Technomyrmex difficilis Forel, 1892

Yamane, Seiki, Leong, Chi-Man & Lin, Chung-Chi, 2018, Taiwanese species of the ant genus Technomyrmex (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae), Zootaxa 4410 (1), pp. 35-56 : 47

Technomyrmex difficilis Forel, 1892

( FIg. 10 )

Worker diagnosis. MEASREMENTS (N=1). TL CA. 2.5. HW 0.54, HL 0.60, SL 0.56, CI 90, SI 104. WITH HEAD IN PROFILE, EYE LOCATED IN FRONT OF MIDLENgTH OF HEAD ( FIg. 10A ). MANDIbLE WITHOUT LONgITUDINAL gROOVE. DORSUM OF HEAD bEHIND LEVEL OF POSTERIOR MARgIN OF EYE WITH A PAIR OF STANDINg HAIRS ( FIg. 1G ). BODY ALMOST ENTIRELY bLACK, EXCEPT FOR TARSI OF LEgS AND ANTENNAL FLAgELLUM YELLOWISH bROWN.

Distribution. AUSTRALIA, NEW GUINEA, PHILIPPINES, MICRONESIA, MARIANA IS., LESSER SUNDA IS., BORNEO, SINgAPORE, MALAY PEN., THAILAND, INDO-CHINA, TAIWAN (NEW RECORD), MADAgASCAR, USA (FLORIDA), AND PUERTO RICO.

Specimens examined. TAITUNg COUNTY: 1 WORKER, LANYU IS., 22.080°N, 121.5136°E, 20.VII.2013, T. H. WU (OTFA17) (NMNS).

Remarks. THIS IS A FAMOUS TRAMP ANT SPREADINg OVER WARMER REgIONS OF THE WORLD, EXCEPT FOR THE AFRICAN CONTINENT ( BOLTON, 2007). IN TAIWAN ONLY ONE WORKER SPECIMEN WAS COLLECTED FROM LANYU (ORCHID) ISLAND. NOTHINg IS KNOWN AbOUT THE NESTINg bIOLOgY OF THIS SPECIES IN TAIWAN.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Technomyrmex workers. Clypeus: A, T. formosensis sp. nov. (YLL12) & B, T. brunneus (LCM00042). Habitus (profile): C, T. formosensis sp. nov. (YLL12) & D, T. horni (LCM00066). Mandible: E, T. brunneus (LCM00042) & F, T. albipes (LCM00068). VerteX:G, T.difficilis (LCM00067) & H, T.albpes (LCM00068).

FIGURE10. Technomyrmex difficilis worker (LCM00067). A, habitus in profile, B, ditto in dorsal view &C, head in full-face view.