Aenictus javanus

Jaitrong, Weeyawat & Yamane, Seiki, 2011, Synopsis of Aenictus species groups and revision of the A. curra x and A. laeviceps groups in the eastern Oriental, Indo-Australian, and Australasian regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Aenictinae), Zootaxa 3128, pp. 1-46 : 7

Aenictus javanus group

Diagnosis. Head in full-face view with occipital corner convex; occipital margin lacking collar. Antenna 10-segmented; antennal scape short extending only half length of head. Anterior clypeal margin roundly convex bearing 6–10 denticles. Mandible subtriangular; masticatory margin with 3 teeth including the large apical tooth. Frontal carina short, not extending beyond the level of posterior margin of torulus. Parafrontal ridge absent. Mesosoma in profile with dorsal margin almost flat; dorsal face of mesosoma meeting with lateral face at a right angle; propodeal junction angular; propodeal declivity encircled with a thin rim. Subpetiolar process developed, triangular or subrectangular.

Head and first gastral segment entirely smooth and shiny except the base of gastral tergite I and sternite I that have dense small punctures. Body reddish brown to yellowish brown; typhlatta spot absent.

Remarks. This is a group of relatively small ants measuring 1.38–3.40 mm in total length. It is similar to the A. piercei group in terms of body size and coloration, but in the former the anterior clypeal margin has several denticles, while it lacks denticles in the latter.

Though Wilson (1964) treated Aenictus javanus as a member of the A. ceylonicus group, it has a quite different set of characteristics as mentioned above.

Distribution. Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and W. Java.

Currently valid names for the Oriental, Indo-Australian, and Australasian forms. A. doydeei Jaitrong et Yamane, 2011 ; A. javanus Enery, 1896 ; A. nishimurai Terayama et Kubota, 1993 .