- Prolasius advenus
Taxobox
name = "Prolasius advenus"
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Arthropod a
classis =Insect a
ordo =Hymenoptera
familia =Formicidae
genus = "Prolasius "
species = "P. advenus"
binomial = "Prolasius advenus"
binomial_authority = (Fr. Smith, 1862)"Prolasius advenus" is an
ant of the familyFormicidae , endemic toNew Zealand , including offshore islands. It is found in native forests, nesting in soil under stones, or in or under rotting logs. "Prolasius advenus" does not have a sting. Mandibles have six teeth. Length of the worker ant is about 2.9 to 3.5 mm. The antenna has 12 segments. Coloration is usually brown.Colonies can have hundreds of workers, and be multi-queened and complex. "Prolasius advenus" is a generalist, foraging andscavenging for small
arthropod s and tendingmealy bug s. Food exchange (trophallaxis ) takes place between workers andlarva e. The developingpupa e are enclosed in pale cream coloured silken cocoons.Several associations of this ant with
beetle s are known. Beetle species include the following: astaphylinid ("Holotrochus " sp.), a small endemicstag beetle , "Ceratognathus passaliformis ", and apselaphid beetle, "Ecomorypora granulata ". There is also an interesting association with the caterpillars of thepuriri moth , "Aenetus virescens ", that live inputaputaweta trees, "Carpodetus serrata ". The worker ants feed on sap exposed by the wound created in the callus tissue of the tree by the moth larvae.References
* [http://www.antweb.org/newzealand/2005WardWeta.pdf Antweb]
* [http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biocons/invertebrates/ants/infosheets/hetbro_info.asp LandCare]
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