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.
Highlights
The ant genus Paratrechina was found to be paraphyletic, with all but one species being transferred to the revived genera Nylanderia and Paraparatrechina (LaPolla et al 2010a; LaPolla et al 2010c; LaPolla et al 2011a)
Since the new species described here is only known from the worker, we provide only a worker-based definition for the genus pending the discovery of males and queens for Paratrechina zanjensis
The worker of P. zanjensis can be separated from P. longicornis based on the presence of erect macrosetae on the scapes
Summary
The ant genus Paratrechina (broad sense) was found to be paraphyletic, with all but one species being transferred to the revived genera Nylanderia and Paraparatrechina (LaPolla et al 2010a; LaPolla et al 2010c; LaPolla et al 2011a). One interesting and important aspect of Paratrechina longicornis biology is that it is perhaps the most widespread ant species in the world (Wetterer 2008), owing to the ease with which it is spread by human activities and the ability to survive even in extremely anthropogenically changed environments. This species has literally been spread around the planet, being found in almost every urban center in the tropics; it can widely be found in greenhouses and other manmade structures in cool temperate climates (Wetterer 2008). Where exactly the species is native has been a source of debate and uncertainty, the evidence seems to suggest it is native to Southeast Asia (Wetterer 2008; LaPolla et al 2010a)
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