Heteroponera rhodopygea Taylor, 2015, sp. n.
Creators: name: Taylor, Robert W.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Heteroponera
Heteroponera rhodopygea

description: 2. Heteroponera rhodopygea sp. n.
(Figs 10–13)
Type locality. AUSTRALIA: QUEENSLAND: Thornton Range (16°14'S, 145°26'E). Holotype and 20 worker paratypes from 4 separately collected colony series. No other workers examined here have been designated as Paratypes.
Type deposition. Holotype worker ANIC. Paratypes in ANIC (including gyne) and QMBA.
Distribution, material examined. Apparently common at all elevations in the following Endemism Areas: EA1 (Mt Finnigan): Mt Finnigan, -15 48, 145 17 3 workers, pyrethrum knockdown, 850–1100 m (GBM, DKY & DWC, 19–22.iv.1982)
pyrethrum knockdown, 1100 m (L. Roberts, 20.xii.1982)—summit, 1100 m, QMBA berlesate 54 (GBM & DWC, 10.xi.1985)—summit, 1100 m (GBM, DWC & Roberts, 28–30.xi.1985). Mt Misery, summit, 2 workers, pyrethrum knockdown, 850m (GBM, Sheridan & Roberts, 6.xii.1990. EA2 (Thornton Peak): Roaring Meg Creek (-16 0 4, 145 24), 6 km W of Cape Tribulation, 710m ()GBM, DKY & GIT, 5.x.1982). Roaring Meg Valley (-16 0 4, 145 25) 720m (GBM & H. Janetzki, 22 xi 1993. Noah Creek (-16 0 8, 145 26), 75m, ANIC Berlesate 946 (AAC & TAW, 27 iii 1984). Cape Tribulation (all accessions by GBM, DKY & GIT, unless otherwise noted) -(3 km W; Site 6), -16 0 4, 145 27, 5 workers, pyrethrum knockdown or QMBA berlesate 422, 500m (19.ix.1982)—(4.5–5 km W; Top camp), -16 0 5, 145 26, 760–780 m (28.ix., 1–6.x. 1982)—(5 km W; Site 10), -16 0 5, 145 26, 3 workers, pyrethrum knockdown, 780 m; stick brushings, QMBA berlesate 700, 780m (28.ix.1982)—(4 km W; Site 8), -16 0 5, 145 26, pyrethrum knockdown, 720m (28.ix.1982); 4 workers, QMBA Berlesates 423, 424, 437 (date range 29–30.ix.1982 —(3.5 km W; Site 7), -16 0 5, 145 27, 2 workers, pyrethrum knockdown, 680m (2.x.1982)—(2 km WNW; Site 2), -16 0 5, 145 28, 2 workers, stick brushing, QMBA Berlesate 483, 50m (2.x.1982); 3 workers, 50 m (3.x.1982); baited pitfall trap, 50m (GBM, 19.i.1983)—(Site 4), -16 0 5, 145 28, QMBA Berlesate 454, 200 m (7.x.1982); 2 workers, QMBA Berlesate 528, 200 m (GBM & DKY, 21.iv.83)—(Site 5), 4 workers, pyrethrum knockdown, 80 m (2–7.x.1982). Gold Creek, McDowall Range (-16 0 5, 145 17) 650m (RWT & TAW, 1.xi.1976. McDowall Range (-16 0 6, 145 20), pyrethrum knockdown, 520 m, (GBM & DWC, 27.xi.1985). Oliver Creek, -16 0 6, 145 28, stick brushing, 10 m (GBM, 5.i.83). Mt Hemmant, -16 0 7, 145 23, 7 workers, QMBA Berlesates 543, 544, 545, 880 m (GBM & DWC, 25.iv.1983). Mt Sorrow, -16 0 8, 145 26, 5 workers, QMBA Berlesate 261, 800m (GBM, 19.x.1980). Table Mountain (-16 0 9, 145 26), 320m (GBM & DWC, 24.iv.1983). Cooper Creek, -16 11, 145 26, 2 workers, near sea level (RWT & JDF, 22.vi.1971). Thornton Range (-16 14, 145 26)(type locality) 20 workers from 4 separately collected colony series, 150–180 m (RWT & JDF, 23.vi.1971)—ANIC vials 12/27, 32, 35, 36—worker, ANIC berlesate 327 (RWT & JDF, 23.vi.1971). Thornton Peak, -16 15, 145 26, 2 workers, QMBA Berlesate 301, 1000–1100 m (GBM & DWC, 20–22.ix.1981); 1000–1300 m (GBM & DWC, 20–22.ix.1981). EA3 (Windsor Tableland): Windsor Tableland (-16 145)—site 1, 6 workers, pyrethrum knockdown, 1140 m (27.xii.1989)—site 2, 3 workers, pyrethrum knockdown, 1160 m (10.i.1989)—site 9, 6 workers, pyrethrum knockdown, 1186 m (8.i.1989)—ref 901088, 6 workers, pyrethrum knockdown, 1186 m (12.i.1989)(all E. Schmidt & ANZSES). Windsor Tableland (-16 145)—3 workers, 1050 m, QMBA berlesate 393—2 workers, 900 m—pitfall trap, 900 m (all GBM, DKY & DWC, labeled either 16 or 15–18.iv.1982). EA4 (Carbine Tableland): Devils Thumb area, —16 34, 145 17 (10 km NW of Mossman) — pyrethrum knockdown, rainforest, 1000–1180 m (GBM, DKY & GIT, 10.x.1982), 1 worker. All samples with ecological data are labelled “rainforest” or “RF. Unless noted each comprises a single worker collected by Berlese funnel from leafmould or litter (usually sieved).
Elevational distribution. Apparently represented throughout the rainforested elevational range in EA1 (850 to 1100 m), EA2 (“near sea level” to 1,300 m on Thornton Peak) and EA3 (900–1186 m on Windsor Tableland).
Worker diagnosis. General features, conformation, coloration and major sculpturation as illustrated. Closely similar to the allopatric H. relicta, as characterized above, but with the head, mesosoma and node medium-brown and the gaster more brightly orange brown, matching the antennae and legs. Sculpturing of scrobes, propodeal declivity and node posteriorly, and of borders of propodeal declivity as described for H. relicta. Dimensions: (holotype (Thornton Range); smallest paratype (Thornton Range), largest paratype (Mt Finnigan summit)): (ca): 5.4, 5.0, 6.0; HW: 1.27, 1.18, 1.39; HL: 1.22, 1.11, 1.30; CI: 104, 106, 106; EL: 0.25, 0.20, 0.26; SL: 0.76, 0.67, 0.77; SI: 59, 57, 55; PW: 0.91, 0.82, 0.96; WL: 1.55, 1.42, 1.66; petW: 0.52, 0.51, 0.60; GW 1.02, 0.92, 1.13.
Related taxa. See above under H. relicta.
In-group sympatric associations. Sympatric variously with H. trachypyx, H. viviennae and H. wilsoni (see those species entries for details). Note the possibly biologically significant similarities in coloration between these three species (refer Figs).
Remarks. Despite their similarities and allopatric distribution H. relicta and H. rhodopygea are highly consistent morphospecies with well represented, clearly defined distributional ranges. They are considered here to represent separate biological species. Heteroponera rhodopygea was included in Feitosa’s (2011) phylogenetic analysis as “ Heteroponera sp A”, sister to H. relicta.
Etymology. The name (a noun in apposition) refers to the reddish gaster.
description: Published as part of Taylor, Robert W., 2015, Australasian ants of the subfamily Heteroponerinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): (2) the species-group of Heteroponera relicta (Wheeler), with descriptions of nine new species and observations on morphology, biogeography and phylogeny of the genus, pp. 151-180 in Zootaxa 3947 (2) on pages 161-163, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3947.2.1