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 piercei
group
Diagnosis.
Head in full-face view with occipital corner convex, and posterior margin almost straight to shallowly and broadly concave; occipital margin lacking collar. Antenna 10-segmented; antennal scape short, reaching only midlength of head. Anterior clypeal margin roundly convex, lacking denticles. Mandible subtriangular; its masticatory margin with a large apical tooth, medium-sized subapical and basal teeth, and 2–6 denticles between them; basal margin of mandible with conspicuous denticles. Frontal carina short; parafrontal ridge absent. With mesosoma in profile promesonotum convex dorsally and sloping gradually to the propodeum; metapleural groove present or absent (mesonotum and propodeum fused); propodeal junction angular. Subpetiolar process well developed, triangular or subrectangular.
Head and first gastral segment entirely smooth and shiny. Body yellowish brown to reddish brown;
typhlatta
spot absent.
Remarks.
This is a group of rather small species, measuring
1.80–3.20 mm
in total body length.
Wilson (1964)
included
A. piercei
in the “
ceylonicus
group”, which, he said, is a diverse group and defined arbitrarily to include heterogenous species. Also see under the
A. ceylonicus
group and
A. javanus
group.
Distribution.
Southernmost part of
Japan
,
Taiwan
,
Myanmar
,
Thailand
, Sumatra, and
Philippines
.
Currently valid names for the Oriental, Indo-Australian, and Australasian forms.
A. changmaianus
Terayama et Kubota, 1993
;
A. lifuiae
Terayama, 1984
;
A. minutulus
Terayama et Yamane, 1989
;
A. peguensis
Emery, 1894
;
A. piercei
Wheeler et Chapman, 1930
.