Anochetus avius

The limited material currently available of this north-western Australian species was collected in traps in dry sclerophyll woodlands.

Identification
Entire body smooth and shining except for sculpturing between frontal carinae and scattered very weak striations on propodeal dorsum; eyes small (eye length < 0.25mm). This species is similar to Anochetus armstrongi in lacking essentially all significant sculpturing other than on the front of the head. It can be separated from A. armstrongi, and the otherwise similar Anochetus renatae, by its smaller eye size (eye length < 0.25mm vs. > 0.30mm) and shorter scapes (scape length < 1.00mm vs. > 1.05mm) and legs (mid-tibial length < 0.80mm vs. > 0.85mm, hind femur length < 1.10mm vs. > 1.18mm). Anochetus avius is also allopatric to both of these species, being the only one of these found in northern Western Australia.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 * . Anochetus avius Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012: 8, figs. 6, 7 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 3 paratype workers.
 * Type-locality: holotype Australia: Western Australia, Walsh Point, Admiralty Gulf,, 14°34’S, 125°51’E, 16.v.1983 (J. Balderson); paratypes: 1 worker with same data, 1 worker Western Australia, Carson Escarpment, Kimberley region, 14°51’S, 126°49’E, vi.1986 (J.D. Majer), 1 worker Western Australia, Lone Dingo, Mitchell Plateau, 14°35’S, 125°45’E, 9-19.v.1983 (I.D. Naumann & J.C. Cardale).
 * Type-depository: ANIC.
 * Distribution: Australia.

Taxonomic Notes
This species is superficially similar to A. armstrongi and Brown (1978) considered specimens placed here as belonging to that taxon. However, as conceived by Shattuck & Slipinska (2012) this species is consistently smaller than A. armstrongi as defined here. Additionally, these two species show distinct geographic and ecological patterns with A. avius being restricted to extreme northern Western Australia and A. armstrongi occurring broadly across south-eastern Australia, the habitats in these regions showing numerous ecological differences with essentially no overlap. Given this it seems appropriate to consider these as two distinct taxa rather than simply forms of a single variable taxon.

Description
Worker description. Sculpturing on front of head extending slightly beyond eyes. Scapes not reaching posterolateral corners ('lobes') of head; erect hairs present but scattered. Mesosoma smooth and shining, sculpturing limited to weak rugae or striations near the metanotal groove and on propodeal dorsum. Propodeal angles rounded. Petiolar node robust with thick truncate apex, lacking sculpture. Erect hairs on hind tibiae absent except for a few near the spurs. Colour yellow-brown to brown, head and legs slightly lighter in colour.

Measurements. Worker (n = 4): CI 88–92; EI 19–20; EL 0.17–0.22; HL 1.04–1.23; HW 0.91–1.10; HFL 0.86–1.07; ML 1.30–1.60; MandL 0.54–0.66; MTL 0.62–0.75; PronI 58–61; PronW 0.55–0.66; SL 0.83–0.98; SI 88–91.

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.