Synopsis of Aenictus species groups and revision of the A. curra x and A. laeviceps groups in the eastern Oriental, Indo-Australian, and Australasian regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Aenictinae)
Author
Jaitrong, Weeyawat
Author
Yamane, Seiki
text
Zootaxa
2011
3128
1
46
journal article
45801
10.5281/zenodo.207090
a51dd241-f273-4211-8dd3-e2fd556a8e43
1175-5326
207090
Aenictus ceylonicus
group
Diagnosis.
Antenna 10-segmented; scape reaching or extending beyond half of head length, but not reaching the occipital corner of head in full-face view. Mandible linear; its basal and lateral margins almost parallel; masticatory margin with large apical tooth followed by medium-sized subapical tooth; between subapical tooth and basal tooth 0–6 small denticles present. With mandibles closed, a gap present between mandibles and anterior margin of clypeus. Anterior clypeal margin weakly concave or almost straight, lacking denticles. Frontal carina short and thin, reaching or slightly extending beyond the level of posterior margin of torulus; anterior curved extension of frontal carina reaching or extending beyond the level of anterior clypeal margin in full-face view; parafrontal ridge absent. Promesonotum usually convex dorsally and sloping gradually to propodeum. Subpetiolar process developed.
Head and first gastral tergite smooth and shiny. Body yellowish, reddish or dark brown;
typhlatta
spot absent.
Remarks.
The
A. ceylonicus
group is a unique group easily separated from the other groups by the following characteristics: mandible linear; a gap present between mandibles and anterior margin of clypeus when mandibles are closed; anterior clypeal margin almost straight or feebly concave, lacking denticles. Our concept roughly agrees with Wilson’s (1964) definition of the “
ceylonicus
group”, but three species,
A. biroi
,
A. javanus
and
A. piercei
, should be removed from his list since they have triangular mandibles and different conditions of the anterior clypeal margin. All these species belong to three different species groups.
Distribution.
India
,
Sri Lanka
, southernmost part of
Japan
(?), S.
China
,
Taiwan
,
Vietnam
,
Thailand
, Borneo (Sabah and
Sarawak
),
Philippines
, Aru Island, New
Guinea
(
Papua
), and
Australia
(Queensland).
Currently valid names for the Oriental, Indo-Australian, and Australasian forms.
A. acerbus
Shattuck, 2008
;
A. ceylonicus
(Mayr, 1866)
;
A. doryloides
Wilson, 1964
;
A. exiguus
Clark, 1934
;
A. exilis
Wilson, 1964
;
A. fuchuanensis
Zhou, 2001
;
A. henanensis
Li et Wang, 2005
;
A. nganduensis
Wilson, 1964
;
A. orientalis
Karavaiev, 1926
;
A. schneirlai
Wilson, 1964
;
A. thailandianus
Terayama et Kubota, 1993
;
A. turneri
Forel, 1900
.