A revision the Australian species of the ant genus Myrmecina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Author
Shattuck, Steve
text
Zootaxa
2009
2146
1
21
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.188674
d9b0d696-f8a6-4ea2-9f53-f62192913f01
1175-5326
188674
C666693E-9FDE-4897-A20D-CBCE9B4F6D78
Myrmecina silvarugosa
sp. n.
(
Figs 5
,
7
,
38–40
,
47
)
Types
.
Holotype
worker from Mt. Lewis,
16°34'S
145°17'E
, Queensland,
20 June 1971
, Taylor & Feehan, rainforest (ANIC, ANIC32-047234).
Diagnosis.
Majority of carinae on pronotum and mesonotum gently curved across width of mesosoma; sides of head behind compound eyes with 2–3 longitudinal carinae running the length of the head. The combination of arched mesonotal sculpturing and elongate carinae on the sides of the head behind the eyes will separate this species from all others in
Australia
.
Worker description.
Antennal scapes smooth or with weak ridges. First segment of funiculus coneshaped. Sides of head behind compound eyes with 2–3 longitudinal carinae running the length of the head. Carinae on pronotum and mesonotum transverse, gently curved, extending across width of mesosoma. Carinae extending continuously from the dorsal surface onto the lateral surfaces of the mesosoma. Metanotal spines short. Propodeal spines long. Erect hairs abundant, straight. Colour dark brown-black, antennae, mandibles and legs yellow-brown.
Measurements.
Worker
(
n
= 4) — CI 96–100; HL 0.63–0.66; HW 0.61–0.65; MTL 0.32–0.33; SI 82–87; SL 0.53–0.56; WL 0.71–0.78.
Additional material examined. Queensland
:
2.5km
N Mt. Lewis via Julatten (Yeates,D.K. & Thompson,G.I.) (
ANIC
); Mary Creek site 4 (Burwell,C.) (
QMBA
); Mt. Lewis Barracks, via Julatten (Monteith,G & Cook,D.) (
ANIC
).
Comments.
This high-elevation species is restricted to mountain-tops above
1000m
in a small area within Queensland’s wet tropics where it occurs in rainforests. This species is sympatric with
alpina
, another highelevation species, and these are the only Australian species with carinae on the sides of the head behind the eyes.