Iridomyrmex longisoma

Iridomyrmex longisoma
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Genus:	Iridomyrmex
Species:	I. longisoma
Binomial name
	Iridomyrmex longisoma; Heterick & Shattuck, 2011

Last updated October 20, 2019

Iridomyrmex longisoma is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex . Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the ant is endemic to Australia, confined in Western Australia, and nests are known to inhabit into sandy soil.^[1]

Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the Cretaceous period, about 140 million years ago, and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than 12,500 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists.

Iridomyrmex, or the rainbow ant is a genus of ant first described by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr in 1862. He placed it in the subfamily Dolichoderinae of the family Formicidae. There are 79 described species and five fossil species. Most of these ants are native to Australia; others are found in several countries and islands in Asia and other areas in Oceania, and they have been introduced to Brazil, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates. Fossil species are known from China, France and the United States.

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and East Timor to the north; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east. The population of 26 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Etymology

The species name derives from the Latin language and the Greek language which translates to 'long' (longus) in Latin and in Greek: 'body' (soma).^[1]

Latin is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. The Latin alphabet is derived from the Etruscan and Greek alphabets and ultimately from the Phoenician alphabet.

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus and other parts of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea. It has the longest documented history of any living Indo-European language, spanning more than 3000 years of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the major part of its history; other systems, such as Linear B and the Cypriot syllabary, were used previously. The alphabet arose from the Phoenician script and was in turn the basis of the Latin, Cyrillic, Armenian, Coptic, Gothic, and many other writing systems.

Related Research Articles

Iridomyrmex adstringatus is a species of ant of the genus Iridomyrmex. Recently described in 2011 by Heterick & Shattuck, the species is rare to find, as specimens of this species have only been collected in South Australia. The first specimens collected were from the Coorong National Park.

Iridomyrmex xanthocoxa is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described in 2011, the ant is mainly confined to the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Iridomyrmex elongatus is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex, described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011. Its biology is almost unknown, but the distribution of the ant extends from Western Australia and into the Northern Territory.

Iridomyrmex fulgens is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattukck in 2011, the species is found in several states in Australia, usually in the drier regions of the country.

Iridomyrmex gibbus is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the biology of the ant is not exactly known, although it is known that the ant is distributed in several states and in Barrow Island in Australia.

Iridomyrmex gumnos is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the biology of the ant remains unknown, but it is distributed in South Australia and New South Wales.

Iridomyrmex infuscus is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the species is known only from a single specimen collected in the Australian Capital Territory.

Iridomyrmex luteoclypeatus is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, nothing is essentially known about the ant, other than the ant being found in the drier regions of Australia and is diurnal.

Iridomyrmex macrops is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the species is endemic to several states in Australia.

Iridomyrmex meridianus is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex, described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011. The species is endemic to Australia, and nests are commonly found under rocks, logs and rotting wood in forested areas, and they are known to be living in southern areas of Australian states like Western Australia and Tasmania.

Iridomyrmex mirabilis is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the ant is endemic to Australia.

Iridomyrmex niger is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the species is endemic to multiple states in Australia.

Iridomyrmex nudipes is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the workers of the species are diurnal foragers, and have only been recorded in New South Wales.

Iridomyrmex omalonotus is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the ant is endemic to Australia, and the ants are known for its attraction to honey, and attends to lycaenid caterpillars and other Hemiptera that produces honey.

Iridomyrmex roseatus is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the species has a northern temperate and tropical distribution in Australia, and can be found in most states, and the habitats of the ant may be similar to the preferences of the Meat ant species.

Iridomyrmex suchieroides is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. The ant was described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, and is endemic to almost all of Australia except for Tasmania.

Iridomyrmex tenebrans is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the ant is a rare species endemic to Australia, with only one specimen being collected in New South Wales.

Iridomyrmex tenuiceps is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the species is widespread in Australia.

Iridomyrmex trigonoceps is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the species is broadly distributed in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, but the species is relatively uncommon.

References

1 2 Shattuck, Brian E. Heterick & Steve (2011). Revision of the ant genus Iridomyrmex (Hymenoptera : Formicidae) (PDF). Auckland, N.Z.: Magnolia Press. ISBN 978-1-86977-676-3 . Retrieved 2 January 2015.

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[Shattuck-1] 1 2 Shattuck, Brian E. Heterick & Steve (2011). Revision of the ant genus Iridomyrmex (Hymenoptera : Formicidae) (PDF). Auckland, N.Z.: Magnolia Press. ISBN 978-1-86977-676-3 . Retrieved 2 January 2015.