Photos and Info on Ants and Termites of Malaysia: 2018

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Pheidole sp

Pheidole, the big headed ants, is among one of the largest ant genus. Most are average size small ants with minor workers of around 2 millimeters to 4 millimeters. Pheidole species are usually dimorphic with a few polyrmorphic species seeing several expressions in the major worker caste. The majority of of Pheidole species are dimorphic.

This species is the eleventh specimen encountered by me.

Major and minor workers of Pheidole sp(11)

See also:

Taxonomy:

No rank: cellular organisms 131567

Superkingdom (Domain): Eukaryota 2759

No rank: Opisthokonta 33154

Kingdom: Metazoa 33208

No rank: Eumetazoa 6072

No rank (Subkingdom): Bilateria 33213

No rank (Branch): Protostomia 33317

No rank (Infrakingdom): Ecdysozoa

No rank (Superphylum): Panarthropoda 88770

Phylum: Arthropoda 6656

No rank (Subphylum): Mandibulata 197563

No rank: Pancrustacea 197562

Subphylum (Epiclass): Hexapoda 6960

Class: Insecta 50557

No rank (Subclass): Dicondylia 85512

Subclass (Infraclass): Pterygota 7496

Infraclass: Neoptera 33340

Cohort: Holometabola

Order: Hymenoptera 7399

Suborder Apocrita 7400

Infraorder: Aculeata 7434

Superfamily: Formicoidea

Family: Formicidae 36668

Subfamily: Myrmicinae 34695

Tribe: Pheidolini 144015

Genus: Pheidole 190769

Updated: 2022 03 15

First Posted: 2018 12 12

Friday, November 09, 2018

Lophomyrmex sp

Lophomyrmex sp. typical of this genus is monomorphic. This species is noticeably larger than Lophomymex bedoti.

Taxonomy:

Top Node: cellular organisms
Superkingdom: Eukayota 2759
Opisthokonta 33154
Kingdom: Metazoa 33208 (aka Animalia)
(No Rank): Eumetazoa 6072
(No Rank): Bilateria 33213
(No Rank): Protostomia 33317
(No Rank): Ecdysozoa 1206784
(No Rank):Panarthropoda 88770
Phylum: Arthropoda 6656
(No Rank): Mandibulata 197563
(No Rank): Pancrustacea 197562
Superclass: Hexapoda 6960
Class: Insecta 50557
(No Rank): Dicondylia 85512
(No Rank): Petrygota 7496
Subclass: Neoptera33340
Infraclass: Endopterygota 33392
Order: Hymenoptera 7399
(No Rank): Apocrita 7400
Suborder: Aculeata 7434
Superfamily: Vespoidea 34725
Family: Formicidae 36668
Subfamily: Myrmicinae 34695
Tribe: Pheidolini 144015
Genus: Lophomyrmex 369157

Last Updated: 2018 11 09
First Posted: 2018 11 09
© 2013 – 2018 Quah. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, October 03, 2018

Pseudoneoponera sp

With the revision to the Pachycondyla genus (2014 C.E.) this species is now Pseudoneoponera. Pseudoneoponera sp14 workers measuring at over 17 millimeters looks like a slimmer version of Pseudoneoponera tridentata and a Pseudoneoponera "version" of Diacamma scalpratum.

Pseudoneoponera sp14 is mostly a solitary hunter hunting for prey mostly underground and in the trunk of dead trees or the dead part of living trees during the day. This large ant seldom show itself above ground during the day.

I have not come across any documentation of this species and provisionally tag is unclassified.

A Pseudoneoponera worker hunting for prey under a fallen tree.

Worker of a large Pseudoneoponera ant.

Worker of a large Pseudoneoponera ant.

Worker of a 17 millimeter Pachycondyla ant

Worker of a large Pseudoneoponera ant.

Worker of a large Pseudoneoponera ant.

Workers of Pseudoneoponera tending to a larva.

Workers of Pachycondyla tending to a larva

Brachyponera sp(07).

Brachyponera sp(05).

Buniapone amblyops

Ectomomyrmex astuta
Ectomomyrmex leeuwenhoeki

Ectomomyrmex sp12

Ectomomyrmex sp(05)

Ectomomyrmex sp(18)

Mesoponera sp

Mesoponera sp(02)

Pseudoneoponera tridentata
Pseudoneoponera sp13

Taxonomy

No rank: cellular organisms 131567
Superkingdom (Domain): Eukaryota 2759
No rank: Opisthokonta 33154
Kingdom: Metazoa 33208
No rank: Eumetazoa 6072
No rank (Subkingdom): Bilateria 33213
No rank (Branch): Protostomia 33317
No rank (Infrakingdom): Ecdysozoa
No rank (Superphylum): Panarthropoda 88770
Phylum: Arthropoda 6656
No rank (Subphylum): Mandibulata 197563
No rank: Pancrustacea 197562
Subphylum (Epiclass): Hexapoda 6960
Class: Insecta 50557
No rank (Subclass): Dicondylia 85512
Subclass (Infraclass): Pterygota 7496
Infraclass: Neoptera 33340
Cohort: Holometabola
Order: Hymenoptera 7399
Suborder Apocrita 7400
Infraorder: Aculeata 7434
Superfamily: Formicoidea
Family: Formicidae 36668
Subfamily: Ponerinae 43085

Tribe: Ponerini 141711
Genus: Pseudoneoponera 1885325

Last Updated: 2021 07 21
First Published: 2018 10 03
© 2011 – 2021 Quah. All rights reserved.

Monday, September 03, 2018

Microcerotermes sp

This is the largest Microcerotermes documented by me. Can't find any description of this so assume that it is an unclassified species.

Workers and soldiers of Microcerotermes sp.

Other Species:

Microcerotermes serrula.

Microcerotermes biroi.

Taxonomy:

Cellular organisms; 131567

Eukaryota; 2759

Opisthokonta; 33154

Metazoa; 33208

Eumetazoa; 6072

Bilateria; 33213

Coelomata; 33316

Protostomia; 33317

Panarthropoda; 88770

Arthropoda; 6656

Mandibulata; 197563

Pancrustacea; 197562

Hexapoda; 6960

Insecta; 50557

Dicondylia; 85512

Pterygota; 7496

Neoptera; 33340

Orthopteroidea; 33341

Dictyoptera; 6970

Blattodea 85823

Isoptera; 7499

Termitidae; 46569

Termitinae; 92738

Amitermes group; 377832

Microcerotermes; 139992

Last Updated: 2018 10 14

First Posted: 2018 09 03

Wednesday, August 08, 2018

Coptotermes sp

Rhinotermitinae or Rhinotermitidae (the closest match is actually to Coptotermes) is a common but rarely seen termites in human habitat areas except during the swarming seasons. From the number of alates which are plentiful one would come across during the swarming seasons it seem strange that I seldom come across the colonies in urban and suburban areas. But instead Coptotermes gestroi is found everywhere but I seldom come across their alates.

Generally the genus is very tolerant of high humidity which normally would drown most other termite genera. I provisionally categorized them under dampwood termites because of this.

Unclassified Rhinotermitinae sp(3) soldiers and workers. I have classified them under Rhinotemitnae as I can't officially confirmed them as Prorhinotermes except for their tolerance of relatively high humidity which usually 'drown' other direct wood (as opposed to fungi growing and humus) consuming species. Also they have the an opening of the frontal gland similar to Coptotermes. They look more alike to Coptotermes just not exactly (the head capsule is relatively longer than those of C. gestroi and C. curvinagthus). The head capsule is more the shape of Prorhinotermes.

Sp2

Rhinotermitinae sp(2) soldiers head capsule has a slight whitish coloration especially the posterior. The head capsule is also more bulb shaped than those of Coptotermes curvignatus.

Sp3

The soldiers of this species (the head) is almost identical to those of Coptotermes formosanus. The reproductives however more closely resemble those of Coptotermes gestroi.

See also:
Prorhinotermes flavius (This is the only true damp wood termites I come across from this location. And it is also the only one that exhibit atypical behaviors for termites in a few significant areas.)

Taxonomy

cellular organisms

Superkingdom: Eukaryota

Opisthokonta

Kingdom: Metazoa

Eumetazoa

Bilateria

Protostomia

Ecdysozoa

Panarthropoda

Phylum: Arthropoda

Mandibulata

Pancrustacea

Subphylum: Hexapoda

Class: Insecta

Unrank: Dicondylia

Subclass: Pterygota

Infraclass: Neoptera

Cohort: Polyneoptera

Unrank: Dictyoptera

Order: Blattodea

Superfamily: Blattoidea

Isoptera: 7499

Unrank: Termitoidae 1912919

Family: Rhinotermitidae 36985

Subfamily: Coptotermitinae72653

Genus: Coptotermes 36986

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Labritermes buttelreepeni

Labritermes buttel-reepeni is the smallest of the three known members of this genus from this location. The soldiers of Labritermes butelreepni has the longest head capsule as a ratio to its (the head) width. The workers of Labritermes genus are among the smallest if not the smallest of termite workers, with those of Labritermes butel-reepeni at around 2 millimeters.

Workers, soldier and pseudergate of Labritermes butelreeeni.

Soldier of Labritermes butelreeeni.

Worker and soldier of Labritermes butelreeeni.

Taxonomy

Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Bilateria
Branch: Protostomia
Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Mandibulata
Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Superclass: Panhexapoda
Epiclass: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Dicondylia
Infraclass: Pterygota
Superorder: Dictyoptera
Order: Blattodea
Suborder: Isoptera
Family: Termitidae 46569
Subfamily: Termitinae 92738
Group: Foraminitermes 377831
Genus: Labritermes 201574
Species: butel-reepeni (aka butelreepeni, buttelreepeni, ) 377922

Last Updated: 2018 06 12
First Posted: 2018 06 12