Formica manchu Wheeler, 1929

Seifert, Bernhard, 2000, A taxonomic revision of the ant subgenus Coptoformica Mueller, 1923 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Zoosystema 22 (3), pp. 517-568 : 534-535

Formica manchu Wheeler, 1929

Formica exsecta var. manchu Wheeler, 1929

TYPE LOCALITY. — Manchuria: Boketu (= Buchatu = P’o-k’o-t’u; 48°45’N, 121°58’E).

TYPE MATERIAL. — Syntypes 9 workers ( MCZ) [investigated].

Formica dlusskyi Bolton, 1995 (replacement name for longiceps Dlussky, 1964, a junior primary homonym of longiceps Smith, 1863). Synonym.

TYPE LOCALITY. — S Central and E Siberia.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Paratypes 4 workers ( NHM Basel and ZIPAS)[investigated].

GEOGRAPHIC ORIGIN OF THE MATERIAL STUDIED. — The numerically evaluated 34 workers came from Mongolia (2 samples), N Tibet (4 samples), and Manchuria (1 sample). Total number of specimens seen 50.

DESCRIPTION

Worker ( Figs 17 ; 18 )

Medium-sized species (CL 1375 ± 76, 1193- 1542; CW 1282 ± 71, 1128-1458). Head significantly longer than in other species (CL/CW 1.067 ± 0.016, 1.036-1.103). Scape rather long (SL/CL 1.013 ± 0.018, 0.966-1.048). Setae only present on anterior clypeus (ClySet 1.67 ± 0.56, 1-3). Lateral semierect setae in the ocellar triangle rarely present (OceSet 12%). Eye hairs strongly developed (EyeHL 27.9 ± 6.8, 12-29). Pubescence disctance in the occellar triangle large (sqrtPDF 5.95 ± 0.50, 4.95-6.92). Craniad profile of forecoxae without or very few subdecumbent setae (nCOXA 1.30 ± 0.91, 0-3.5). Dorsal mesosoma, lateral metapleuron and ventrolateral propodeum only exceptionally with single standing setae (nMET 0.04 ± 0.26, 0-1.5). Outer edge of the hind tibial flexor side with subdecumbent setae (nHTFL 4.78 ± 1.90, 1.0-9.0). Semierect setae on gaster tergites beginning at the posterior border of second to third tergite (TERG 2.91 ± 0.29, 2-3), anterior part of sculptured surface of third tergite always with setae. Pubescence distance on first gaster tergite very large (sqrtPDG 7.57 ± 0.59, 6.46-8.84).

Queen

(Not seen, description according to Agosti 1989): “[...] Clypeus only at the anterior margin with a number of standing setae that have the same length as pubescence hairs. Eyes with standing setae. Head, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster without standing setae [few small setae are most probably present at the hind margin of third or fourth gaster tergite, B. S.], instead a homogeneous, long, subdecumbent pubescence is present. Hind tibiae with long, subdecumbent pubescence. Head surface shagreened with homogeneously scattered, fine, smooth, and shining punctures [...]”. Some morphometric data can be predicted from the average correlations between queen and worker data observed in Coptoformica and from transformation of some data of Agosti: ML 2315, CL/CW 1.030, SL/CL 0.960, EyeHL 46, nCOXA 1, TERG 3.5, nHTFL 5.5, sqrtPDF 5.3, sqrt PDG 7.5.

TAXONOMIC COMMENTS AND

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

The nine syntype workers of manchu labelled “Boketu, Manchuria, 7.7.1926 ” (MCZ) and four paratype workers of dlusskyi labelled “Baian Davaa, 75 km E Ulan Bator, 6.VI.1962 leg. B. Pisarski No 3350” (NHM Basel and ZIPAS) and “ Mongolia: Gorchi 50 km NE Ulan Bator, 25.V.1962, leg. B. Pisarski & R. Bielawski” (MZ) are practically identical in the mean values of their characters (fist value manchu , second value dlusskyi ): CL/CW 1.075, 1.076; SL/CL 1.023, 1.024; EyeHL 26.8, 27.7; TERG 3.00, 2.75; nHTFL 5.28, 5.00; nMET 0.00, 0.38; sqrtPDF 5.90, 6.20; sqrtPDG 7.52, 7.56; Clyset 1.11, 2.00; and nCOXA 0.36, 2.25. The only significant difference is the lower number of coxal setae in the manchu series but such moderate deviations are normal in species with low coxal setae numbers (e.g., fennica , bruni , forsslundi ). The weak differences in head shape between the types of manchu and dlusskyi ( Figs 17A ; 18A ) have no significance in view of the considerable intraspecific variability of this character. As a consequence, the high similarity of charac-ter combinations and the zoogeographic proximity of the type localities indicate that dlusskyi most probably represents a junior synonym of manchu .

BIOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION

The samples studied and the site records given by Dlussky (1967) indicate an E Palaearctic distribution between 96°E (Kansk) and 130°E (Yakutsk) and 36°N (N Tibet) to 62°N (Yakutsk). Several samples collected by A. Gebauer in a bushy steppe habitat in the Southern Koko Nur Mountains (NE Tibet) in 1990/96 came from polydomous colonies.

Figures

FIG. 17. — Syntype worker of Formica manchu; A, head; B, anterior clypeus; C, hind tibia, view not fully directed on the large tibial diameter, there is a slight tilt for better visualisation of setae on outer margin of flexor profile. Scale bar: A, 635 µm; B, C, 400 µm.

FIG. 18. — Paratype worker of Formica dlusskyi; A, head; B, anterior clypeus; C, hind tibia, view not fully directed on the large tibial diameter, there is a slight tilt for better visualisation of setae on outer margin of flexor profile. Scale bar: A, 635 µm; B, C, 400 µm.