Chelaner legulus

Chelaner legulus is known only from southern Western Australia, but may occur elsewhere. I have found this species at Comet Hill trailing on the ground and up and down tree trunks. Several workers were carrying small seeds, which have been identified as Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus (Prof. W. T. Clifford, personal communication). Two of these seeds are pinned with the holotype. (Heterick 2001)

Identification
Heterick (2001) - A member of the rubriceps group. This species is superficially similar to Chelaner bihamatum, with which it occurs sympatrically, but differs consistently in colour and sculpture.

Heterick (2009) - Chelaner bihamatum and Chelaner legulus are very similar red species. The latter is distinguished chiefly by a darker band on the mesosoma.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  legulum. Monomorium legulus Heterick, 2001: 430, figs. 43, 198, 199 (w.) AUSTRALIA.
 * Combination in Chelaner: Sparks et al., 2019: 233.

Worker
Holotype. HML 3.28; HL 1.07; HW 0.99; CeI 92; SL 0.87; SI 88; PW 0.74. Others. HML 2.86-3.95; HL 0.99-1.34; HW 0.82-1.21; CeI 86-100; SL 0.65-0.96; SI 79-93; PW 0.56-0.89 (20 measured).

As for the worker of Chelaner longiceps, but with the following apomorphies.

Head. Frons of head capsule longitudinally striate with combination of incurved decumbent and subdecumbent setulae and erect and suberect setae. (Viewed from front) compound eyes set at midpoint of each side of head capsule; eye large, eye width greater than 1.5x greatest width of antenna! scape. Anteromedial clypeal margin emarginate, median clypeal carinae produced apically as pair of pronounced teeth. Frontal lobes parallel straight. Venter of head capsule with elongate, basket-shaped setae in at least some individuals. Mandibles (viewed from front) triangular and smooth, with piliferous punctures.

Alitrunk. Mesonotal suture absent. Metanotal groove present as feebly impressed furrow between promesonotum and propodeum. Propodeal processes absent (propodeum smoothly rounded in profile or with slight hump at propodeal angle. Propodeal angle absent.

Petiole and postpetiole. Petiolar spiracle lateral and in anterior sector of petiolar node. Petiolar node cuboidal. Height ratio of petiole to postpetiole near 1: 1. Sculpture present in form of microreticulation.

General characters. Colour of head and anterior promesonotum red, or reddish-orange, posterior promesonotum, propodeum, petiole and post- petiole same, heavily infuscated with black, gaster orange, legs brown, variously infuscated, antenna red. Worker caste monomorphic.

Type Material
Holotype. Worker, Western Australia, Comet Hill, 15.ix.1988, B. E. Heterick, tree-trunk, litter/soil, native veg., rural environ., 432/6MonBH 34. Paratypes. Western Australia: 1 worker, 26 miles NW of Randells, 27.x.1947, T. Greaves, Chelaner (ANIC); 3 workers, Salmon Gums, 70 miles N of Esperance, 7.i.1970, B. B. Lowery, dry sclerophyll, 6 pm, on shrubs and in litter, Chelaner ; 3 workers, Salmon Gums, 7.i.1970, B. B. Lowery, Chelaner.



Etymology
Latin: “collector” [i.e., of small seeds].