Aphaenogaster tokarainsulana

Foraging workers turn their gasters downwards. This species is found from coastal to inland regions in woodland or its margins. It nests in the soil, under stones or in rotting wood.

Identification
Total length of workers around 3 - 5.5 mm. Head and mesosoma dark reddish brown; mandibles, petiole, postpetiole and legs lighter; gaster often darker; scapes gradually lightening in color toward their apices; funiculi light reddish brown. Scapes, mesosoma and legs relatively rather short compared to other Japanese Aphaenogaster species. Head covered with striae and punctures; longitudinal striae on frontal area not reaching occipital carina; posterior portion of head dull, with irregular striation and punctures. Pronotal humeri angulate. Mesonotum distinctly raised, often higher than pronotum, covered with striae and punctures. Mesopleura dull, covered with minute, dense punctures and parallel striae. (Japanese Ant Image Database)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China, Japan.

Biology
Chromosome number 2n=34.

Nomenclature

 *  tokarainsulana. Aphaenogaster tokarainsulana Watanabe & Yamane, 1999: 729, fig. 12 (w.q.m.) JAPAN.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fukumoto S., R. Satria, T. Maeda, and S. Yamane. 2014. Ant fauna of Gaja-jima, Tokara Islands, southwestern Japan. Nature of Kagoshima 40: 127131.
 * Harada Y., D. Fukukura, R. Kurisu, and S. Yamane. 2013. Ants of Ports, monitoring of alien ant species. Bull. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan 68: 29-40.
 * Harada Y., M. Enomoto, N. Nishimata, and K. Nishimuta. 2014. Ants of the Tokara Islands, northern Ryukyus, Japan. Nature of Kagoshima 40: 111121.
 * Katayama M., T. Hosoya, and W. Toki. 2013: First survey of ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on the uninhabitedGaja-jima Island, theRyukyu archipelago, Japan.Entomol. Fennica 24: 216222.
 * Pan Y.S. 2007. Systematic Study on the Ant Genera Pheidole Westwood and Aphaenogaster Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formincidae : Myrmicinae) In China. Guangxi Normal University, Guangxi, China. 73 pages.
 * Terayama M., S. Kubota, and K. Eguchi. 2014. Encyclopedia of Japanese ants. Asakura Shoten: Tokyo, 278 pp.
 * Watanabe H., and S. Yamane. 1999. New species and new status in the genus Aphaenogaster (Formicidae) from Japan. Pp. 728-736 in: Yamane, S.; Ikudome, S.; Terayama, M. 1999. Identification guide to the Aculeata of the Nansei Islands, Japan. Sapporo: Hokkaido University Press, xii + 831 pp.
 * Yamane S., S. Ikudome, and M. Terayama. 1999. Identification guide to the Aculeata of the Nansei Islands, Japan. Sapporo: Hokkaido University Press, xii + 831 pp. pp, 138-317.
 * Yamane S., Y. Harada, and K. Eguchi. 2013. Classification and ecology of ants. Natural history of ants in Southern Kyushu. 200 pages
 * Yamane S., and S. Ikudome. 2008. Ants, wasps and bees of Kuro-shima Northern Ryukyus, Japan (Hymenoptera, Aculeata). Bull. Inst. Minami-Kyushu Reg. Sci. (Kagoshima Women's Jr. Coll.) 24: 1-9.
 * Yamane S.; Ikudome, S.; Terayama, M. 1999. Identification guide to the Aculeata of the Nansei Islands, Japan. Sapporo: Hokkaido University Press, xii + 831 pp. pp138-317.