Romblonella is a genus of myrmicine ants.
Systematics Romblonella is probably the sister taxon to Stereomyrmex. Closely related genera are Leptothorax and Cardiocondyla.Taylor, Robert W. (1991): Notes on the ant genera Romblonella and Willowsiella, with comments on their affinities, and the first descriptions of Australian species. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Psyche 97: 281-298. PDF
Biology Very little is known about these uncommon ants. Most species were found to nest in twigs on trees and to forage on low vegetation.Australian Ants Online: Genus Romblonella
Description
Workers of R. opaca are about 4 mm long. They have a small sting. R. opaca was described from four specimens found on Romblon Island, Philippines, by Wheeler (1935).Wheeler, William M. (1935): Two new genera of myrmicine ants from Papua and the Philippines. Proceedings of the New England Zoological Club 15: 1-9. PDF However, the species had already been described by F. Smith in 1861 as Myrmica opaca, which had been collected at Tondano, Sulawesi by Alfred Russel Wallace.Smith 1861: 47
R. elysii workers are 2 mm long. They were originally described as Crematogaster from a few workers from the Solomon Islands.Mann 1919: 319 R. heatwolei workers are almost 4 mm long.
Only for R. palauensis and R. heatwolei have males been described.
Distribution Romblonella is found from the Philippines south through New Guinea, with one species known from Australia. The distribution stretches to the islands of the western South Pacific.
Name The genus is named after the locality where the type species was found.
Species Romblonella elysii (Mann, 1919) — Malapina, Big Nggela: Solomon Islands Romblonella heatwolei Taylor, 1991 — Wyer Island: Torres Strait: Queensland: Australia Romblonella opaca (F. Smith, 1861) — Philippines, Indonesia Romblonella palauensis M. R. Smith, 1953 — Auluptagel, Urukthapal, Babelthaub: Palau: Caroline Islands Romblonella scrobifera (Emery, 1897)length c. 3 mm, as Tetramorium scrobiferum, Emery 1897: 587 — Aitape, Manus Province, East Sepik Province, Morobe Province, East New Britain Province: New Guinea Romblonella townesi M. R. Smith, 1953 — Mount Lasso: Tinian Island: Northern Mariana Islands Romblonella vitiensis M. R. Smith, 1953 — Wakaya Island: Fiji Islands Romblonella yapensis M. R. Smith, 1953 — Yap Island: Caroline Islands
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Footnotes
References Emery, Carlo (1897): Formicidarum species novae vel minus cognitae in collectione Musaei Nationalis Hungarici, quas in Nova Guinea, colonia germanica, collegit L. Biro. Termeszetrajzi Fuzetek 20: 571-599. PDF Mann, William M. (1919): The ants of the British Solomon Islands. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology of Harvard College 63: 273-391. PDF Smith, Frederick (1861): Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the Islands of Ceram, Celebes, Ternate, and Gilolo. Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 6: 36-48. PDF ITIS: Genus Romblonella
Further reading Smith, Marion R. (1953): A revision of the genus Romblonella W. M. Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 15: 75-80. PDF
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