Anochetus avius, Shattuck, Steven O. & Slipinska, Ewa, 2012

Shattuck, Steven O. & Slipinska, Ewa, 2012, Revision of the Australian species of the ant genus Anochetus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 3426, pp. 1-28 : 8-11

Anochetus avius n. sp.

( Figs 6 , 7 )

Types. Holotype worker from Walsh Point , Admiralty Gulf , Western Australia, 14°34'S 125°51'E, 16 May 1983, J. Balderson ( ANIC, ANIC32-044213 ); one paratype worker, same data as holotype ( ANIC, ANIC32 -059557); one paratype worker from Carson Escarpment, Kimberley region, Western Australia, 14°51'S 126°49'E, June 1986, J.D. Majer ( ANIC, ANIC32 -015884); one worker paratype from Lone Dingo, Mitchell Plateau, Western Australia, 14°35'S 125°45'E, 9–19 May 1983, I.D. Naumann & J.C. Cardale ( ANIC, ANIC32 -016070).

Diagnosis. Entire body smooth and shining except for sculpturing between frontal carinae and scattered very weak striations on propodeal dorsum; eyes small (EL <0.25mm). This species is similar to A. 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 A. renatae , by its smaller eye size (EL <0.25mm vs.> 0.30mm) and shorter scapes (SL <1.00mm vs.> 1.05mm) and legs (MTL <0.80mm vs.> 0.85mm, HFL <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.

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.

Comments. This species is superficially similar to A. armstrongi and Brown (1978) considered specimens placed here as belonging to that taxon. However, as conceived in this study 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.

The limited material currently available was collected in traps in dry sclerophyll woodlands.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Anochetus avius (Walsh Point, Admiralty Gulf, Western Australia, holotype, ANIC 32 - 044213): A. Front of head; B. Side of body; C. Top of body; D. Distribution of material examined.

FIGURE 7. A. Eye length versus head width for A. armstrongi, A. avius, A. renatae and A. veronicae; B. Scape length versus head width for A. armstrongi, A. avius, A. renatae and A. veronicae.