family

FORMICIDAE

subfamily

Myrmicinae

genus

Aphaenogaster


ITIS

 

Aphaenogaster gracillima

Hymenoptera On-Line

 

Aphaenogaster gracillima

FORMIS

 

Aphaenogaster gracillima



species

Aphaenogaster gracillima


Japanese Name

Kubinaga-ashinaga-ari

Original Reference

Watanabe, H. & Yamane, S. (1999) New species and new status in the genus Aphaenogaster (Formicidae) from Japan. In: Identification Guide to the Aculeata of the Nansei Islands, pp. 735-736, Hokkaido Univ. Press, Sapporo.

Description

Total length of workers around 3.5 - 8 mm. Head and mesosoma reddish brown; mandibles lighter; scapes, legs and gaster dark brown. Scapes, mesosoma and legs distinctly long and slender. Head elongate behind eyes, in full face view strongly but gradually narrowed posteriorly. The funicular segments each elongate; the apical four lighter in color than the others. Mesonotum weakly raised and covered with irregular striation and punctation. Propodeal spines varying in shape from long and slender to short and broad. Chromosome number 2n=28. Similar to A. donann, but distinguished by worker coloration and male morphology.

Remarks

This species nests in the soil or rotting wood.

Distribution

Yaeyama Is.

References

Editor

Original text by Takafumi Watanabe and Seiki Yamane. English translation by Kazuo Ogata, edited by Robert W. Taylor.