Dolichoderus scrobiculatus (Mayr)

Shattuck, Steven O. & Marsden, Sharon, 2013, Australian species of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 3716 (2), pp. 101-143 : 137

Dolichoderus scrobiculatus (Mayr)

( Fig. 24 )

Hypoclinea scrobiculata Mayr, 1876: 80 .

Types. 7 worker syntypes from Peak Downs [approx. 22°56'S 148°05'E], Queensland (3 in MHNG, 4 in NHMW).

Diagnosis. Pronotum and propodeum lacking spines; posterior face of propodeum strongly concave, separated from the dorsal face by a distinct carina; sculpturing on head consisting of large, shallow to moderately deep fovea; pubescence on first gastral tergite abundant, the individual hairs overlapping; dorsum of pronotum heavily sculptured, the surface dull; gaster similar in colour to body (both dark brown to black).

This species resembles D. clusor and D. turneri . It can be distinguished from D. clusor by the presence of heavy sculpturing on the pronotum and from D. turneri by the similarly coloured gaster and body (both being dark brown to black in D. scrobiculatus while in D. turneri the gaster is lighter in colour than the body).

Worker description. See Fig. 24 . All known specimens closely resemble the figured individual.

Measurements (n=5). CI 94–96; EI 26–28; EL 0.26–0.29; HL 1.04–1.12; HW 0.98–1.07; ML 1.39–1.51; MTL 0.79–0.85; PronI 74.95–80.10; PronW 0.76–0.84; SI 96–100; SL 0.94–1.03.

Material examined. New South Wales: 25km NW Kyogle (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); 4mi. S Woodburn, SW of Ballina (Liepa,Z.) (ANIC); 55km S Grafton (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); 55km SSW Casino (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); 5km SW Urbenville (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); Acacia Plat. (Armstrong,J.) (ANIC); Round Mountain, Cabarita (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); Tabulam (collector unknown) (ANIC); Tabulam, on Clarence R., 36m. W of Lismore (Kearney,E.) (ANIC); Urbenville (Armstrong,J.) (ANIC); Whiporie, 55km S Casino (York,A.) (ANIC); Yarrowyck Mt. (collector unknown) (ANIC); Yarrowyck Mt., New England District? (Frazier,C.W.) (ANIC); Queensland: 1km NW Seaforth (Gillison,A.) (ANIC); 3.5 km SW by S Mt. Baird (Feehan,J.E.) (ANIC); 3.5km SW Seaforth (Gillison,A.) (ANIC); 45km NW Townsville (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); 4km S Mingela (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); 60km N Townsville (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); 6km SSW North Tamborine, Witches Falls National Park (Shattuck,S.O.) (ANIC); Blair Athol Mine (Houston,W.) (ANIC); Bribie Island (collector unknown; Hacker,H.) (ANIC); Cairns (Wheeler) (SAMA); Cairns district (Lea,A.M.) (SAMA); Carnarvon Gorge National Park (Shattuck,S.O.) (ANIC); Cooloola (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); Cooloola, Kabali E (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); Cooloola, Kabali W (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); Cooloola, Mt. Bileuilam [Mt. Bilewilam] (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); Cooloola, Noosa R. (Greenslade,P.J.M.; Greenslade,P.J.M. & Plowman,K.) (ANIC); Cooloola, Warrawonga (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); Cooloola, Wide Bay (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); Goodna (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); Gordonvale (collector unknown; Burns,A.N.) (ANIC); Herberton (collector unknown; Mjoberg) (ANIC); Iron Range (Taylor,R.W. & Feehan,J.) (ANIC); James Cook University Campus, N of Cairns (Shattuck,S.O.) (ANIC); Kuranda (Greaves,T.; Lowery,B.B.; Wheeler) (ANIC); Lorna Vale nr. Marlborough (Kohout,R.J.) (ANIC); Mackay (Turner) (ANIC); Mossman (Geeves,N.) (ANIC); Mt. Coot-tha (Lowery,B.) (ANIC); Mt. Coot-tha, Brisbane (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); Mt. Molloy (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); Mulgrave Forestry Road (Ward,P.S.) (ANIC); nr. Parada (Taylor,R.W. & Feehan,J.; Taylor,R.W. & Feehan,J.E.) (ANIC); Paluma (Gray,M.) (ANIC); Penrith Island, Great Barrier Reef (Heatwole,H.) (ANIC); Perigian Beach (Kohout,R.J.) (ANIC); Rocky Islet, Great Barrier Reef (Heatwole,H.) (ANIC); Sanford, Brisbane (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); SF 958 Bauple (House,A.P.N. & Vanderwoude,C.) (ANIC); Shiptons Flat (Feehan,J.E.) (ANIC); W Burleigh [Burleigh Heads] (Liepa,Z.) (ANIC); Wacol, Brisbane (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); Yarrabah Mission nr. Cairns (Taylor,R.W.) (ANIC); Victoria: Swan Hill (collector unknown; Taylor,F.H.) (ANIC).

Comments. Dolichoderus scrobiculatus is the only species of the genus common in the Australian wet tropics, being found from Cape York Peninsula south to north-eastern New South Wales. It occurs in savannah woodlands to rainforests and nests in tussocks and under rocks. Workers commonly forage on low vegetation. The two southern outlier records, from southern New South Wales and Victoria, were made many years ago and now collections have been made since. The status of this species in these areas seems doubtful.

Figures

FIGURE 24. Dolichoderus scrobiculatus, worker from Perigian Beach, Queensland (ANIC 32 - 061238). A. Front of head; B. Side of body; C. Top of body; D. Distribution of material examined.