Iridomyrmex phillipensis Heterick &amp; Shattuck 2011, sp. n.
Creators: name: Heterick, Brian E.
name: Shattuck, Steve
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Iridomyrmex
Iridomyrmex phillipensis

description: <i>Iridomyrmex phillipensis</i> sp. n. (Fig. 62) <b>Types.</b> Holotype worker from Upper Long Valley, 29°07’S 167°57’E, Phillip Island (near Norfolk Island), 20–24 November 1984, I. D. Naumann &amp; T. A. Weir, ANIC Ants Vial 39.166 (ANIC, ANIC32-038497). Paratypes: 2 workers, same data as holotype (ANIC); 3 workers from Red Road Valley, 29°07’S 167°57’E, Phillip Island (near Norfolk Island), 26 March–2 April 1984, J. E. Feehan (ANIC, ANIC32-038494); 3 workers from Upper Long Valley, 29°07’S 167°57’E, Phillip Island (near Norfolk Island), 26 March–2 April 1984, J. E. Feehan, ANIC Ants Vial 35.211 (MCZC, ANIC32-038494); 3 workers from between Red Road &amp; Whitewood Valleys, 29°07’S 167°57’E, Phillip Island (near Norfolk Island), 20-24 November 1984, I. D. Naumann &amp; T. A. Weir, ANIC Ants Vial 39.164 (BMNH, ANIC32-038496). <b>Worker Description. <i>Head.</i></b> Posterior margin of head strongly concave; erect setae on posterior margin in fullface view set in a row; sides of head noticeably convex; erect genal setae present on sides of head in full-face view. Number of ocelli one (a minute ocellus), position of obsolete ocelli indicated by small pits only or pits lacking, or ocelli absent; in full-face view, eyes set at about midpoint of head capsule; in profile, eye set anteriad of head capsule; eye semi-circular. Frontal carinae convex; antennal scape surpassing posterior margin of head by 1-2 x its diameter. Erect setae on scape present and abundant; prominence on anteromedial clypeal margin present as an indistinct swelling or undulation; mandible regular triangular with oblique basal margin; long, curved setae on venter of head capsule absent. <i>Mesosoma.</i> Pronotum moderately and evenly curved over its length. Erect pronotal setae numerous (12 or more) and longest setae elongate, flexuous and/or curved. Mesonotum evenly curved. Erect mesonotal setae numerous (12 or more) and elongate, flexuous and/or curved. Mesothoracic spiracles always prominent as small, vertical protuberances; propodeal dorsum straight and short (equal in length to propodeal declivity); placement of propodeal spiracle posteriad and near propodeal declivity, or mesad, more than its diameter away from propodeal declivity; propodeal angle present as a bluntly defined right angle, the dorsal and declivitous propodeal faces never separated by a carina. Erect propodeal setae numerous (12 or more), short and bristly. <i>Petiole.</i> Dorsum of node convex; node thin, scale-like, orientation more-or-less vertical. <i>Gaster.</i> Non-marginal erect setae of gaster present on first gastral tergite; marginal erect setae of gaster present on first tergite. <i>General characters.</i> Allometric differences between workers of same nest absent. Colour coppery brown to blackishbrown, with yellowish-green to faintly bluish iridescence on gaster. Colour of erect setae light brownish-yellow. <b>Measurements.</b> <i>Worker</i> (n = 6)—CI 87–94; EI 23–26; EL 0.21–0.23; EW 0.16–0.18; HFL 1.07–1.26; HL 0.92–1.08; HW 0.82–1.00; ML 1.17–1.43; MTL 0.76–0.90; PpH 0.22–0.25; PpL 0.50–0.60; SI 94–100; SL 0.82– 0.95. <b>Comments.</b> <i>Iridomyrmex phillipensis</i> is reminiscent of an extremely hirsute <i>I</i>. <i>suchieri</i>, but the iridescent gaster and the nature of the protuberant propodeum suggest that its true affinities are more likely to lie with <i>I</i>. <i>rufoniger</i> and relatives. This is the only <i>Iridomyrmex</i> confined to territory outside of the Australian mainland, apart from the three species found on New Caledonia. The nature of the propodeum separates this species from <i>I</i>. <i>suchieri</i>, the species with which it is most likely to be confused (some very hairy populations of <i>I</i>. ‘ <i>obscurus</i> ’), and also <i>I</i>. <i>rufoniger</i>. The species is endemic to Phillip Island, situated about 10 km south of Norfolk Island, where all known specimens were collected by J. Feehan in March/ April 1984, and I. Naumann &amp; T. Weir in Nov. 1984. The dates suggest the ants were collected in pitfall traps, but further information is lacking. <b>Etymology.</b> The species is named after the island on which it was collected.
description: Published as part of <i>Heterick, Brian E. &amp; Shattuck, Steve, 2011, Revision of the ant genus Iridomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) 2845, pp. 1-174 in Zootaxa 2845 (1)</i> on pages 122-123, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2845.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5287811