Dolichoderus clusor

Dolichoderus clusor has been collected in Banksia woodlands (Heterick, 2009) and dry sclerophyll where it forages on tree trunks. It is currently known from two widely disjunct populations, one near Perth, Western Australia and the other in the general vicinity of Adelaide, South Australia.

Identification
Sculpturing on head consisting of large, shallow to moderately deep fovea; dorsum of pronotum essentially smooth and shiny, the sculpturing at most very fine; pronotum and propodeum lacking spines; posterior face of propodeum separated from the dorsal face by a distinct carina, posterior face deeply concave; pubescence on first gastral tergite abundant, the individual hairs overlapping.

This species most closely resembles Dolichoderus scrobiculatus and Dolichoderus turneri; however the smooth sculpturing and shiny surface of the pronotum will distinguish D. clusor from both of these. Additionally, D. clusor is currently only known from South Australia and Western Australia while D. scrobiculatus and D. turneri occur in northeastern New South Wales and Queensland.

Identification Keys including this Taxon

 * Key to Australian Dolichoderus Species

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Biology
Wheeler (1934), Rottnest Island: Numerous workers taken by Dr. Darlington, Dr. Dixson and myself near Government House (X.22.'31) and at Longreach Bay (X.24.'31). In the former locality they were nesting in a mass of dead, compressed grass under a stone.

Nomenclature

 *  clusor. Dolichoderus clusor Forel, 1907h: 285 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in D. (Hypoclinea): Emery, 1913a: 12. See also: Clark, 1930b: 262.

Worker
Clark (1930) - Brownish-red. Head, except the clypeus, darker; mandibles and legs more yellowish-red, gaster black.

Subopaque, gaster shining. Head punctate-reticulate, the punctures large, shallow and scattered. Pronotum finely reticulate, with large shallow punctures. Mesonotum more coarsely punctate-reticulate. Epinotum finely rugose. Gaster microscopically reticulate.

Hair yellow, long and erect, abundant throughout, shorter and suberect on the antennae and legs.

Head longer than broad, the occipital border short and straight, the sides and angles strongly convex. Frontal carinae diverging slightly behind, as long as their distance apart. Clypeus convex above, the anterior border convex, with a distinct concave excision in the middle. Eyes large and convex, placed at the middle of the sides. Scapes extending beyond the occipital border by one-third of their length; first segment of the funiculus one-fourth longer than the second, third slightly shorter than the second. Mandibles smooth, with shallow scattered punctures, the masticatory with feeble denticles; the terminal border with ten to twelve sharp teeth. Thorax one and three-quarter times longer than broad, convex in front and on the sides, the angles bluntly rounded; flattened or feebly concave above. Mesonotum convex above. Epinotum one-third longer than broad, convex laterally, the posterior border convex; in profile strongly convex above, very slightly overhanging the declivity, the latter concave, margined on the sides and above. Node three times broader than long, feebly concave in front, convex behind and above. Gaster longer than broad, concave in front below. Legs robust.

Shattuck and Marsden (2013) - Pilosity on first gastral tergite varying from fairly thin to quite abundant and thick. Otherwise all specimens similar.

Measurements (n=5). CI 83–88; EI 29–35; EL 0.26–0.29; HL 0.94–1.04; HW 0.78–0.91; ML 1.25–1.46; MTL 0.69–0.75; PronI 63.77–68.87; PronW 0.53–0.63; SI 108–118; SL 0.89–1.00.

There is some variation in the abundance of pilosity on the first gastral tergite, which varies from fairly thin to quite abundant and thick. In general South Australian material is hairier than specimens found in Western Australia. However, this variation is continuous and shows a geographic pattern, suggesting that it is intraspecific rather than interspecific.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Clark J. 1930. The Australian ants of the genus Dolichoderus (Formicidae). Sugenus Hypoclinea Mayr. Australian Zoologist 6: 252-268.
 * Heterick B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of south-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 76: 1-206.
 * Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.