Romblonella

Taxobox
name = "Romblonella"


image_caption = "R. opaca"
image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Hymenoptera
familia = Formicidae
subfamilia = Myrmicinae
tribus = Formicoxenini
genus = "Romblonella"
genus_authority = Wheeler, 1935
type_species = "Rombonella grandinodis"
type_species_authority = Wheeler, 1935
diversity_link = Romblonella
diversity = c. 8 species
range_

range_map_width = 250px
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = see text.

"Romblonella" is a genus of myrmicine ants.

ystematics

"Romblonella" is probably the sister taxon to "Stereomyrmex". Closely related genera are "Leptothorax" Mayr and "Cardiocondyla" Emery.Taylor 1991]

Biology

Very little is known about these uncommon ants. Most species were found to nest in twigs on trees and to forage on low vegetation.Australian Ants Online]

Description

Workers of "R. opaca" are about 4 mm long. They have a small sting. "R. opaca" was described from four specimens found on Romblon Island, Philippines, by Wheeler (1935). However, the species had already been described by F. Smith in 1861 as "Myrmica opaca", which had been collected at Tondano, Sulawesi by Alfred Russel Wallace.Smith 1861: 47]

"R. elysii" workers are 2 mm long. They were originally described as "Crematogaster" from a few workers from the Solomon Islands. [Mann 1919: 319] "R. heatwolei" workers are almost 4 mm long.

Only for "R. palauensis" and "R. heatwolei" have males been described.

Distribution

"Romblonella" is found from the Philippines south through New Guinea, with one species known from Australia. The distribution stretches to the islands of the western South Pacific.

Name

The genus is named after the locality where the type species was found.

pecies

* "Romblonella elysii" (Mann, 1919) — Malapina, Big Nggela: Solomon Islands
* "Romblonella heatwolei" Taylor, 1991 — Wyer Island: Torres Strait: Queensland: Australia
* "Romblonella opaca" (F. Smith, 1861) — Philippines, Indonesia
* "Romblonella palauensis" M. R. Smith, 1953 — Auluptagel, Urukthapal, Babelthaub: Palau: Caroline Islands
* "Romblonella scrobifera" (Emery, 1897) [length c. 3 mm, as "Tetramorium scrobiferum", Emery 1897: 587] — Aitape, Manus Province, East Sepik Province, Morobe Province, East New Britain Province: New Guinea
* "Romblonella townesi" M. R. Smith, 1953 — Mount Lasso: Tinian Island: Northern Mariana Islands
* "Romblonella vitiensis" M. R. Smith, 1953 — Wakaya Island: Fiji Islands
* "Romblonella yapensis" M. R. Smith, 1953 — Yap Island: Caroline Islands

Footnotes

References

* (1861): Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the Islands of Ceram, Celebes, Ternate, and Gilolo. "Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology" 6: 36-48. [http://antbase.org/ants/publications/2596/2596.pdf PDF]
* (1919): The ants of the British Solomon Islands. "Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology of Harvard College" 63: 273-391. [http://antbase.org/ants/publications/4416/4416.pdf PDF]
* (1935): Two new genera of myrmicine ants from Papua and the Philippines. Proceedings of the New England Zoological Club 15: 1-9. [http://research.amnh.org/entomology/social_insects/ants/publications/3440/3440.pdf PDF]
* (1991): Notes on the ant genera "Romblonella" and "Willowsiella", with comments on their affinities, and the first descriptions of Australian species. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). "Psyche" 97: 281-298. [http://research.amnh.org/entomology/social_insects/ants/publications/2834/2834.pdf PDF]
* ITIS: [http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=574144 Genus "Romblonella"]
* Australian Ants Online: [http://www.ento.csiro.au/science/ants/myrmicinae/romblonella/romblonella.htm Genus "Romblonella"]

Further reading

* (1897): Formicidarum species novae vel minus cognitae in collectione Musaei Nationalis Hungarici, quas in Nova Guinea, colonia germanica, collegit L. Biro. "Termeszetrajzi Fuzetek" 20: 571-599. [http://antbase.org/ants/publications/11706/11706.pdf PDF]
* (1953): A revision of the genus Romblonella W. M. Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 15: 75-80. [http://antbase.org/ants/publications/2678/2678.pdf PDF]

External links

* [http://ant.edb.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/AZ/Australia/FORMICIDAE/Myrmicinae/Formicoxenini/Romblonella/heatwolei/index.html Pictures of "R. heatwolei"]