Prolasius scipio

Distribution based on type material
Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  scipio. Melophorus scipio Forel, 1915b: 86 (w.) AUSTRALIA.
 * Combination in Melophorus: Taylor & Brown, 1985: 124;
 * Combination in Prolasius: Wheeler, W.M. 1935c: 71; Heterick, et al. 2017: 412.
 * Status as species: Emery, 1925b: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 124; Bolton, 1995b: 250; Heterick, et al. 2017: 412.

Heterick et al. (2017) - The whereabouts of the sole known specimen were unknown for many years, but investigation has recovered the holotype in SMNH, where it was in a different location to the type material. The Automontage photographs reveal a somewhat puzzling mosaic of characters that do not allow the single worker to be easily placed in either Melophorus or Prolasius. If the taxonomic key to ant genera in Shattuck (1999) is followed, the holotype is also excluded from any other Australian formicine genus. The appearance of the propodeal spiracle, which is circular, is not replicated in any known Melophorus and the ant lacks J-shaped setae on the underside of the head capsule (pers. comm. H. Vardal) and the characteristic psammophore. The type locality– Mt Bellenden Ker, in tropical northern QLD–is also an unlikely site for members of this heat-loving genus. Mt Bellenden Ker receives the highest rainfall of any meteorological station in Australia (http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/ho/010105.shtml). Against easy placement in Prolasius is the rounded anterior margin of the clypeus, the extreme hairiness of the scape and the lack of an ocellar triangle (pers. comm. H. Vardal) usually seen in this genus. However, the ant satisfies the present taxonomic diagnosis for Prolasius, though not Melophorus, so we here provisionally return M. scipio in the genus Prolasius. This agrees with Wheeler’s (1934) decision.

Type Material
Heterick et al. (2017) - Holotype. W, Mt Bellenden Ker, Queensland.