Rhytidoponera purpurea

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia. Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia, New Guinea.

Biology
This is the only species in the genus where gamergates (mated reproductive workers) do not occur (Ward 1981b), unlike the closely related Rhytidoponera confusa (Molet et al. 2008)

Nomenclature

 * . Ectatomma impressum var. purpureum Emery, 1887b: 444 (w.q.) NEW GUINEA (Indonesia).
 * Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens (numbers not stated).
 * Type-locality: Indonesia: Irian Jaya, Hatam (O. Beccari).
 * Type-depository: MSNG.
 * Imai, Crozier & Taylor, 1977: 347 (k.).
 * Combination in Ectatomma (Rhytidoponera): Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 24;
 * combination in Rhytidoponera (Chalcoponera): Emery, 1897d: 549.
 * Subspecies of impressa: Dalla Torre, 1893: 24; Emery, 1895g: 348; Emery, 1897d: 549; Emery, 1911d: 39; Viehmeyer, 1914c: 515; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 26.
 * Status as species: Brown, 1954g: 7; Wilson, 1958d: 315; Brown, 1958g: 204; Ward, 1980: 491 (redescription); Taylor & Brown, 1985: 46; Taylor, 1987a: 70; Bolton, 1995b: 380.
 * Senior synonym of splendidum: Brown, 1954g: 7; Ward, 1980: 491; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 47; Taylor, 1987a: 70; Bolton, 1995b: 380.
 * Distribution: Australia, Indonesia (Irian Jaya), Papua New Guinea.
 * splendidum. Ectatomma (Rhytidoponera) impressum var. splendidum Forel, 1910b: 12 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-localities: Australia: Queensland, Kuranda, and Cairns (R. Turner).
 * Type-depositories: MHNG, MSNG.
 * [Unresolved junior primary homonym of Ectatomma (Gnamptogenys) rimulosum var. splendidum Pergande, 1896: 871 (Bolton, 1995b: 380).]
 * Combination in Rhytidoponera (Chalcoponera): Emery, 1911d: 39.
 * Subspecies of impressa: Emery, 1911d: 39.
 * Junior synonym of purpurea: Brown, 1954g: 7; Ward, 1980: 491; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 47; Taylor, 1987a: 70; Bolton, 1995b: 381.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Brown W. L., Jr. 1954. Systematic and other notes on some of the smaller species of the ant genus Rhytidoponera Mayr. Breviora 33: 1-11.
 * Brown W. L., Jr. 1958. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. II. Tribe Ectatommini (Hymenoptera). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 118: 173-362.
 * CSIRO Collection
 * Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
 * Chapman, J.W. and S.R. Capco. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monographs of the Institute of Science and Technology (Manila) 1: 1- 327
 * Emery C. 1887. Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia (continuazione e fine). [concl.]. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. 25(5): 427-473.
 * Emery C. 1895. Descriptions de quelques fourmis nouvelles d'Australie. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 39:345-358.
 * Emery C. 1911. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125.
 * Emery, C. "Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia (continuazione e fine)." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 5, no. 25 (1887): 427-473.
 * Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
 * 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.
 * Taylor R. W., and D. R. Brown. 1985. Formicoidea. Zoological Catalogue of Australia 2: 1-149.
 * Viehmeyer H. 1912. Ameisen aus Deutsch Neuguinea gesammelt von Dr. O. Schlaginhaufen. Nebst einem Verzeichnisse der papuanischen Arten. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Königlichen Zoologischen und Anthropologische-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden 14: 1-26.
 * Viehmeyer H. 1914. Papuanische Ameisen. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 1914: 515-535.
 * Ward P. S. 1980. A systematic revision of the Rhytidoponera impressa group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Australia and New Guinea. Aust. J. Zool. 28: 475-498.
 * Wilson E. O. 1958. Studies on the ant fauna of Melanesia III. Rhytidoponera in western Melanesia and the Moluccas. IV. The tribe Ponerini. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 119: 303-371.
 * Wilson E.O. 1959. Adaptive shift and dispersal in a tropical ant fauna. Evolution 13(1): 122-144.
 * Wilson Edward O. 1959. Adaptive Shift and Dispersal in a Tropical Ant Fauna. Evolution 13(1): 122-144