On the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Philippine Islands: V. The genus Odontomachus Latreille, 1804.
Author
Sorger, D. M.
Author
Zettel, H.
text
Myrmecological News
2011
14
141
163
http://antbase.org/ants/publications/23311/23311.pdf
journal article
23311
Odontomachus banksi Forel, 1910
(Figs. 8, 14, 20, 35, 36, 47)
Odontomachus banksi Forel, 1910: 121
(description of worker, erroneously labelled as "♀" from Mt. Banahaw, Laguna, Luzon); Viehmeyer 1916: 284 (description of gyne from Mt. Banahaw, Laguna, Luzon); Wheeler & Chapman 1925: 71 (distribution: Mt. Banahaw, Laguna, Luzon); Baltazar 1966: 239 (catalogue). Brown 1976: 116, 127 (taxonomy, key, discussion).
Type material examined:
Lectotype
(worker; MHNG; pre- sent designation, Fig. 35) and paralectotypes (2 workers; MHNG), mounted on one pin, from
L a g u n a P r o - v i n c e
(according to Forel 1910) (labels see Fig. 36).
Notes: There is a discrepancy since the types are wor- kers, but Forel (1910) describes gynes ("♀"). However, we believe that this is due to a typesetting error, as the characters "
Mesonotum
fortement et largement
echancre
" [translated:
Mesonotum
strongly and broadly indented] and "les stries ... du pronotum fines et
serres
, parfois longi- tudinales au milieu" [translated: striae...on pronotum fine and tight together, sometimes longitudinal in the middle] must refer to workers. We select the uppermost worker as the lectotype (Fig. 35).
Additional material examined (59 workers; BMNH, CSW, CZW, NHMW, UPLB, USC): Luzon: L a g u n a: Ubi, no further data, det. W.L. Brown, 1 ∑. C a m a r i n e s N o r t e: SW Daet, San Vicente, Fabrica, Mananap, 6.II. 2001, leg. H. Zettel, E. S. & L. S. Vichozo (264), 4 ∑∑, 17. III.2003, leg. H. Zettel, C. V. Pangantihon & L. S. Vichozo (348), 3 ∑∑. Labo, Tulay na Lupa, Mt. Labo - Mt. Bayabas area, 17.-18.III.2004, leg. H. Zettel & C. V. Pangantihon (382), 9 ∑∑, 18.V.2006, leg. C. V. Pangantihon (P238), 7 ∑∑. C a m a r i n e s S u r: Naga City, ca. 20 km E of city, 5 km E
Carolina
, slopes of Mt. Isarog, Malabsay Falls, 19.II.1998, leg. H. Zettel (141), 9 ∑∑, 4.III.1999, leg. H. Zettel (192), 18 ∑∑, 4.III.1999, leg. F. Seyfert (19), 6 ∑∑, 20.IX.1999, leg. H. Zettel (208), 8 ∑∑.
Figs
. 35 - 36:
Odontomachus banksi
lectotype at MHNG: (35) habitus (upper specimen), lateral view; (36) labels.
Description of worker: Measurements: lectotype: CI 77, 2.80 HW, 3.65 HL, 56 MdI, 2.05 MdL, 4.95 MsL, 1.60 PnW, 1.47 PtH, 1.63 PtL, 0.58 PtW, 132 SI, 3.70 SL, 16 TL worker with smallest HW: CI 67, HL 2.90, HW 1.95, MdI 56, MdL 1.63, MsL 4.13, PnW 1.13, PtH 1.02, PtL 1.16, PtW 0.40, SI 157, SL 3.07, TL 12.38; worker with largest HW: CI 74, HL 3.70, HW 2.73, MdI 55, MdL 2.05, MsL 5.33, SI 138, SL 3.77, PnW 1.59, PtH 1.58, PtL 1.68, PtW 0.58, TL 15.75.
Structures: Striation on head extending from frontal lobes to ocular ridge, rest of head smooth and shiny. Pro- notum with round to transverse striation, closed loops and circles may be visible in dorsal view. Mesopleuron with fine transverse striation. Petiole with some fine striation lat- erally and with long and acute petiolar spine; anterior face of node straight to almost concave.
Pilosity: Pubescence dense, long.
Colour: Bicoloured; head light brown contrasting with reddish brown mesosoma and petiole, dark brown gaster.
Distribution (Fig. 47): Endemic to the Philippines and present only in the central and southern parts of Luzon; records from Laguna, Quezon (Brown 1976), Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur.
Habitats: Only in dipterocarp forests, sometimes de- graded, on mountain slopes.
Notes:
Odontomachus banksi
is the most distinct Phil- ippine member of the
O. infandus
group species. It can be distinguished from all other species by the relatively long and dense pilosity of the mesosoma and by striation on the petiole. The smooth and shiny posterior of the head is also
present in three other species:
Odontomachus philippinus
in the Western Visayas,
O. scifictus
sp.n.
on Camiguin, and O. sp. 2 on Mindanao. They have brown heads and a smooth area on the mesopleuron, whereas the head of
O. banksi
is yellowish orange and its mesopleuron densely and fully striate. A population of
O. alius
sp.n.
from Catanduanes resembles
O. banksi
in light and (partly) smooth head, but differs in sparse pilosity of mesosoma, fine striation of mesopleuron, distinctly curved petiolar spine (straight in
O. banksi
), and brownish gaster (blackish in
O. banksi
). The range of
O. banksi
is within the distribution of the more common
O. infandus
, which clearly indicates its specific status. See also notes under
Odontomachus
sp. 1 from Ca- marines.
Fig. 37:
Odontomachus malignus
, head, full face view. Scale = 1 mm.