Iridomyrmex xanthocoxa

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

Last updated April 09, 2019

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.^[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.

Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, and the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Australia is Australia's largest state, with a total land area of 2,529,875 square kilometres, and the second-largest country subdivision in the world, surpassed only by Russia's Sakha Republic. The state has about 2.6 million inhabitants – around 11 percent of the national total – of whom the vast majority live in the south-west corner, 79 per cent of the population living in the Perth area, leaving the remainder of the state sparsely populated.

Etymology

Its name deprives from the Greek language, and translate as: ‘xanthos’—‘ yellow’ plus ‘coxa’, which references the colour appearance on the species.^[1]

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 chasei is an ant belonging to the genus Iridomyrmex. The species was described by Forel in 1902, the species is mainly abundant nationwide in Australia, with an exception of its presence in Tasmania. This species is widely known for its large and highly populated nests.

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 alpinus is a species of ant of the genus Iridomyrmex. It was described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011.

Iridomyrmex atypicus is a species of ant of the genus Iridomyrmex. It was recently described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011. Specimens recorded were only found in Lake Mere in New South Wales. They were only found in paddocks.

Eldermyrmex is an extinct genus of ant in the Formicidae subfamily Dolichoderinae. The genus contains a single described species Eldermyrmex oblongiceps. Eldermyrmex is known to be from the Baltic Amber.

Iridomyrmex brennani is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described recently in 2011, specimens were collected from Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia in the Kambalda district.

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 lividus is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Shattuck in 1993, the ant is endemic to Australia and resembles a similar appearance to the Meat ant.

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 phillipensis is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Heterick and Shattuck in 2011, the ant is the only species endemic to Australia to not actually live in the country itself, but instead lives in territory that belongs to Australia.

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 rufoniger is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. It was described by Lowne in 1865. The species is endemic to Australia and introduced to several other countries.

Iridomyrmex sanguineus is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. The ant is endemic to Australia and was described by Forel in 1910.

Iridomyrmex spadius is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Shattuck in 1993, localised populations of the species can be found in Queensland, Australia.

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 viridiaeneus is a species of ant in the genus Iridomyrmex. Described by Viehmeyer in 1914, the species is among the most widespread species in Australia of the genus.

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 5 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 5 January 2015.