Myrmecia pyriformis

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Myrmecia pyriformis
Myrmecia pyriformis - journal.pone.0058801.g001.png
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmeciinae
Genus: Myrmecia
Species:
M. pyriformis
Binomial name
Myrmecia pyriformis
Smith, 1858
Synonyms
  • Myrmecia sanguineaSmith, 1858

Myrmecia pyriformis, also known as the bull ant [1] or inch ant, [2] is an Australian ant. Myrmecia pyriformis belongs to the genus Myrmecia . It is abundant in many major cities of Australia, but mostly spotted in the eastern states. The species is of a similar appearance to the Myrmecia forficata . [3]

Contents

Sizes of the Myrmecia pyriformis range around 14–23 millimetres (0.55–0.91 inches) long. Female workers can grow as large as 26 millimetres (1.0 inch) while males only grow to 18–20 millimetres (0.71–0.79 inches) long. Mandibles and most other features are dark red. Thoraxes are sometimes blackish-brown. [4]

Myrmecia pryformis is known to survive without a queen. [5] While some species of Myrmecia possess the gamergates, the female workers of Myrmecia pyriformis are also able to reproduce. A colony of the genus was collected in 1998 without a queen, but the colony continued producing workers for the next three years. [6]

Guinness World Records listed Myrmecia pyriformis as the world's most dangerous ant. [1]

Taxonomy

Myrmecia pyriformis was first described by British entomologist Frederick Smith in his 1858 publication Catalogue of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum part VI, based on a syntype worker, queen and male collected from Melbourne and the Hunter River. [7] The specimens are currently housed in Natural History Museum in London. Smith notes that M. pyriformis is very similar in appearance to M. forficata , though he comments all sexes are larger, the male is strikingly distinct and the head is more square shaped and not narrowed from the back end. Smith also described M. sanguinea from Tasmania in the same publication he described M. pyriformis, now treated as a junior synonym. [8] Prior to this, however, M. sanguinea was thought to be a synonym of M. vindex . [9] Due to its similar appearance to M. forficata, Auguste Forel believed M. pyriformis was a subspecies, rather than a full species. [10] M. pyriformis was never reassigned as a subspecies; instead, it is still regarded as a full species in the genus Myrmecia. [11]

In 1911, Carlo Emery established seven species groups, placing M. pyriformis in the M. forficata species group. [12] This placement was long accepted until a 1991 review of the species groups was published and moved the species to the M. cephalotes species group instead. [13] This placement, however, was short lived and the ant was placed in the M. gulosa species group one month after it was placed in the M. cephalotes species group. [14] M. pyriformis is commonly known as the black bull-ant, brown bulldog ant or the inch ant, which references the colour and notably large size of the ant. [15] [16] [17]

Description

Myrmecia pyriformis is similar to M. forficata, but there are several characteristics that can distinguish the two species from each other. M. pyriformis is typically larger, the colour is darker and the head and alitrunk (a segment of the body where the wings are attached) are either dark reddish-brown or blackish-brown. The mandibles are broader, the clypeus is covered in hair and the postpetiole bears very short hair that are either greyish or brown. [18]

Related Research Articles

<i>Myrmecia</i> (ant) Genus of ants

Myrmecia is a genus of ants first established by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius in 1804. The genus is a member of the subfamily Myrmeciinae of the family Formicidae. Myrmecia is a large genus of ants, comprising at least 93 species that are found throughout Australia and its coastal islands, while a single species is only known from New Caledonia. One species has been introduced out of its natural distribution and was found in New Zealand in 1940, but the ant was last seen in 1981. These ants are commonly known as bull ants, bulldog ants or jack jumper ants, and are also associated with many other common names. They are characterized by their extreme aggressiveness, ferocity, and painful stings. Some species are known for the jumping behavior they exhibit when agitated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myrmeciinae</span> Subfamily of ants

Myrmeciinae is a subfamily of the Formicidae, ants once found worldwide but now restricted to Australia and New Caledonia. This subfamily is one of several ant subfamilies which possess gamergates, female worker ants which are able to mate and reproduce, thus sustaining the colony after the loss of the queen. The Myrmeciinae subfamily was formerly composed of only one genus, Myrmecia, but the subfamily was redescribed by Ward & Brady in 2003 to include two tribes and four genera. An additional three genera, one form genus, and 9 species were described in 2006 from the Early Eocene of Denmark, Canada, and Washington. Subsequently an additional fossil genus was moved from the family Rhopalosomatidae in 2018, and a new genus was described in 2021.

Myrmecia inquilina is a species of ant endemic to Australia in the subfamily Myrmeciinae, first discovered in 1955 and described by Athol Douglas and William Brown Jr. in 1959. These ants are large, measuring 21.4 millimetres (0.84 in). During the time of its discovery, Douglas and Brown announced M. inquilina as the first social parasite among the primitive subfamilies, and today it is one of the two known Myrmecia species to have no worker caste. Two host species are known, Myrmecia nigriceps and Myrmecia vindex. Aggression between M. inquilina and its host species does not occur, and colonies may only produce M. inquilina brood months after the inquiline queens begin to lay their eggs. Queens eat the colony brood or trophic eggs, and other Myrmecia species may kill M. inquilina queens if they reject them. Due to its restricted distribution and threats to its habitat, the ant is "vulnerable" according to the IUCN Red List.

<i>Myrmecia nigriceps</i> Endemic ant species from Australia

Myrmecia nigriceps, also known as the black-headed bull ant, is a species of ant endemic to Australia. A member of the genus Myrmecia in the subfamily Myrmeciinae, it was first described by Austrian entomologist Gustav Mayr in 1862. These ants are large, varying from 19 to 23 millimetres in length. However, colonies contain workers that are much smaller, usually half the size of normal workers. The queens are the largest while the males are the smallest, which can be easily identified due to their small mandibles.

<i>Myrmecia vindex</i> Species of ant endemic to Australia

Myrmecia vindex is a species of Myrmecia which is endemic to Australia. As a subgroup of the Myrmecia gulosa species group, these ants are also commonly known as the Bull Ant. The Myrmecia vindex was collected and described by Frederick Smith in 1858.

<i>Myrmecia nigrocincta</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia nigrocincta, commonly known as the jumper ant or jumping jack, is an ant of the genus Myrmecia. The species was first described by Frederick Smith in 1858. Colonies of this ant are abundant in eastern Australia. Ants of this species are known for their ability to jump up to 10 centimetres, and they also have a powerful, venomous sting. Rather than foraging on the ground, M. nigrocincta prefer to forage in trees where they are known to pollinate certain flowers.

<i>Myrmecia tarsata</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia tarsata is a bull ant species native to Australia. The species belongs to the genus Myrmecia. Their distribution is large, mainly around New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

<i>Myrmecia minuscula</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia minuscula is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia. They are distributed in the state of Queensland. They were described by Forel in 1915.

<i>Myrmecia piliventris</i> Species of ant endemic to Australia

Myrmecia piliventris, the golden tail bull ant, is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia. The Myrmecia piliventris is distributed Australia wide, but they're not too common in the western regions of Australia.

<i>Myrmecia chasei</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia chasei is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia. The Myrmecia chasei has a large presence and distribution in the south-eastern areas of Western Australia.

<i>Myrmecia cephalotes</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia cephalotes is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia. Myrmecia cephalotes has a large distribution in central South Australia and can be found in other regions of Australia.

<i>Myrmecia regularis</i> Species of ant endemic to Australia

Myrmecia regularis is a species of ant endemic to Australia. A member of the genus Myrmecia in the subfamily Myrmeciinae, it was first described by American entomologist Walter Cecil Crawley in 1925. These ants are medium to large in size, measuring 10 to 20 millimetres, and they are bright brownish-red in colour. Queens and workers share similar morphological features, but they can be distinguished by the noticeable size difference. Males also look similar, but collected specimens are too damaged to be examined properly.

<i>Myrmecia froggatti</i> Species of ant endemic to Australia

Myrmecia froggatti is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is endemic to Australia. This species is distributed throughout all areas of New South Wales and elsewhere up north and south.

<i>Myrmecia fuscipes</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia fuscipes is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia. Their distribution is heavily observed in South Australia and Western Australia.

<i>Myrmecia athertonensis</i> Species of ant endemic to Australia

Myrmecia athertonensis is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is endemic to Australia. They are commonly spotted in the north of Queensland. It was described by Forel in 1915.

<i>Myrmecia michaelseni</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia michaelseni is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia. They are mostly distributed and studied in Western Australia.

<i>Myrmecia swalei</i> Species of ant

Myrmecia swalei is an Australian ant which belongs to the genus Myrmecia. This species is native to Australia and is commonly distributed in Western Australia and South Australia. It was described by Crawley in 1922.

References

  1. 1 2 "Most Dangerous Ant". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  2. ↑ Native ants of the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges region Identification chart, Natural Resources, Government of South Australia
  3. ↑ "Myrmecia pyriformis Smith, 1858". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  4. ↑ J., Clark (1927). "The ants of Victoria Part III. Vic. Nat. (Melb.)": 33–40.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ↑ Dietemann V., Peeters, C, & Hölldobler, B. 2004 "Gamergates in the Australian ant subfamily Myrmeciinae" Naturwissenschaften91(9):432-435
  6. ↑ Sanetra, M. (2011). "Nestmate relatedness in the Australian ant myrmecia pyriformis smith, 1858 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Myrmecological News. 15: 77–84.
  7. ↑ Smith, Frederick (1858). Catalogue of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum part VI (PDF). London: British Museum. p. 144.
  8. ↑ Clark, John (1951). The Formicidae of Australia Volume 1. Subfamily Myrmeciinae (PDF). Melbourne: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia. pp. 93, 99–101.
  9. ↑ Roger, J. (1861). "Die Ponera-artigen Ameisen. (Schluss.)". Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift. 5: 1–54. doi:10.5281/zenodo.25617.
  10. ↑ Forel, A. (1910). "Formicides australiens reçus de MM. Froggatt et Rowland Turner". Revue Suisse de Zoologie. 18: 1–94. doi:10.5281/zenodo.25595.
  11. ↑ Taylor, Robert W.; Brown, D.R.; Cardale, Josephine C. (1985). Hymenoptera, Formicoidea, Vespoidea and Sphecoidea. Zoological catalogue of Australia. Vol. 2. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. p. 15. ISBN   978-0-644-03922-2.
  12. ↑ Emery, Carlo (1911). "Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae" (PDF). Genera Insectorum. 118: 1–125.
  13. ↑ Ogata, Kazuo (1991). "Ants of the genus Myrmecia Fabricius: a review of the species groups and their phylogenetic relationships (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmeciinae)". Systematic Entomology. 16 (3): 353–381. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.1991.tb00694.x. S2CID   84453095.
  14. ↑ Ogata, Kazuo; Taylor, Robert W. (1991). "Ants of the genus Myrmecia Fabricius: a preliminary review and key to the named species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmeciinae)" (PDF). Journal of Natural History. 25 (6): 1623–1673. doi:10.1080/00222939100771021.
  15. ↑ Wheeler, W.M. (1909). "A small collection of ants from Victoria, Australia" (PDF). Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 17: 25–29.
  16. ↑ "Taxonomy - Myrmecia pyriformis (Brown bulldog ant) (Australian jumper ant)". UniProt. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  17. ↑ White, Julian (2013). A Clinician's Guide to Australian Venomous Bites and Stings: Incorporating the Updated Antivenom Handbook. Melbourne, Victoria: CSL Ltd. p. 233. ISBN   978-0-646-57998-6.
  18. ↑ Brown, William (1953). "Revisionary notes on the ant genus Myrmecia of Australia" (PDF). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. 111 (6): 1–35.
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