Odontomachus simillimus

Found in clearings and secondary growth throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Distribution
This taxon was described from Fiji Is. It is also found in Mozambique, New Caledonia, Philippines, New Guinea, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Guam, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Micronesia (Federated States of), Northern Mariana Islands, Wallis and Futuna Islands, Borneo and Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  simillimus. Odontomachus simillimus Smith, F. 1858b: 80, pl. 5, figs. 8, 9 (q.) FIJI IS. Mayr, 1867a: 79 (w.); Karavaiev, 1925c: 294 (m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1980: 530 (l.); Imai, Brown, et al. 1984: 67 (k.); Tjan, Imai, et al. 1986: 57 (k.). Junior synonym of haematodus: Roger, 1861a: 24; Mayr, 1865: 64; Emery, 1911d: 114. Revived from synonymy: Wilson, 1959a: 499; Brown, 1976a: 106. Senior synonym of fuscipennis: Wilson, 1959a: 499; of breviceps, pallidicornis: Brown, 1976a: 106. See also: Brown, 1976a: 165; Fisher & Smith, 2008: 15; Sorger & Zettel, 2011: 158.
 * pallidicornis. Ponera pallidicornis Smith, F. 1860a: 73 (m.) INDONESIA (Sulawesi). Combination in Euponera (Brachyponera): Donisthorpe, 1932c: 458; in Odontomachus: Brown, 1976a: 106. Junior synonym of simillimus: Brown, 1976a: 106.
 * fuscipennis. Odontomachus haematodes var. fuscipennis Forel, 1913k: 19 (w.q.m.) SRI LANKA. Junior synonym of simillimus: Wilson, 1959a: 499.
 * breviceps. Odontomachus haematoda var. breviceps Crawley, 1915b: 239 (w.) CHRISTMAS I. Junior synonym of simillimus: Brown, 1976a: 106.

Type Material


Ponera pallidicornis

Holotype male in. Labelled “Mak” (= Makassar, Sulawesi) and with a Donisthorpe type-label.



Type-localities are give as Fiji, and secondarily Ceylon (= Sri Lanka). As far as can be ascertained, all the types were queens. I can find no trace of any Smith material from these localities at, where the only specimen present in Smith’s collection is a dealate queen from Waigeo I., New Guinea.

In there is a single, damaged queen from Ceylon which may be one of the original type-series, labelled “Ceylon. 50/56,” and also with a “Farren White” label. Acc. Reg.: “1850 no. 56 (June 17) Ceylon. Presented by Dr Joseph Hooker FRS.” In addition, has a single, headless, alate queen from Fiji, without further data, that may be one of the original specimens.

Worker
Fisher and Smith (2008) - Measurements: maximum and minimum based on n = 10 from Madagascar: HL 2.33–2.63, HW (across vertex) 1.64–2.03, HW (across upper eye margin) 1.77–2.06, CI 75–81, EL 0.20–0.23, ML 1.14–1.28, MI 48–51, SL 2.16–2.43, SI 109–123, WL 2.62–3.06. FL 2.29–2.56, PW 1.02–1.24.

Workers and males are very similar in morphology and size to Odontomachus troglodytes. Bivariate plots of metric measurements did not distinguish the two species. Workers and queen have fine, glossy dorsal striation on head and mesosoma. Metasternal process low and rounded. Metasternal process can be viewed in mounted specimens by removing a hind leg and coxa. Brown (1976) provides a description and additional references.

Queen
Fisher and Smith (2008) - Measurements: maximum and minimum based on n = 5 from Madagascar: HL 2.37–2.55, HW (across vertex) 1.79–2.03, HW (across upper eye margin) 1.87–2.13, CI 79–84, EL 0.49–0.53, ML 1.17–1.30, MI 49–52, SL 2.15–2.38, SI 111–118, WL 3.13–3.19. FL 2.36–2.58.

Male
Fisher and Smith (2008) - Measurements: maximum and minimum based on n = 1 from Madagascar: HL 0.89, HW 1.19, CI 133, EL 0.59, SL 0.19, SI 16, WL 2.44. FL 1.73.

Determination Clarifications
Known though most of the literature asO. haematode (Linnaeus) 1758, which is a different species (Fisher and Smith 2008).

Additional References

 * Fisher, B. L. and M. A. Smith. 2008. A Revision of Malagasy Species of Anochetus Mayr and Odontomachus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). PloS one. 3:e1787.