Taxonomy Meat ant

published illustration of worker w.w. froggatt, 1907

the meat ant first described in 1858 british entomologist frederick smith in catalogue of hymenopterous insects in collection of british museum part vi, under binomial name formica purpurea holotype worker ant collected in melbourne, victoria. type material housed in natural history museum, london. in 1862, austrian entomologist gustav mayr erected genus iridomyrmex, , reclassified meat ant member of iridomyrmex rather genus formica. ant named iridomyrmex purpurea in 1862; however, mayr renamed ant iridomyrmex purpureus 1 year after. i. purpureus later classified synonym of iridomyrmex detectus, , taxon designated type species of iridomyrmex in 1903. in 1993, i. detectus synonymised i. purpureus , grouped i. purpureus species complex. i. detectus described separate species smith same year i. purpureus 2 syntype queens collected hunter river in new south wales. although name i. purpureus used many authors, karl wilhelm von dalla torre reused i. detectus , adopted several authors, replacing i. purpureus. 1960s, however, i. purpureus once again became preferred on i. detectus. while 2 names described in same year , publication, name i. purpureus valid name species in accordance international code of zoological nomenclature. entomologist b.t. lowne first person revise i. purpureus , i. detectus, , synonymised 2 species.

several synonyms have either been classified separate species meat ant or subspecies. iridomyrmex purpureus sanguineus , i. p. viridiaeneus classified subspecies in 1974, being recognised 2 species. i. detectus castrae described variant of meat ant in 1925 (as i. d. var. castrae), taxon reclassified subspecies in 1985; subsequently, 1993 revision reclassified i. p. sanguineus , i. p. viridiaeneus @ species level while i. d. castrae synonymised, based on morphological examinations of collected material. camponotus horni, formica smithii , liometopum aeneum described 3 distinct species in 3 different ant genera, these classifications short-lived, scientists discovered these taxa identical, , subsequently synonymised them meat ant. camponotus horni described english entomologist william forsell kirby in 1896 worker , queen syntypes collected @ palm creek in northern territory. in 1930, australian entomologist john s. clark reviewed these specimens , synonymised taxon meat ant. however, queen later found distinct workers , c. horni redescribed species. information provided clark makes sufficient retain validity of name, making clark new author of c. horni. due uncertain taxonomic status of clark s c. horni, proposal rename species cannot carried through. clark s c. horni junior homonym kirby s c. horni.

syntype specimen of iridomyrmex detectus castrae, housed in natural history museum of geneva

one synonym, iridomyrmex greensladei, described separate species meat ant based on anatomical differences of head , pronotum (the dorsal portion of prothorax s exoskeletal plates), same colour mesosoma. in meat ant, head , pronotum lighter mesosoma. american entomologist steve shattuck notes 2 ants non-sympatric (they exist in same geographic area , regularly encounter each other), , supporting evidence separate them 2 distinct species emerged when enzymes esterase , amylase examined , results show had different amylase allele. these examinations, however, did not take account of distinction in colour between populations known i. greensladei , i. purpureus. example, colonies residing in western australia may have lighter heads whereas living in eastern states have darker heads. unpublished study examining mitochondrial dna did not find distinction between eastern , western populations of i. greensladei , i. purpureus. additional evidence suggests populations found in east , west same species. despite evidence, there several problems: forms intended i. greensladei found in yorke peninsula 1987 study, noted while ants morphologically indistinguishable both i. greensladei , i. purpureus populations, nests contained single nest hole (whereas i. purpureus nests have many). shattuck collected workers holotype , paratype specimens israelite bay in western australia, rather collecting yorke peninsula. forms in yorke peninsula have never been subject study, future research may shed light whether or not these ants genetically different meat ant.

under present classification, meat ant member of genus iridomyrmex in tribe leptomyrmecini, subfamily dolichoderinae. member of family formicidae, belonging order hymenoptera, order of insects containing ants, bees, , wasps. genus froggattella sister group of iridomyrmex, both of in clade 23 million years old. fossils related meat ant , other species eocene , oligocene.

forms

in 1970s, scientists discovered several different forms of meats ants, forming iridomyrmex purpureus species group; 3 forms identified (the regular i. purpureus , other 2 forms i. sanguineus , i. viridiaeneus), differing in colour , nest structure. however, there no clear morphological differences among these variations, taxonomic status , evolutionary relationship of these ants remained uncertain. colouration varies ants red head , thorax , blue metallic sheen, yellowish body , bluish-purple gaster. others may darker, appearing metallic-bluish purplish-black. owing different geographical ranges, behaviour , ecology of these forms differentiated, based on examinations multiple forms sympatric. each form had own geographical limit, although regular i. purpureus form common, inhabiting @ least one-third of australian continent. forms may dominant in habitats; example, 1 form may widespread throughout moist environments in dry areas, , others in cool , dry areas.

in 1974, i. sanguineus , i. viridiaeneus classified 2 subspecies of meat ant p.j. greenslade. recognised form, undescribed blue form first studied several years earlier. greenslade did not propose taxonomic recognition of newly discovered taxon, instead referred form . in 1975, study examined distinctiveness of 3 forms comparing amylase enzyme allele frequencies. blue form found genetically isolated , allele frequencies differed forms purpureus , viridiaeneus, same study concluded these latter 2 forms similar. during time, greenslade continue study these forms include dark yellow, yellow, orange , small purple form. in addition, 2 new forms recognised in later studies, these 2 forms not given formal species description. instead, recognised colour , genitalia of males. although these forms represented undescribed, yet distinct species, i. purpureus species group contained single valid species, 3 subspecies , 7 different forms. in 1993, known forms , subspecies either revived or classified @ species level in article revising group, concluding separation of forms each other.

etymology , common names

the specific epithet of meat ant, purpureus, derives latin, in means purple , purple-coloured or dark-red , referencing coloured appearance of ant. in classical latin, purpureus translated dyed purple , while word purpura, used smith meat ant (formica purpura), translates purpled-dyed cloth . generic name, iridomyrmex, translates rainbow ants ancient greek, reference points appearance; this, in particular, due blue-green iridescence colour. compound of 2 ancient greek words–irido, meaning rainbow , , myrmex, means ant . ant commonly known meat ant because of habit of stripping meat off dead vertebrates. alternative names include gravel ant, greenslade s meat ant, meat-eater ant, mound ant, or southern meat ant. name southern meat ant due extreme abundance in southern regions of australia.