Paratrechina longicornis

Japanese Name

Higenaga-ameiro-ari

Latreille, P.A. (1802) Histoire Naturelle des Fourmis, et recueil de mŽmoires et d'observations sur les abeilles, les araignŽes, les faucheurs, et autres insectes: 445 pp. Paris.

Formica longicornis Latreille (Latreille, 1802) , Prenolepis longicornis (Latreille) (Roger, 1863) , Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) (Emery, 1925) ,

Total length of workers around 2.5 - 3 mm. Color brown to black. Easily separated from Japanese congeners by the long, slender antennal scapes and the shape of the mesosoma. Head elongate. Mandibles narrow, each with 5 teeth. Antennae very long: scapes each exceeding posterior margin of head by 2/5 its length and lacking erect hairs. Eyes large, maximum diameter 0.3 times head length. Ocelli small but distinctly recognizable. Mesosoma slender, dorsum almost straight from anterior portion of pronotum to propodeal dorsum, the pro- and mesonotal dorsa weakly convex in profile. Metanotal groove slightly incised. Propodeal spiracles distinct. Head and gaster with abundant whitish, long erect hairs. Propodeum without erect hairs. Petiole low. Legs long. Hind femora and tibiae bearing suberect hairs with length almost equal to the width of the femora.

This species is commonly distributed in the tropics and often invades houses. The workers are fast-moving.

Kyushu, Yaku I., Nansei Is, Ogasawara Is, Volcano Is; pantropical.