Contributions to the taxonomy of the ant genus Echinopla Smith, 1857 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)
Author
Zettel, Herbert
Author
Laciny, Alice
text
Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift
2015
62
1
101
121
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/dez.62.5093
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/dez.62.5093
1860-1324-1-101
BF4238DAC6A24AF0AB80697A1FFF3374
Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Formicidae
Echinopla lineata Mayr, 1862
Figs 35-38, 43
Type material examined.
Lectotype (worker, present designation, NHMW) from "Batavia (Novara)" (
Mayr 1862
); labels see Figure 26. Paralectotypes (2 workers, NHMW), from the same locality.
Additional material examined.
1 worker (NHMW) of unknown origin, leg. Ida Pfeiffer, det. G. Mayr; 1 worker (NHMW) from Java, leg. Vollenhoven, det. G. Mayr; 5 workers (ZCW) from Singapore, Singapore Zoo, 2.XI.2003, leg. H. Zettel; 8 workers (SCV, ZCW)
from
Borneo, Sarawak, Mulu National Park, Kerangas Forest behind Mulu Airport, 21.VII.2010, leg. D.M. Sorger; 1 worker (WCD) from Borneo, Sabah, Danum Valley Field Centre,
4.96462°N
;
117.804000°E
+/-
70 m, 180 m a.s.l., 24.VIII.2010, leg. P.S. Ward (#16476); 5 workers (CAS), from same locality, 525 m a.s.l.,
4.965611°N
;
117.799806°E
, 16-26.VIII.2010, rainforest, Ant Course 2010, various collectors; 1 workers (CAS), from same area, Danum Valley, West Trail, 225 m a.s.l.,
4.963056°N
;
117.802806°E
, 16-26.VIII.2010, rainforest, Ant Course 2010, unknown collector.
Measurements of the lectotype.
TL 6.3; HW1 1.66; HW2 1.58; HL 1.57; EL 0.36; SL 1.39; SW 0.18; HaL 0.48; PML 1.17; PMW 1.50; PpL 1.04; PpW 1.20; PH 0.47; PL 0.51; PW 1.23; GL 1.65; GW 1.80. Indices: CI 106; SI 84; MI 148.
Notes.
Echinopla lineata
has some similarities with
Echinopla striata
, especially in sculpture, but can be recognized by the combination of black colour (without metallic lustre), coarse longitudinal striation on head and mesosoma, fine longitudinal striation on gaster, long white setae, and relatively abundant short appressed hair that gives the specimens a dull appearance. See also notes on the similar
Echinopla senilis
.
The collection of NHMW contains five historical specimens of
Echinopla lineata
, one of which was erroneously labelled as
Echinopla senilis
. Three specimens are considered as types, whereas one gyne from Java (see
Mayr 1872
) and one worker collected by Ida Pfeiffer from an unknown locality are non-type specimens. The worker (paralectotype) labelled
"Batavia"
(now Jakarta, Java, Indonesia) is missing its head. One worker (paralectotype) bears the same locality code label Q and the same Novara expedition label as the lectotype (see Fig. 38), but a determination label "
Echinopla senilis
det. G. Mayr" (in Anton
Handlirsch's
handwriting!) which is probably a curatorial error (see notes for
Echinopla senilis
). This slightly damaged specimen clearly belongs to
Echinopla lineata
. The third type specimen, which is in a very good condition (see Figs 35-37), was selected as the lectotype.
Figures 35-38.
Echinopla lineata
, lectotype: (35) Head, full face view. (36) Habitus, lateral view. (37) Habitus, dorsal view. (38) Labels.
The species was originally described from Java (
Mayr 1862
). This first description is very short, but
Mayr (1865)
presents illustrations (Fig. 43) and a much more detailed description.
Emery (1900)
recorded
Echinopla
lineata
from Sumatra.
Echinopla sucki
was described by
Forel (1901)
from Sarawak, Borneo, and synonymised by
Emery (1925)
. After having studied the pictures of a syntype of
Echinopla sucki
in
Antweb (2015)
and non-type specimens from Sarawak, we affirm this synonymy. We also confirm the presence of
Echinopla lineata
in Sabah, northern Borneo, based on examined worker specimens in the P.S. Ward Collection and in the California Academy of Sciences.
Antweb (2015)
records two specimens from Sabah (not examined), but the illustrated one from the Maliau Basin is not
Echinopla lineata
, because it differs strongly by a fine sculpture of head and thoracic nota, by long black pilosity and the almost absent short hair on the thoracic nota; except for its non-metallic colour it resembles
Echinopla striata
. Also the
Antweb (2015)
record of
Echinopla lineata
in Singapore can be confirmed after having studied the illustrations of this specimen and additionally collected specimens.
Antbase (2015)
illustrates a correctly identified worker from Kuala Lumpur, West Malaysia, in the Natural History Museum in London.