Taxonomy Of&Nbsp;The Ant Genus&Nbsp;Echinopla Smith
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THESIS TAXONOMY OF THE ANT GENUS ECHINOPLA SMITH, 1857 (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE: FORMICINAE) IN THAILAND SOISUNEE TANANSATHAPORN GRADUATE SCHOOL, KASETSART UNIVERSITY Academic Year 2018 THESIS APPROVAL GRADUATE SCHOOL, KASETSART UNIVERSITY DEGREE: Master of Science (Entomology) MAJOR FIELD: Entomology DEPARTMENT: Entomology TITLE: Taxonomy of the ant genus Echinopla Smith, 1857 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) in Thailand NAME: Miss Soisunee Tanansathaporn THIS THESIS HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY THESIS ADVISOR (Miss Monthathip Kongmee, Ph.D.) THESIS CO-ADVISOR (Associate Professor Nantasak Pinkaew, Ph.D.) THESIS CO-ADVISOR (Mr. Weeyawat Jaitrong, Ph.D.) DEPARTMENT HEAD (Assistant Professor Roungthip Masmeatathip, Ph.D.) APPROVED BY THE GRADUATE SCHOOL ON DEAN (Associate Professor Somwang Khantayanuwong, Ph.D.) THESIS TAXONOMY OF THE ANT GENUS ECHINOPLA SMITH, 1857 (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE: FORMICINAE) IN THAILAND SOISUNEE TANANSATHAPORN A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science (Entomology) Graduate School, Kasetsart University Academic Year 2018 C ABSTRACT Soisunee Tanansathaporn : Taxonomy of the ant genus Echinopla Smith, 1857 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) in Thailand. Master of Science (Entomology), Major Field: Entomology, Department of Entomology. Thesis Advisor: Miss Monthathip Kongmee, Ph.D. Academic Year 2018 Taxonomy of the ants has been only recently started seriously in Thailand. This study aims to clarify the ant genus Echinopla of Thailand mainly based on the worker caste. Materials used in this study were mainly based on specimens deposited in the collections at the Natural History Museum of the National Science Museum, Pathum Thani Province, Thailand; the Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand and at the Ant Museum, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Thailand. Types or images of type specimens in AntWeb and AntWiki were examined to correct the identification. A total of 11 species are recognized among the Echinopla fauna of Thailand. They belong to the following four species groups: E. melanarctos group (E. cherapunjiensis, E. melanarctos, E. pallipes and E. tritschleri), E. mezgeri group (E. jeenthongi and E. tunkuaduljalilii), E. serrata group (E. fisheri and E. madli) and E. striata group (E. charernsomi, E. lineata and E. striata). Five species (E. cherapunjiensis, E. fisheri, E. tritschleri, E. striata and E. lineata) are records for the first time from Thailand. A dichotomous keys to the species group and Thai species of the genus based on worker caste and quality pictures of all species are provided. Distribution pattern of the species were also discussed. _________________ _______________________________ ____ / ____ / ____ Student's signature Thesis Advisor's signature D ACKNOWLEDGEM ENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank and gratitude to my advisor Dr. Monthathip Kongmee (Kasetsart University, Thailand) and co-advisors Associate Professor Nantasak Pinkaew (Kasetsart University, Thailand) and Dr. Weeyawat Jaitrong (National Science Museum, Thailand) for encouragement, instruction and suggestion for completely the thesis. I would like to thank Associate Professor Decha Wiwatwitaya (Kasetsart University, Thailand) and Dr. Nawee Noon-anant (Prince of Songkla University, Thailand), who kindly allowed me to examine ant specimens in their collections. I thank also to Mr. Yudthana Samung (Mahidol University, Thailand), who helped in taking pictures of the Thai Echinopla. I would like to thank the staffs and members in the taxonomic laboratory of the Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture at Kamphaeng Saen, Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen Campus and staffs of the Thailand Natural History Museum, provided some laboratory facilities. This research was partly supported by a Graduate Program Scholarship from the Graduate School, Kasetsart University, and by The Kasetsart Research and Development Institute. Finally, I am especially appreciated to my family and all of my friends for their helped and continuing encouragements throughout this research. Soisunee Tanansathaporn TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. C ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... D TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................... E LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... F LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................. G INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................... 3 LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................... 4 MATERIALS AND METHODS ............................................................................. 14 RESULTS ............................................................................................................... 23 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ...................................................................... 85 LITERATURE CITED ............................................................................................ 89 APPENDIX ............................................................................................................. 93 CURRICULUM VITAE ........................................................................................ 100 LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1. Distribution of Echinopla in Thailand. N, Northern; NE, Northeastern; E, Eastern; W, Western; Central and S, Southern. .................................................... 84 LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1 External morphology of the ant. ................................................................... 5 Figure 2 External morphology of the ant genus Echinopla (workers). Body in profile. A. Echinopla striata; B. E. malanarctos; C. E. madli; D. E. tunkuaduljalilii. ............. 7 Figure 3 External morphology of the ant genus Echinopla (workers). Head in full-face view. A. Echinopla striata; B. E. malanarctos; C. E. madli; D. E. tunkuaduljalilii. .... 7 Figure 4 External morphology of the ant genus Echinopla (workers). Body from dorsal view. A. Echinopla striata; B. E. malanarctos; C. E. madli; D. E. tunkuaduljalilii. ......................................................................................................... 8 Figure 5 External morphology of the ant genus Echinopla (queen). Body in profile. A. Echinopla striata; B. E. malanarctos. ........................................................................ 8 Figure 6 External morphology of the ant genus Echinopla (queen). Head in full-face view. A. Echinopla striata; B. E. malanarctos. .......................................................... 9 Figure 7 External morphology of the ant genus Echinopla (queen). Body from dorsal view. A. Echinopla striata; B. E. malanarctos. .......................................................... 9 Figure 8 World distribution map of the ant genus Echinopla (AntWiki, 2019). ........ 10 Figure 9 Map showing collection sites for Echinopla specimens in Thailand. .......... 16 Figure 10 Term of relative position for Echinopla specimens: A. head in full-face view and B. body in dorsal view. ............................................................................. 19 Figure 11 Whole body in profile view of Echinopla. ................................................ 20 Figure 12 Right mandible of Echinopla showing basal and masticatory margins. ..... 20 Figure 13 Morphometric measurements. A. head in full-face view; B. antenna; ....... 22 Figure 14 Worker of Echinopla charernsomi. A. body in profile view; B. head in full- face view and C. body in dorsal view. ...................................................................... 33 Figure 15 Worker of Echinopla cherapunjiensis. A. body in profile view; B. head in full-face view and C. body in dorsal view. ............................................................... 37 Figure 16 Worker of Echinopla fisheri. A. body in profile view; B. head in full-face view and C. body in dorsal view. ............................................................................. 41 Figure 17 Worker of Echinopla jeenthongi. A. body in profile view; B. head in full- face view and C. body in dorsal view. ...................................................................... 47 H Figure 18 Dealate qyne of Echinopla jeenthongi. A. body in profile view; B. head in full-face view and C. body in dorsal view. ............................................................... 48 Figure 19 Worker of Echinopla lineata. A. body in profile view; B. head in full-face view and C. body in dorsal view. ............................................................................. 52 Figure 20 Worker of Echinopla madli. A. body in profile view; B. head in full-face view and C. body in dorsal view. ............................................................................. 57 Figure 21 Dealate qyne of Echinopla madli. A. body in profile view; B. head in full- face view and C. body in dorsal view. ...................................................................... 58 Figure 22 Worker of Echinopla melanarctos. A.