Anochetus graeffei Mayr 1870

In Fiji: Anochetus graeffei is the only species of this genus known from Fiji. The single waist segment and linear trap-jaws group it together with Fijis two Odontomachus species, from which it can be separated by its smaller size, scale-shaped petiolar node lacking an apical spine, and nuchal carinae that do not converge in a V at the midline of the posterodorsal margin of head. The species is reported to be highly variable across the Pacific (Brown, 1978; Wilson, 1959b), especially with regards to the sculpturing of the first gastral tergite and color. These differences are observed in Fiji, and are particularly prominent in the queen caste. While the vast majority of the Fiji material examined is dark and smooth, there is one nest series (e.g., CASENT0186295, CASENT0186295) collected on Taveuni in which the specimens are a distinctly lighter yellow brown and the sculpturing is heavier. The sculpture of the queen is considerably more punctate on the first gastral segment than is that of the more typical Fijian morphotype, including one specimen also collected from Taveuni (CASENT0194580). Wilson (1959b), in his remarks on the odontomachines being represented by only A. graeffei and O. simillimus on New Caledonia, suggested the species were introduced there by humans. The same may well hold true for Fiji. The species is widespread across the archipelago and is recorded from all the major islands with the exceptions of Ovalau and Gau.

Samoa

Anochetus graeffei Mayr, 1870b PDF: 961 (w.) SAMOA. Oceania. AntCat AntWiki HOL

Taxonomic history

Mayr, 1876 PDF: 86 (q.); Wheeler & Wheeler, 1971b PDF: 1212 (l.); Imai et al., 1984 PDF: 5 (k.).Status as species: Mayr, 1876 PDF: 86; Emery, 1884: 378 (in key); Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 47; Emery, 1911e PDF: 108; Emery, 1914a PDF: 180; Forel, 1915b PDF: 35; Mann, 1919 PDF: 300; Mann, 1921 PDF: 426; Wheeler, 1924c PDF: 243; Santschi, 1928a PDF: 44; Wheeler, 1935g: 15; Chapman & Capco, 1951 PDF: 40; Wilson, 1959c PDF: 507; Wilson & Taylor, 1967b PDF: 32; Taylor, 1967b PDF: 1094; Taylor, 1976a: 80; Brown, 1978c PDF: 556, 586; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 20; Taylor, 1987a PDF: 7; Radchenko, 1993a PDF: 77; Dlussky, 1994a: 53; Bolton, 1995b: 64; Zhou, 2001a PDF: 30; Wetterer, 2002 PDF: 128; Wetterer & Vargo, 2003 PDF: 416; Jaitrong & Nabhitabhata, 2005 PDF: 12; Clouse, 2007b PDF: 261; Mohanraj et al., 2010 PDF: 6; Zhou & Ran, 2010: 103; Pfeiffer et al., 2011 PDF: 55; Guénard & Dunn, 2012 PDF: 58; Sarnat & Economo, 2012 PDF: 146; Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012 PDF: 11 (redescription); Zettel, 2012 PDF: 164; Bharti & Wachkoo, 2013a PDF: 142 (in key); Sarnat et al., 2013 PDF: 73; Ramage, 2014 PDF: 151; Jaitrong et al., 2018 10.11646/zootaxa.4526.2.3 PDF: 40; Chen et al., 2019 10.3897/jhr.68.30784 PDF: 52 (redescription).Senior synonym of Anochetus amati: Wilson, 1959c PDF: 507; Brown, 1978c PDF: 557; Bolton, 1995b: 64; Zhou, 2001a PDF: 30; Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012 PDF: 11.Senior synonym of Anochetus minutus: Wilson, 1959c PDF: 507; Brown, 1978c PDF: 557; Bolton, 1995b: 64; Zhou, 2001a PDF: 30; Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012 PDF: 11.Senior synonym of Anochetus punctiventris oceanicus: Wilson, 1959c PDF: 507; Wilson & Taylor, 1967b PDF: 32; Brown, 1978c PDF: 557; Taylor, 1987a PDF: 8; Bolton, 1995b: 64; Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012 PDF: 11; Chen et al., 2019 10.3897/jhr.68.30784 PDF: 53.Senior synonym of Anochetus punctiventris: Wilson, 1959c PDF: 507; Brown, 1978c PDF: 557; Bolton, 1995b: 64; Zhou, 2001a PDF: 30; Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012 PDF: 11; Chen et al., 2019 10.3897/jhr.68.30784 PDF: 52.Senior synonym of Anochetus rudis: Brown, 1978c PDF: 557, 586; Bolton, 1995b: 64; Zhou, 2001a PDF: 30; Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012 PDF: 11; Chen et al., 2019 10.3897/jhr.68.30784 PDF: 52.Senior synonym of Anochetus taylori: Brown, 1978c PDF: 557, 586; Bolton, 1995b: 64; Zhou, 2001a PDF: 30; Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012 PDF: 11.