Revision of the Australian ants of the genus Monomorium (Hymenoptera : Formicidae)

Abstract

The Australian ants of the genus Monomorium are revised. Fifty-nine species are recognised. Of these, 41 are described as new: Monomorium aithoderum, M. albipes, M. anderseni, M. anthracinum, M. arenarium, M. bifidum, M. bihamatum, M. brachythrix, M. burchera, M. capito, M. carinatum, M. castaneum, M. crinitum, M. decuria, M. disetigerum, M. draculai, M. durokoppinense, M. elegantulum, M. eremophilum, M. euryodon, M. flavonigrum, M. lacunosum, M. legulus, M. longinode, M. macarthuri, M. majeri, M. megalops, M. micula, M. nanum, M. nightcapense, M. nigriceps, M. parantarcticum, M. petiolatum, M. pubescens, M. ravenshoense, M. rufonigrum, M. shattucki, M. silaceum, M. stictonotum, M. striatifrons, and M. xantheklemma. Thirteen species pass into synonymy: M. armstrongi with M. whitei, M. broomense and M. ilia with M. laeve, M. donisthorpeiand M. fraterculus with M. fieldi, M. flavipes and M. insularis with M. leae, M. foreli with M. sordidum, M. howense with M. tambourinense, M. macareaveyi with M. bicorne, M. sanguinolentum with M. rubriceps, M. subapterum with M. rothsteini, and M. turneri withM. gilberti. Sixteen infraspecific forms are also synonymised: M. kilianii obscurelluminto M. kilianii, M. laeve nigriusand M. laeve fraterculus into M. fieldi, M. ilia lamingtonensisinto M. laeve, M. rothsteini humilior, M. rothsteini leda, M. rothsteini doddi and M. subapterum bogischi into M. rothsteini, M. rothsteini squamigena, M. rothsteini tostum and M. sordidum nigriventris into M. sordidum, M. fraterculus barretti and M. sydneyense nigella into M. sydneyense, M. gilberti mediorubra into M. gilberti, and M. rubriceps cinctumand M. rubriceps rubrum into M. rubriceps. Seventeen species and one subspecies are unchanged. Monomorium kiliani reverts to M. kilianii, M. kilianii tambourinenseis raised to species status, M. occidaneus is here treated as a species inquirenda, and M. flavigaster is removed from the genus Monomorium. Since the generic status of the latter taxon is uncertain, M. flavigaster is here regarded as incertae sedis. The supposedly extralimitalMonomorium talpa is synonymised under Monomorium australicum. At a higher taxonomic level the South American genus Antichthonidris is synonymised under Monomorium. Seven species-groups are proposed for the Australian fauna, (the bicorne-, falcatum-, insolescens-, kilianii-, longinode-, monomorium-, and rubriceps-groups). A cladistic analysis was undertaken of species for which all castes were examined (identifiable males and/or queens were lacking for all members of the falcatum-, insolescens- and longinode-groups). In all, fifteen species of Australian Monomorium were examined (M. bicorne, M. whitei, M. striatifrons and M. rufonigrum from the bicorne-group, M. crinitumand M. kilianii from the kilianii-group, M. fieldi, M. laeve, M. rothsteini, M. sordidum and M. sydneyense from the monomorium-group, and M. centrale, M. leae, M. euryodon and M. rubriceps from the rubriceps-group), together with Monomorium antarcticum(from New Zealand) and the Neotropical Antichthonidris denticulatus. The taxon used for the outgroup was the Neotropical ant Megalomyrmex modestus. Using the PAUP program, 37 characters for worker, queen and male castes were analysed. The clade incorporating the tiny generalists (M. fieldi, M. laeve, M. sordidum, and M. sydneyense), together with M. rothsteini, was found to be the clade most strongly supported as a monophyletic grouping. In this analysis M. euryodon was the sister taxon to the above clade. These ants were shown on this analysis to share a common ancestor with the other members of the rubriceps-group, with M. antarcticum and A. denticulatus, and with thekilianii-group. The relationships between these latter four sets of species were left unresolved, except that M. crinitum was shown to be the sister taxon to M. kilianii. The large, arid zone species in thebicorne-group were also shown as ancestral to the other Australian Monomorium. A key is provided to enable researchers to identify the workers of all Australian Monomorium, as well as extralimital species established in Australia.

Cladistic analysis of the fire ants of the Solenopsis saevissima species‐group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

“…Thus, as has been shown in studies of other taxa (e.g. Ward 1990Ward , 1993Eernisse & Kluge 1993;Wheeler et al 1993;Taber 1998;Heterick 2001;Schulmeister 2003), utilization of multiple character systems can play an integral part in resolving difficult phylogenetic relationships.…”

Source, optimal dose concentration and longevity of trail pheromone in two Monomorium ants (Formicidae: Hymenoptera)

“…The genus is one of the most diverse ant genera of the family Formicidae, with more than 300 described species (Bolton, 1995;Heterick, 2001).…”

Foraging characteristics and intraspecific behaviour of the exotic species Monomorium sydneyense (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in New Zealand, with implications for its management

“…The literature regarding this species refers primarily to its taxonomy (Heterick 2001), or its co-occurrence with other species such as the Argentine ant Linepithema humile (Mayr) in its Australian home range (Bisevac & Majer 1999;Heterick et al 2000). We know of no published information that indicates it has established outside of its native range, or describes its effects on recipient communities.…”