Aphaenogaster Mayr
Creators: name: Eguchi, K.
name: Viet, B. T.
name: Yamane, S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Aphaenogaster

description: Aphaenogaster Mayr, 1853
Taxonomy. The genus Aphaenogaster is assigned to the tribe Pheidolini (Bolton 2003). Workers of Vietnamese species have the following features.
Worker monomorphic; head in full-face view oval or elliptical, often with extremely elongate neck; frontal carina, if distinct, not extending beyond the level of eye in full-face view; antennal scrobe absent; parafrontal ridge or carina(e) often present; median portion of clypeus convex anteriad, sometimes with a shallow emargination at midpoint; posteromedian portion of clypeus moderately or relatively broadly inserted between frontal lobes; masticatory margin with apical and 2 distinct preapical teeth followed by several smaller teeth or denticles; palp formula 5,3 or 4,3; antenna 12-segmented, gradually incrassate toward apex or with an indistinct 4-segmented club; eye medium sized; mesosoma elongate; promesonotum forming a dome; promesonotal suture weakly present or absent dorsally; metanotal groove moderately or strongly impressed dorsally; propodeal spines varying in size and shape (rarely reduced to tiny denticles or rounded angles); propodeal lobe round or subtriangular with blunt angles; petiole consisting of an anterior peduncle and a node (separation between peduncle and node sometimes indistinct); gastral shoulder absent.
The worker of Aphaenogaster is similar to the minor worker of Pheidole (larger species) and the worker of Kartidris and Myrmica. In the minor worker of Pheidole the masticatory margin of the mandible bears 1 or 2 small teeth between the preapical tooth and the 3rd large tooth. In the worker of Kartidris the vertex has a broad depressed area between eyes, the masticatory margin of the mandible has 5 distinct teeth, the antennal club is distinctly 3-segmented, and the propodeum is unarmed. In the worker of Myrmica the promesonotum is only slightly raised and the propodeal lobe is well-developed as a triangular or sharp lamella. In addition, the palp formula is always 6,4 in Myrmica as opposed to 5,3 or 4,3 in Aphaenogaster.
Vietnamese species. Twelve species have been recognized by us from Vietnam: exasperata Wheeler [= sp. eg- 22] (Ba Be, Cuc Phuong, Pu Mat, Tay Yen Tu, Van Ban); sp. eg-1 (Sa Pa); sp. eg-2 (Sa Pa); sp. eg-3 (Sa Pa); sp. eg-4 (Sa Pa); sp. eg-6 [= sp. eg-15 in Eguchi et al. 2005] (Ba Vi, Sa Pa); sp. eg-10 (Phu Quoc); sp. eg-17 [= sp. 25 of SKY in Yamane et al. 2003] (Cuc Phuong, Ky Thuong, Pu Mat, Tay Yen Tu); sp. eg-18 [= sp. 22 of SKY in Yamane et al. 2003; = sp. eg-6 and sp. eg-15 in Eguchi et al. 2005] (Ba Vi, Cuc Phuong, Pu Mat, Tam Dao, Tay Yen Tu); sp. eg-21 (Tam Dao); sp. eg-25 (Nui Chua); sp. eg-26 (Van Ban).
Bionomics. The majority of species inhabit well-developed forests but some occur in sparse forests, dwarf forests and areas with low bushes. Nests are usually found in the soil, under stones and in rotting logs (Bui & Eguchi 2003, Eguchi et al. 2004).
description: Published as part of Eguchi, K., Viet, B. T. & Yamane, S., 2011, Generic synopsis of the Formicidae of Vietnam (Insecta: Hymenoptera), Part I - Myrmicinae and Pseudomyrmicinae., pp. 1-61 in Zootaxa 2878 on page 12