Dolichoderus dentatus Forel

Shattuck, Steven O. & Marsden, Sharon, 2013, Australian species of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 3716 (2), pp. 101-143 : 113-114

Dolichoderus dentatus Forel

( Fig. 7 )

Dolichoderus doriae dentata Forel, 1902: 461 (raised to species by Clark, 1930: 255).

Types. 45 worker syntypes from Mackay [approx. 21°09'S 149°11'E] (1 in NHMB, 5 in MCZC, 3 in ANIC, 36 in MHNG), Queensland.

Diagnosis. Pronotum and propodeum with elongate spines; the long pronotal spines are directed anteriorly and approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body; in dorsal view a line drawn between their tips lies anterior of the pronotal collar.

The long, anteriorly directed pronotal spines will distinguish this species from all other Australian Dolichoderus species.

Worker description. See Fig. 7 . Always similar to the figured individual although body colour can be more reddish and less red-black, and legs can sometimes be slightly lighter yellow-red.

Measurements (n=5). CI 95–104; EI 16–19; EL 0.26–0.32; HL 1.59–1.71; HW 1.60–1.70; ML 2.49–2.63; MTL 1.66–1.76; PronI 67.27–67.27; PronW 1.08–1.21; SI 104–114; SL 1.77–1.82.

Material examined. Queensland: Atherton (Bourne,E.H.) (ANIC); Condamine (Geary,N.) (ANIC); Cooloola National Park, Melita (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); Cooloola, Burwilla (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); Cooloola, Warrawonga (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); Dawes, 20mi. SE Biloela (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); Expedition Range, Blackdown Tbld (Kohout,R.J.) (ANIC); Gladstone (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); Mackay (Turner,G.) (ANIC); Miles (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); Mt. Morgan (Cudmore,F.A.) (ANIC); Shoalwater Bay, Townshend Is. (Greenslade,P.J.M. & CHT) (ANIC); Townsville (Conleth,S.; Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC).

Comments. Dolichoderus dentatus is found in dry sclerophyll woodlands and savannah of eastern Queensland from the Atherton Tablelands south to Cooloola Recreation Area, Great Sandy National Park. Its glandular compounds were examined by Cavill and Hinterberger (1960a, 1960b) while notes on its venom and venom apparatus were provided by Blum and Hermann (1978).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Dolichoderus dentatus, syntype worker (ANIC 32 - 015067). A. Front of head; B. Side of body; C. Top of body; D. Distribution of material examined.