Dolichoderus clusor Forel

Shattuck, Steven O. & Marsden, Sharon, 2013, Australian species of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 3716 (2), pp. 101-143 : 112-113

Dolichoderus clusor Forel

( Fig. 6 )

Dolichoderus clusor Forel, 1907: 285 .

Types. Neotype worker (here designated, the original holotype (Forel 1907:286) apparently destroyed in ZMHB in WW II) from Perth, Western Australia (ANIC, ANIC32- 061187).

Diagnosis. Sculpturing on head consisting of large, shallow to moderately deep fovea; dorsum of pronotum essentially smooth and shiny, the sculpturing at most very fine; pronotum and propodeum lacking spines; posterior face of propodeum separated from the dorsal face by a distinct carina, posterior face deeply concave; pubescence on first gastral tergite abundant, the individual hairs overlapping

. This species most closely resembles D. scrobiculatus and D. turneri ; however the smooth sculpturing and shiny surface of the pronotum will distinguish D. clusor from both of these. Additionally, D. clusor is currently only known from South Australia and Western Australia while D. scrobiculatus and D. turneri occur in northeastern New South Wales and Queensland.

Worker description. See Fig. 6 . Pilosity on first gastral tergite varying from fairly thin to quite abundant and thick. Otherwise similar to the specimen figured.

Measurements (n=5). CI 83–88; EI 29–35; EL 0.26–0.29; HL 0.94–1.04; HW 0.78–0.91; ML 1.25–1.46; MTL 0.69–0.75; PronI 63.77–68.87; PronW 0.53–0.63; SI 108–118; SL 0.89–1.00.

Material examined. South Australia: 4km SW Auburn (Greenslade,P.J.M.) (ANIC); Clare (McAreavey,J.M.)

(ANIC); Western Australia: 15mi. N Bunbury (Douglas,A.M. & Douglas,M.J.) (ANIC); Australind (Heterick,B.E.) (JDMC); Bunbury (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); Carabooda (Heterick,B.E.) (JDMC); Dawesville (Heterick,B.E.) (JDMC); Hope Valley (Heterick,B.E.) (JDMC); Kings Park (Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); Kingsley (Knowles,D.G.) (JDMC); Mundaring (Clark,J.; Lowery,B.B.) (ANIC); Perth (Clark,J.) (ANIC); Reabold Hill (Majer,J.D.) (JDMC); Rottnest Is. (Delane,P.) (JDMC); Swan River (Clark,J.) (ANIC).

Comments. There is some variation in the abundance of pilosity on the first gastral tergite, which varies from fairly thin to quite abundant and thick. In general South Australian material is hairier than specimens found in Western Australia. However, this variation is continuous and shows a geographic pattern, suggesting that it is intraspecific rather than interspecific.

Dolichoderus clusor has been collected in Banksia woodlands (Heterick, 2009) and dry sclerophyll where it forages on tree trunks. It is currently known from two widely disjunct populations, one near Perth, Western Australia and the other in the general vicinity of Adelaide, South Australia.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Dolichoderus clusor, neotype worker from Perth, Western Australia (ANIC 32 - 061187). A. Front of head; B. Side of body; C. Top of body; D. Distribution of material examined.