Meranoplus duyfkeni Forel

Schoedl,, 2007, Revision of Australian Meranoplus: the Meranoplus diversus group., Advances in ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Homage to E. O. Wilson - 50 years of contributions. (Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80), pp. 370-424 : 397-398

publication ID

21287

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6241261

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/614497A2-5B8C-9E5F-67D7-78C093206F93

treatment provided by

Christiana

scientific name

Meranoplus duyfkeni Forel
status

 

Meranoplus duyfkeni Forel View in CoL   HNS , 1915

(Figs. 10, 11, 57, 80, 92)

Meranoplus diversus r. Duyfkeni   HNS [sic] Forel, 1915: 45 ( Kimberley District , Western Australia; worker, gyne) - Taylor & Brown, 1985: 67 (catalogue), Taylor, 1987: 38 (listed), Taylor, 1990: 34 (Raised to species), Bolton, 1995: 251 (catalogue), Shattuck, 1999: 142 (listed). Lectotype worker ( MHNG, here designated), ' Typus [printed on red label] \ Meranoplus diversus Sm. r. Duyfkeni   HNS For. type [handwritten] \ Australien Mjoeberg No 33 [handwritten] \ Coll. A. Forel [printed] '. Fifteen paralectotypes (workers, 1 gyne in MHNG, NHMB, ANIC, MCZC and NHRS.

Remarks: Out of 14 topotypical workers and two gynes, housed in NHRS, only one worker and one gyne are labeled as types. Since it is subsequently impossible to state which of the specimens Forel had before him, only the two specimens labeled as types are here considered to belong to the original syntype series.

WORKERS (n = 8). TL 6.15 - 7.15, HL 1.50 - 1.75, HW 1.75 - 2.05, FC 1.30 - 1.48, CS 1.63 - 1.89, SL 0.90 - 1.03, SI 1 50 - 52, SI 2 53 - 56, PML 1.05 - 1.20, PW 1.32 - 1.53, PMD 1.35 - 1.60, PMI 2 100 - 105, ML 1.45 - 1.65, PTLL 0.36 - 0.45, PTLH 0.58 - 0.70, PTDW 0.49 - 0.63, PPLL 0.38 - 0.45, PPLH 0.51 - 0.70, PPI 60 - 78, PPDW 0.46 - 0.58, PT / PP 95 - 109.

Mandible with four teeth. Clypeus in full face view bluntly bidentate, additionally carinulate, dents not or only weakly surpassing anterolateral corners of frontal carinae. Head wider than long (CI 113 - 119) with the preoccipital corners evenly rounded and the rear margin concave. Frontal carinae posteriorly narrow, anteriorly broadly and translucently narrowing towards clypeus, distinctly narrower than head width (FI 131 - 139). Antennal scrobe in lateral view surpassing middle of length of head posteriorly, finely carinulate in whole length, with additional distinct microreticulum, posteriorly rather well defined from remainder of head. Genae below scrobal margin evenly carinulate to carinate, ventrolateral sides of head carinate to rugose, preoccipital lobes reticulate. Compound eyes moderate in size (EL 0.29 - 0.34, REL 0.19 - 0.20, with 17 - 18 ommatidia in the longest row) in lateral view situated slightly in front of middle of lateral sides of the head, dorsal ocular margin well separated from ventral scrobal margin.

Promesonotum trapezoid, wider than long (PMI 120 - 129), narrowly translucently margined, concealing lateral sides of mesosoma, propodeal declivity visible from above. Propodeal spines of medium length (PSL 0.50 - 0.63) situated above middle of length of declivity, acute and straight and distinctly diverging in dorsal view.

Petiole distinctly higher than long (PTI 59 - 70), in profile triangular with anterior face straight and unsculptured, the posterior face convex to angulately rounded, rugose. Postpetiole nodiform, with large ventral tooth.

First gastral tergite entirely microreticulate, with occasional interspersed glossy spots, basally an indistinct fine striation may be apparent. Dorsum of head costulate to rugose with more or less developed microsculpture, frontal margins irregularly sculptured, with pilosity consisting of decumbent arcuate short and scattered outstanding long hairs. Promesonotal shield coarsely irregularly rugose to rugoreticulate.

Concolorous brown to fuscous.

MATERIALEXAMINED

Northern Territory: Keep River National Park E Kununurra , 15. vii. 1990 (R. P. McMillan) . Western Australia: Derby , vi. 1984 (G. McKenzie), ibid. (W. D. Dodd) ; ' Kimberly R. S. ', iii. 1950 (B. Rudeforth) (19 workers in ANIC, JDMP, MCZC, NHMW, WAMP) .

DISCUSSION

This medium sized species is readily separated from others by the unique translucently flanged promesonotal shield with projections on mesonotal hind margin directed posteriorly. Restricted to north-western Australia.

MHNG

Switzerland, Geneva, Museum d'Histoire Naturelle

NHMB

Switzerland, Basel, Naturhistorisches Museum

ANIC

Australia, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra City, CSIRO, Australian National Insect Collection

MCZC

USA, Massachusetts, Cambridge, Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology

NHRS

Sweden, Stockholm, Naturhistoriska riksmuseet

JDMP

JDMP

NHMW

Austria, Wien, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien

WAMP

Australia, Western Australia, Perth, Western Australian Museum

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Meranoplus

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