mentawei, Sipora, Si Oban (E. modigliani)  [examined]. One syntype here designated as Lectotype (MCSN).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Dill M. 2002. Taxonomy of the migrating herdsmen species of the genus Dolichoderus Lund, 1831, with remarks on the systematics of other southeast-Asian Dolichoderus. Pp. 17-113 in: Dill, M.; Williams, D. J.; Maschwitz, U. 2002. Herdsmen ants and their mealybug partners. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft 557: 1-373.
 * Emery C. 1913. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Dolichoderinae. Genera Insectorum 137: 1-50.
 * Emery, C.. "Formiche raccolte da Elio Modigliani in Sumatra, Engano e Mentawei." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 20, no. 40 (1900): 661-722.
 * Shattuck S. O. 1994. Taxonomic catalog of the ant subfamilies Aneuretinae and Dolichoderinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 112: i-xix, 1-241.