Echinopla melanarctos

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Echinopla melanarctos
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Camponotini
Genus: Echinopla
Species group: melanarctos
Species: E. melanarctos
Binomial name
Echinopla melanarctos
Smith, F., 1857

Echinopla melanarctos casent0178497 profile 1.jpg

Echinopla melanarctos casent0178497 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen Label


Zettel and Laciny (2015) - Echinopla melanarctos is the type species of Echinopla. It can be easily recognized by its relatively large size (in workers TL ca. 6.5–8.2 mm, HW1 ca. 2.05–2.44 mm), very spiny appearance, long black hair, and entirely black colour (except palpi). The “spines” are slender, socket-shaped protuberances (“pedestals”) of the integument, their apex is truncate and bears a long seta, surrounded by a subapical ring of short, horizontally projecting hairs (bearing resemblance to the pappus of a dandelion seed). They are typical for a group of species also containing Echinopla pallipes, Echinopla circulus, Echinopla tritschleri, and Echinopla cherapunjiensis. In E. tritschleri, however, the ring of short setae is not horizontally projecting but oblique, therefore the pilosity is less obvious.

Due to the scarcity of specimens, hitherto little is known about the differences between workers and gynes in Echinopla. We were able to study both castes of Echinopla melanarctos and noted the following differences: body of gynes larger (TL 8.8–9.7 vs. 6.5–8.2; HW1 2.41–2.70 vs. 2.05–2.44); eyes slightly larger; ocelli present; pedestals lower than in worker, on scutum and scutellum reduced to low tubercles; these parts with coarse, irregular rugae, scutum anteriorly with distinct, long median carina; short pilosity of dorsum less obvious; thoracic structures as typical for winged ant gynes (all examined specimens with wings broken off); scutellum laterally with a short lobe (not with a sharp projection as in some congeners).

Keys including this Species


Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore (type locality).
Oriental Region: Thailand.

Distribution based on AntMaps


Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb



This species is a host for the fungus Ophiocordyceps unilaterialis (Shrestha et al., 2017).




  • melanarctos. Echinopla melanarctos Smith, F. 1857a: 79, pl. 1, figs. 25-29 (w.) SINGAPORE.


Holotype worker in Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Labelled “SINC” and with a Donisthorpe type-label. A second specimen is present in Oxford University Museum of Natural History, labelled “22 SING.”