Dolichoderus rutilus, Shattuck, Steven O. & Marsden, Sharon, 2013

Shattuck, Steven O. & Marsden, Sharon, 2013, Australian species of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 3716 (2), pp. 101-143 : 133-134

Dolichoderus rutilus sp. n.

( Fig. 22 )

Types. Holotype worker from Innes National Park, Yorke Peninsula, approx. 35°13'S 136°52'E, South Australia, 26 January 1976, P.J.M. Greenslade (ANIC, ANIC32- 061185); 1 paratype worker, same data as holotype except 28 January 1976 (ANIC, ANIC32- 061184); 1 paratype worker from Spalding Cove, Port Lincoln, approx. 34°47'S 135°58'E, South Australia, 2 February 1973, P.J.M. Greenslade (ANIC, ANIC32- 061186).

Diagnosis. Head yellowish-red; sculpturing on head minimal, either essentially absent or consisting of very fine reticulations; pronotum and propodeum lacking spines; posterior face of propodeum weakly concave, separated from the dorsal face by at most a weakly defined angle; dorsum of pronotum smooth, the surfaces shiny. Dorsum of propodeum evenly convex, the angle at approximately the same level as the metanotal groove.

This species differs from D. kathae in that the surfaces of the head and dorsum of the pronotum of D. rutilus are smooth and shiny; whereas the surfaces of the head and dorsum of the pronotum of D. kathae are finely reticulate and matte.

This species is morphologically similar to D. kathae and D. parvus ; for a discussion of differences see Comments under D. kathae .

Worker description. See Fig. 22 . All specimens closely match the one figured.

Measurements (n=3). CI 86–88; EI 33–34; EL 0.25–0.28; HL 0.87–0.97; HW 0.75–0.85; ML 1.18–1.29; MTL 0.64–0.70; PronI 61.50–62.76; PronW 0.46–0.53; SI 108–113; SL 0.85–0.93.

Comments. This rare species is known from only three specimens collected from two locations, one near Port Lincoln and the other at the tip of Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. Nothing is known of its biology.

Figures

FIGURE 22. Dolichoderus rutilis, holotype worker (ANIC 32 - 061185). A. Front of head; B. Side of body; C. Top of body; D. Distribution of material examined.