Aenictus

Shattuck, S. O., 2008, Review of the ant genus Aenictus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Australia with notes on A. ceylonicus (Mayr)., Zootaxa 1926, pp. 1-19 : 3-4

publication ID

22170

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6234903

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7151B81A-EE73-4DED-E31B-3476E32C5ABF

treatment provided by

Christiana

scientific name

Aenictus
status

 

Aenictus View in CoL   HNS Shuckard, 1840

Aenictus   HNS Shuckard, 1840: 266.

Typhlatta   HNS Smith, 1857: 79 (synonym of Aenictus   HNS by Forel, 1890: ciii; removed from synonymy as subgenus of Aenictus   HNS by Wheeler,1930: 198; synonym of Aenictus   HNS by Wilson, 1964: 444).

Type species. Aenictus   HNS : Aenictus ambiguus Shuckard   HNS , 1860, by original designation. Typhlatta   HNS : Typhlatta laeviceps Smith   HNS , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Workers of Aenictus   HNS may be separated from other Australian ants by their moderately small size (less than about 4 mm), lack of eyes, long slender bodies and long legs. They are superficially similar to some myrmicines but differ in lacking the frontal lobes and in having the antennal sockets completely visible when viewed from the front (myrmicines have frontal lobes that are expanded towards the sides of the head and partly cover the antennal sockets). Some of the smaller, paler species are also similar to Leptanilla   HNS workers, but differ in being larger and only ten segments in the antennae rather than 12, and lacking a flexible promesonotal suture.

Males of Aenictus   HNS can be separated from those of other Australian ants by the exposed antennal sockets and lack of a postpetiole (the gaster is smooth and lacks a constriction between the first and second segments).

Key to Species of Australian Aenictus   HNS based on workers

1. A ridge (parafrontal ridge) present on the front of the head starting between the antennal and mandibular insertions and extending posteriorly; head capsule varying from smooth posteriorly and weakly punctate between the frontal carinae and above the mandibular insertions to completely punctuate ...................... 2

- Area between antennal and mandibular insertions smooth or at most slightly angular but never ridged (parafrontal ridge absent); head capsule entirely smooth ........................................................................... 4

2. Pronotum with large smooth areas dorsally and laterally, other areas micro-reticulate............. philiporum   HNS

- Pronotum entirely sculptured with dense micro-reticulations ....................................................................3

3. Scape relatively long (SI> 107)...................................................................................................... nesiotis

Scape relatively short (SI <103)........................................................................................................ aratus   HNS

4. Head with large pale patches near the posterolateral corners; subpetiolar process generally absent but sometimes present as a slight carina................................................................................................. diclops   HNS

- Head essentially uniform in colour; subpetiolar process large and rectangular .........................................5

5. Scape relatively long (SI> 89)........................................................................................................ prolixus   HNS

Scape relatively short (SI <91) .................................................................................................................. 6

6. Body larger (HW> 0.62mm); sculpturing on pronotum extending posteriorly onto the main pronotal body .......................................................................................................................................................... acerbus   HNS

- Body smaller (HW <0.62mm); sculpturing on pronotum limited to the anterior sections around the collar, the main body of pronotum smooth................................................................................................. turneri   HNS

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

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