family

FORMICIDAE

subfamily

Myrmicinae

genus

Aphaenogaster


ITIS

 

Aphaenogaster tokarainsulana

Hymenoptera On-Line

 

Aphaenogaster tokarainsulana

FORMIS

 

Aphaenogaster tokarainsulana



species

Aphaenogaster tokarainsulana


Japanese Name

Tokara-ashinaga-ari

Original Reference

Watanabe, H. & Yamane, Sk. (1999) New species and new status in the genus Aphaenogaster (Formicidae) from Japan. In: Identification Guide to the Aculeata of the Nansei Islands, pp. 729-730, Hokkaido Univ. Press, Sapporo.

Description

Total length of workers around 3 - 5.5 mm. Head and mesosoma dark reddish brown; mandibles, petiole, postpetiole and legs lighter; gaster often darker; scapes gradually lightening in color toward their apices; funiculi light reddish brown. Scapes, mesosoma and legs relatively rather short compared to other Japanese Aphaenogaster species. Head covered with striae and punctures; longitudinal striae on frontal area not reaching occipital carina; posterior portion of head dull, with irregular striation and punctures. Pronotal humeri angulate. Mesonotum distinctly raised, often higher than pronotum, covered with striae and punctures. Mesopleura dull, covered with minute, dense punctures and parallel striae. Chromosome number 2n=34.

Remarks

Foraging workers turn their gasters downwards. This species is found from coastal to inland regions in woodland or its margins. It nests in the soil, under stones or in rotting wood.

Distribution

Nansei Is (Tanegashima I., Tokara Is).

References

  • Terayama (1991)
  • Watanabe & Yamane (1999)

Editor

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