Taxonomic review of the ant genus Paratrechina, with a description of a new species from Africa

By

Lapolla, John S
Hawkes, Peter
Fisher, Jonathan N.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2013

Original Publication

Journal of Hymenoptera research

Volume

35

Pages

71-82

Subjects

invasive species , miombo woodland , new species , Nylanderia , Prenolepis , Zatania

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Washington, D.C International Society of Hymenopterists

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.35.5628

 

Abstract

With the recent finding of Paratrechina (broad sense) paraphyly, only Paratrechina longicornis remained in a redefined genus. As one of the most widely distributed ant species due to human transfer around the world, there is much interest in the biology of P. longicornis. One issue concerning P. longicornis has been as to where exactly the species is native, with both African and Asian native ranges being invoked in the literature. Here we report the discovery of a second species within Paratrechina. This species, P. zanjensis, is native to Africa (known from Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), where it appears to be a dry miombo woodland species. Given the discovery of this new species, a reevaluation of the morphological definition of Paratrechina is provided; also provided is an updated generic level identification key. Given the available distribution information on P. longicornis, we conclude that P. longicornis remains most likely native to southeastern Asia, and that the discovery of a new species native to Africa makes Paratrechina yet another example of an ant genus that possesses an Afro-Asian distribution.