Aenictus piercei

Jaitrong, Weeyawat & Yamane, Seiki, 2011, Synopsis of Aenictus species groups and revision of the A. curra x and A. laeviceps groups in the eastern Oriental, Indo-Australian, and Australasian regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Aenictinae), Zootaxa 3128, pp. 1-46 : 9-10

Aenictus piercei group

Diagnosis. Head in full-face view with occipital corner convex, and posterior margin almost straight to shallowly and broadly concave; occipital margin lacking collar. Antenna 10-segmented; antennal scape short, reaching only midlength of head. Anterior clypeal margin roundly convex, lacking denticles. Mandible subtriangular; its masticatory margin with a large apical tooth, medium-sized subapical and basal teeth, and 2–6 denticles between them; basal margin of mandible with conspicuous denticles. Frontal carina short; parafrontal ridge absent. With mesosoma in profile promesonotum convex dorsally and sloping gradually to the propodeum; metapleural groove present or absent (mesonotum and propodeum fused); propodeal junction angular. Subpetiolar process well developed, triangular or subrectangular.

Head and first gastral segment entirely smooth and shiny. Body yellowish brown to reddish brown; typhlatta spot absent.

Remarks. This is a group of rather small species, measuring 1.80–3.20 mm in total body length. Wilson (1964) included A. piercei in the “ ceylonicus group”, which, he said, is a diverse group and defined arbitrarily to include heterogenous species. Also see under the A. ceylonicus group and A. javanus group.

Distribution. Southernmost part of Japan, Taiwan, Myanmar, Thailand, Sumatra, and Philippines. Currently valid names for the Oriental, Indo-Australian, and Australasian forms. A. changmaianus Terayama et Kubota, 1993 ; A. lifuiae Terayama, 1984 ; A. minutulus Terayama et Yamane, 1989 ; A. peguensis Emery, 1894 ; A. piercei Wheeler et Chapman, 1930 .