Pheidologeton diversus
Encyclopedia
Pheidologeton diversus, common name
East Indian harvesting ant, is a species
of marauder ant
widely distributed throughout Asia
.
insect
and individuals have continuous allometric variation in size and morphology
to facilitate task allocation and partitioning of work
. Minor workers are between 1.3 and 2.5 mm in length, but major workers are much larger. Between the smallest minor and largest major workers there are many intermediate forms. The largest workers can have heads approximately 10 times larger than that of their smallest counterparts. The dry weight of a large major worker can be approximately 500 times heavier that of their smallest counterparts. These size-related morphological differences correspond with their division of labor. For example, small, young, minor workers specialize in caring for the larva
e but extend their activities as they grow older and increase in size.
Minor workers have yellowish brown to reddish brown bodies. Their mandibles each have five "teeth" and their antennal
scape
s are short and do not exceed the posterior margin of the head. Minor workers have rectangular heads with weakly convex posterior margins in full face view.
Major workers have reddish brown to blackish brown bodies. Their heads are proportionately larger and almost square with convex posterior margin in frontal view. Mandibles of major workers are large and triangular, with an acute apical "tooth". Their masticatory margins lack distinct "teeth". Their eyes are relatively small and their antennal scapes are half as long as their heads.
which are often found in soil or under rocks. This species preys
on small animals such as insects and also collects nectivorous materials. These ants regularly forms long columns for foraging
and sometimes roof these trails with arcade
s constructed of soil particles. They use pheromone
trails to maintain these lines and if these trails are obstructed it causes chaos and crowding. One study showed that 98% of individuals failed to cross an obstacle in the foraging path and that eventually the column creates a detour around such obstructions.
through Southeast Asia
to Taiwan
and the Philippines
. Field records of it occurring Japan
are limited although it has been found on two very southern points: Okinawa Island
and on Chicchi-jima Island. Specimens taken at the Camp Zama
U.S. Air Force base in Kanagawa Prefecture
are believed to have originated from commercial introduction from Southeast Asia.
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
East Indian harvesting ant, is a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of marauder ant
Pheidologeton
Pheidologeton is a genus of ants, also called marauder ants, due to their raids similar to those of army ants. Their nests are more permanent but almost as large as those of army ants...
widely distributed throughout Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Description
P. diversus is a eusocialEusociality
Eusociality is a term used for the highest level of social organization in a hierarchical classification....
insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
and individuals have continuous allometric variation in size and morphology
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
to facilitate task allocation and partitioning of work
Task allocation and partitioning of social insects
Task allocation and partitioning refers to the way that tasks are chosen, assigned, subdivided, and coordinated . Closely associated are issues of communication that enable these actions to occur....
. Minor workers are between 1.3 and 2.5 mm in length, but major workers are much larger. Between the smallest minor and largest major workers there are many intermediate forms. The largest workers can have heads approximately 10 times larger than that of their smallest counterparts. The dry weight of a large major worker can be approximately 500 times heavier that of their smallest counterparts. These size-related morphological differences correspond with their division of labor. For example, small, young, minor workers specialize in caring for the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e but extend their activities as they grow older and increase in size.
Minor workers have yellowish brown to reddish brown bodies. Their mandibles each have five "teeth" and their antennal
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
scape
Scape
In biology, the term scape may refer to:* The first segment of an insect antenna* A finger-like appendage of the epigyne of a female spider* Scape , a flowering stemScape may also refer to:...
s are short and do not exceed the posterior margin of the head. Minor workers have rectangular heads with weakly convex posterior margins in full face view.
Major workers have reddish brown to blackish brown bodies. Their heads are proportionately larger and almost square with convex posterior margin in frontal view. Mandibles of major workers are large and triangular, with an acute apical "tooth". Their masticatory margins lack distinct "teeth". Their eyes are relatively small and their antennal scapes are half as long as their heads.
Behavior
P. diversus forms large coloniesColony (biology)
In biology, a colony reference to several individual organisms of the same species living closely together, usually for mutual benefit, such as stronger defense or the ability to attack bigger prey. Some insects live only in colonies...
which are often found in soil or under rocks. This species preys
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
on small animals such as insects and also collects nectivorous materials. These ants regularly forms long columns for foraging
Foraging
- Definitions and significance of foraging behavior :Foraging is the act of searching for and exploiting food resources. It affects an animal's fitness because it plays an important role in an animal's ability to survive and reproduce...
and sometimes roof these trails with arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
s constructed of soil particles. They use pheromone
Pheromone
A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual...
trails to maintain these lines and if these trails are obstructed it causes chaos and crowding. One study showed that 98% of individuals failed to cross an obstacle in the foraging path and that eventually the column creates a detour around such obstructions.
Range
P. diversus is widely distributed from IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
through Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Field records of it occurring Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
are limited although it has been found on two very southern points: Okinawa Island
Okinawa Island
Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...
and on Chicchi-jima Island. Specimens taken at the Camp Zama
Camp Zama
is a United States Army post located in the cities of Zama and Sagamihara, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about southwest of Tokyo.Camp Zama is home to the U.S. Army Japan /I Corps , the U.S. Army Japan Aviation Detachment "Ninjas" , the 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, the Japan Engineer...
U.S. Air Force base in Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
are believed to have originated from commercial introduction from Southeast Asia.
Subspecies
The following subspecies have been noted:- Pheidologeton diversus diversus (Jerdon, 1851)
- Pheidologeton diversus draco (Santschi, 1920)
- Pheidologeton diversus fictus (Forel, 1911)
- Pheidologeton diversus laotinus (Santschi, 1920)
- Pheidologeton diversus macgregori (Wheeler, 1929)
- Pheidologeton diversus philippinus (Wheeler, 1929)
- Pheidologeton diversus standfussi (Forel, 1911)
- Pheidologeton diversus taprobanae (Smith, 1858)
- Pheidologeton diversus tenuirugosus (Wheeler, 1929)
- Pheidologeton diversus williamsi (Wheeler, 1929)