| Austroponera castaneicolor | |
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| Austroponera castaneicolor worker | |
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| Species: | A. castaneicolor |
| Binomial name | |
| Austroponera castaneicolor (Dalla Torre, 1893) | |
Austroponera castaneicolor is an ant species of the subfamily Ponerinae, endemic to the North Island, and the north and north west of the South Island, of New Zealand. [1]
The worker ants are typically 5.5 - 6.4mm (10 Workers). Their heads have a width of 1.12 - 1.30mm (10 Workers) with their sides (as seen from the photo provided) slightly and evenly convex. Their eyes are levelled with their antennae. Their mandibles are long with 10 teeth. The colour of their head, body and legs are uniformly yellowish and orange-brown. [1]
The species are typically found in the North and South Island of New Zealand they are more prevalent in the North Island as they are affected by the cold found in the lower South Island: Nelson province, Marlborough. The southernmost known record is a small sample of workers collected near the shore of Lake Moeraki (Westland). A few years earlier, March 29, 1964, workers were collected at Bullock Creek. [1]
Ponerinae is a subfamily of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 47 extant genera, including Dinoponera gigantea - one of the world's largest species of ant. Mated workers have replaced the queen as the functional egg-layers in several species of ponerine ants. In such queenless species, the reproductive status of workers can only be determined through ovarian dissections.
Vespula vulgaris, known as the common wasp, is a species found in regions that include the United Kingdom, Germany, India, China, New Zealand and Australia. It is sometimes known in English as the European wasp, but the same name is used for the species Vespula germanica or German wasp. In 2010, the ostensible Vespula vulgaris wasps in North America were found to be a different species, Vespula alascensis.
Nothomyrmecia, also known as the dinosaur ant or dawn ant, is a extremely rare genus of ants consisting of a single species, Nothomyrmecia macrops. These ants live in South Australia, nesting in old-growth mallee woodland and Eucalyptus woodland. The full distribution of Nothomyrmecia has never been assessed, and it is unknown how widespread the species truly is; its potential range may be wider if it does favour old-growth mallee woodland. Possible threats to its survival include habitat destruction and climate change. Nothomyrmecia is most active when it is cold because workers encounter fewer competitors and predators such as Camponotus and Iridomyrmex, and it also increases hunting success. Thus, the increase of temperature may prevent them from foraging and very few areas would be suitable for the ant to live in. As a result, the IUCN lists the ant as Critically Endangered.
Monomorium antarcticum is an ant of the family Formicidae, endemic to New Zealand. Also known as the southern ant, this is likely New Zealand's most common native ant species. Because it is highly variable in size (3–5mm), colour, and colony structure, it is possible that it consists of a complex of closely related species. It has a generalist diet, including small arthropods, nectar, and seeds, and it also tends aphids, scale insects, and mealybugs to obtain honeydew.
Prolasius advenus is a species of ant in the genus Prolasius. It is endemic to New Zealand, widespread across the North and South Islands, including offshore islands. It is a relatively small ant, with workers 2.9-3.5mm in length. Its common name is small brown bush ant.
The meat ant, also known as the gravel ant or southern meat ant, is a species of ant endemic to Australia. A member of the genus Iridomyrmex in the subfamily Dolichoderinae, it was described by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858. The meat ant is associated with many common names due to its appearance, nest-building behaviour and abundance, of which its specific name, purpureus, refers to its coloured appearance. It is among the best-known species of ant found throughout Australia; it occurs in almost all states and territories except for Tasmania. Its enormous distribution, aggression and ecological importance have made this ant a dominant species.
The red bull ant, also known as the giant bull ant or "hoppy joe", is a species of bulldog ant from the genus Myrmecia. It is abundant throughout Eastern Australia.
Romblonella is a genus of myrmicine ants.
The little fire ant, also known as the electric ant, is a small, light to golden brown (ginger) social ant native to Central and South America, now spread to parts of Africa, Taiwan, North America, Puerto Rico, Israel, Cuba, and six Pacific Island groups plus north-eastern Australia (Cairns). It is a very harmful invasive species.
The green-head ant, also known as the green ant or metallic pony ant, is a species of ant that is endemic to Australia. It was described by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858 as a member of the genus Rhytidoponera in the subfamily Ectatomminae. These ants measure between 5 to 7 mm. The queens and workers look similar, differing only in size, with the males being the smallest. They are well known for their distinctive metallic appearance, which varies from green to purple or even reddish-violet. Among the most widespread of all insects in Australia, green-head ants are found in almost every Australian state, but are absent in Tasmania. They have also been introduced in New Zealand, where several populations have been established.
Ochetellus glaber is a species of ant native to Australia. A member of the genus Ochetellus in the subfamily Dolichoderinae, it was described by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr in 1862. Aside from Australia, O. glaber has been introduced to a number of countries, including China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines and the United States, where it has established itself in Hawaii and Florida. It has been found on Lord Howe Island, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Réunion and the Solomon Islands. Compared with other ants, O. glaber is a small species, with workers measuring 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in). Males are the smallest at 1.6 mm (0.063 in), while the queens measure 5.2–5.5 mm (0.20–0.22 in). The ant's colour ranges from brown to black.
Amanita australis is a species of fungus in the family Amanitaceae. It is found only in New Zealand, where it occurs in Leptospermum and Nothofagus forest. The species was first described by New Zealand mycologist Greta Stevenson in 1962; in the same publication Stevenson also described what she thought was a unique species, Limacella macrospora, but over 30 years later this was reduced to synonymy with A. australis.
Euprenolepis procera is a species of ant found in the rainforests of South East Asia. It was first described by Carlo Emery, an Italian entomologist, in 1900. In 2008, Witte & Maschwitz discovered that E. procera specialises in harvesting mushrooms in the rainforest for food, representing a new, previously unreported feeding strategy in ants.
Doleromyrma darwiniana is a species of ant in the genus Doleromyrma. Described by Forel in 1907, the species is endemic to Australia and introduced to New Zealand, and it nests in soil or under stones and logs. The organism grows to a length between 2.0 and 3.0 millimeters. This species of ant maintains small colony sizes and it "prefers protein food." The species is also known by some sources as the "brown house ant" and "Darwin's ant". The species is considered a "minor urban pest" in New South Wales.
Myrmecocystus mexicanus is a species of ant in the genus Myrmecocystus, which is one of the six genera that bear the common name "honey ant" or "honeypot ant", due to curious behavior where some of the workers will swell with liquid food until they become immobile and hang from the ceilings of nest chambers, acting as living food storage for the colony. Honey ants are found in North America, Australia, and Africa. Ant species belonging to the genus Myrmecocystus reside in North America. M. mexicanus in particular is found in the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico.
Ochetellus is a genus of ants first described by Steve Shattuck in 1992. He placed it in the subfamily Dolichoderinae of the family Formicidae. The ants in this genus are small and black in colour; workers measure 1.75 to 3 millimetres in length, the males at around 1.6 millimetres (0.06 in) are smaller, and the queens are the largest, reaching 4 millimetres (0.16 in). There are seven described species and three described subspecies that mostly live in Australia in a wide variety of habitats, but some species are found in Asia. One species, Ochetellus glaber, has been introduced into New Zealand and the United States.
Austroponera is a ponerine genus of ants found in Australia and New Zealand, hence the prefix "Austro-".
Pogonomyrmex badius, or the Florida harvester ant, is a species of harvester ant in the genus Pogonomyrmex. It is the only Pogonomyrmex species found on the east coast of the United States and the only one in North America known to be polymorphic. The Florida Harvester ant is commonly found in Florida scrub and other similar habitats within the Atlantic coastal plain states.
Camponotus socius or the Sandhill Carpenter ant is a large species of ant in the genus Camponotus. It was first described by Roger (1863), based on specimens from Brazil - however these can be considered highly dubious as the location where the type specimens were collected (Amazonas) does not fit the known ecology of the species within North America. In the United States the species has traits typical of a native species as it is adapted to the sandy soils of xeric woodlands within the coastal plains of the southeastern United States. It can be found within the US states of Georgia, Alabama, Florida, North and South Carolina and Mississippi.
Amblyopone australis, the southern Michelin ant, is a species of ant in the genus Amblyopone, native to Australia. The species was described by Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson in 1842. Workers can vary in colour from yellow to dark brown or black. They have a body length of 4.5–8mm; queens are larger.
Media related to Austroponera castaneicolor at Wikimedia Commons
