Harpegnathos alperti

Harpegnathos alperti
	H. alperti holotype worker
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ponerinae
Tribe:	Ponerini
Genus:	Harpegnathos
Species:	H. alperti
Binomial name
	Harpegnathos alperti; General, 2016

Harpegnathos alperti is a

Indomalayan

bioregion. The species is known from a single specimen collected in the Philippines and described in 2016.

History and classification

The type specimen was collected in 2003 from Panicuason Village located on

patronym honoring entomologist Gary Alpert who acted as a mentor and friend^[2]

In general aspect, General considered the species is similar to Harpegnathos venator chapmani in coloration, but with exokeletal texturing more similar to Harpegnathos venator rugosus. However, due to being unable to locate the type specimen for H. v. chapmani in the American Museum of Natural History, Natural History Museum, London, Museum of Comparative Zoology or Smithsonian Institution collections, a direct and more detailed comparison of the two taxa was unable to be performed. The H. v. chapmani type worker was collected from Mount Makiling, with General noting the need for more extensive colleting to gather specimens of Luzon Harpegnathos and shed light on the natural biology of the genus on the island.^[2]

Description

Overall the Harpegnathos alperti is 19.45 mm (0.766 in) long, with an overall black coloration to the body grading to patchy yellowish chocolate-brown on the leg while the mandibles and antennae are a darker chocolate.

tergites have fine background punctation overlain by larger and coarser punctations and the tip of the gaster sports a functional sting.^[2]

Ecology

The holotype was trapped during the process of general insect collection on a

Musa textilis Abacá banana.^[2] The plantation was at an elevation of 500–550 m (1,640–1,800 ft) in elevation.^[2]

References

^ Bolton, B. (2015). "Harpegnathos alperti". AntCat. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g General, D.E.M. (2016). "A review of the ant genus Harpegnathos Jerdon, 1851 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Philippines, with the description of two new species". Halteres. 7: 99–105.

External links

Media related to Harpegnathos at Wikimedia Commons

[AntCat-1] Bolton, B. (2015). "Harpegnathos alperti". AntCat. Retrieved 4 December 2023.

[General2016-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g General, D.E.M. (2016). "A review of the ant genus Harpegnathos Jerdon, 1851 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Philippines, with the description of two new species". Halteres. 7: 99–105.

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