Myrmecia pavida

Identification
Myrmecia arnoldi, Myrmecia pavida and Myrmecia rubripes are all closely related and share a similar range.

Distribution
Heterick (2009) - Southwestern WA to southern SA.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Biology
Chappell et al. (2013): We find little evidence of geographic structuring or inbreeding in the population, indicating that the species outbreeds, most probably in mating swarms. We also find that queens of M. pavida show moderately high polyandry, with 84% having mated with between two and seven males, and an overall mean observed mating frequency of 3.8. This is significantly higher than previously reported for queens of Nothomyrmecia macrops, in which most females mate singly. This was similar to that of Myrmecia pyriformis, Myrmecia brevinoda, and Myrmecia pilosula, the three congenerics for which mating frequencies have recently been reported.

Nomenclature

 * . Myrmecia pavida Clark, 1951: 76, fig. 54 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
 * Type-material: holotype worker, paratype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: holotype Australia: Western Australia, Mt Barker, xi.1947 (T. Greaves); paratypes with same data.
 * Type-depository: ANIC.
 * Status as species: Taylor & Brown, 1985: 14; Taylor, 1987a: 45; Ogata, 1991a: 358; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1637 (in key), 1659; Bolton, 1995b: 272; Heterick, 2009: 121.
 * Senior synonym of atrata: Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1659; Bolton, 1995b: 272.
 * Distribution: Australia.
 * atrata. Myrmecia atrata Clark, 1951: 77, fig. 55 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
 * Type-material: holotype worker, paratype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: holotype Australia: Western Australia, Ravensthorpe, xi.1947 (T. Greaves); paratypes with same data.
 * Type-depository: ANIC.
 * Status as species: Taylor & Brown, 1985: 6; Taylor, 1987a: 41; Ogata, 1991a: 358.
 * Junior synonym of pavida: Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1659; Bolton, 1995b: 270.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Heterick B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of south-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 76: 1-206.
 * Ogata K. and Taylor R.W. 1991. Ants of the genus Myrmecia Fabricius: a preliminary review and key to the named species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmeciinae), Journal of Natural History, 25: 1623-1673