Image from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala state, in Western Ghats of India. The ants were busy attacking Pheidole sps.
Taxonomic history
Junior synonym of Aenictus aratus: Wilson, 1964a PDF: 446; Bolton, 1995b: 58; Tiwari, 1999 PDF: 17.Status as species: Bingham, 1903 PDF: 19; Emery, 1910b PDF: 29; Wheeler, 1919f PDF: 62; Chapman & Capco, 1951 PDF: 10; Shattuck, 2008c PDF: 16; Bharti et al., 2012 PDF: 294 (in key); Bharti et al., 2016 PDF: 20.Senior synonym of Aenictus aratus asiatica: Shattuck, 2008c PDF: 16.Aenictus aitkenii Forel , 1901: 475 (junior synonym of A. aratus by Wilson, 1964: 446; revised status as valid species). Aenictus aratus var. asiatica Forel , 1911: 453 (junior synonym of aratus by Wilson, 1964: 446; removed from synonymy with A. aratus , new synonym of A. aitkenii ).
Types. Aenictus aitkenii : Worker syntypes from Kanara, Thana and Travancore, India (not examined). Aenictus aratus var. asiatica : Worker syntype from Sri Lanka (not examined).
Comments. This species is similar to A. aratus (with which it has been treated as a junior synonym) and A. nesiotis but differs in having a broader head (CI> 87 versus CI <88 in nesiotis ), and broader and more bulbous petiole and postpetiole (both are narrower in aratus and nesiotis ). The scape is also relatively longer than in the others (SI> 115 versus SI <115). It is similar to levior in the shape of the head but differs in having longer scapes. This species is so far known only from India and Sri Lanka.
