Dolichoderus clarki Wheeler

Shattuck, Steven O. & Marsden, Sharon, 2013, Australian species of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 3716 (2), pp. 101-143 : 111

Dolichoderus clarki Wheeler

( Fig. 5 )

Dolichoderus tristis Clark, 1930: 254 (junior primary homonym of tristis Mann, 1916: 463 , replaced with Dolichoderus clarki by Wheeler 1935:69).

Dolichoderus clarki Wheeler, 1935: 69 (new replacement name for Dolichoderus tristis Clark, 1930: 254 ).

Types. 2 worker syntypes from Bulli (1 in MVMA, 1 in AMSA); 16 worker syntypes from Hampton, near Jenolan Caves (1 in MCZC, 15 in AMSA); additional material from Bondi and Cooma (not examined), New South Wales.

Diagnosis. Pronotum and propodeum with elongate spines; pronotal spines short, directed anteriorly, approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, in dorsal view a line drawn between their tips intersects the pronotal collar; first gastral tergite with abundant short erect hairs and gaster with golden pubescence (less obvious in older specimens); antennae, tips of propodeal spines and legs dark brown to black, at most only slightly lighter in colour than body and generally the same colour as body.

This species most closely resembles D. doriae but can be differentiated by the dark coloured legs, in contrast to the yellow legs found in D. doriae .

Worker description. See Fig. 5 . The available material shows slight variation in leg colour, which is most commonly black but in some individuals is slightly lighter (reddish-black). Otherwise all specimens are similar to that figured.

Measurements (n=5). CI 95–97; EI 17–19; EL 0.27–0.32; HL 1.65–1.76; HW 1.59–1.69; ML 2.52–2.71; MTL 1.64–1.89; PronI 65.13–77.06; PronW 1.10–1.22; SI 110–115; SL 1.74–1.95.

Material examined. Australian Capital Territory: Blundells Creek, 3km E of Picadilly Circus (Weir, Lawrence & Johnson) (ANIC); New South Wales: Belanglo State Forest (Gush,T.) (ANIC); Como (Schrader,H.P.) (ANIC); Dalrymple Forest, Pymble, Sydney (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); Hampton (Musgrave,A.) (ANIC); Kembla (collector unknown) (ANIC); Narrabeen (Froggatt, W.W.) (); Pymble (McAreavey,J.) (ANIC); Royal NP, track just S of Garawarra (Ward,P.S.) (ANIC); Thirroul (Gush,T.) (ANIC); Wallerawang (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC).

Comments. D. clarki is found in wet sclerophyll woodlands of central coastal New South Wales and the ACT. Workers forage on the ground and on low vegetation. Its glandular compounds were examined by Cavill and Hinterberger (1960a, 1960b) while notes on its venom and venom apparatus were provided by Blum and Hermann (1978).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Dolichoderus clarki, worker from Pymble, New South Wales (ANIC 32 - 061353). A. Front of head; B. Side of body; C. Top of body; D. Distribution of material examined.