Vollenhovia okinawana

Japanese Name

Okinawa-umematsu-ari

Terayama, M. & Kinomura, K. (1998) Taxonomic studies of Japanese Formicidae, part 3. Genus Vollenhovia Mayr. Nature and Human Activities 2: 1-8.

Total length of workers around 2.5 mm. Body color yellowish brown to reddish brown. This species closely resembles Vollenhovia benzai, from which it is easily distinguished as follows: (1) no sculpturing on a median strip of the promesonotal dorsum, which is smooth and shining; (2) dorsal profile of postpetiole slightly concave posteriorly. Subpetiolar process relatively small, but larger than that of V. benzai, the lamella about 0.04 mm deep.

This species is widely distributed on Okinawa Island, nesting in decaying wood in forests. The females are winged. Vollenhovia yambaru, which produces ergatoid females and workers identical to those of V. okinawana, is found in the native forests of northern Okinawa.

Okinawa I.