臺灣和日本產針蟻屬 (膜翅目:蟻科) 的分類學修訂

Abstract

針蟻屬 (Ponera) 在分類學中位於針蟻亞科 (Ponerinae) 的針蟻屬群 (Ponera genus group)，這亞科是多樣性較高的螞蟻亞科之一。在2014年，施密特 (Schmidt) 和 沙特克 (Shattuck) 修訂了針蟻亞科，也支持泰勒 (Taylor) 在1967年提出針蟻屬在針蟻亞科的診斷特徵，而使針蟻屬易於從針蟻亞科中區分。全世界目前記錄針蟻屬種類共計57現生種和5化石種，牠們主要分佈在熱帶至溫帶的區域，但在新熱帶區 (Neotropical region) 和非洲熱帶區 (Afrotropical region) 卻沒有紀錄。至今仍有許多針蟻屬物種有待被發現，但已有研究顯示針蟻屬在中國-日本和東方區 (Sino-Japanese and Oriental regions) 呈現高度樣性，分別有20種和26種的紀錄。其中針蟻屬在東亞中表現出高多樣性，台灣有10種、日本有8種。然而自1967年泰勒 (Taylor) 的全球分類修訂後，便沒有人再進行針蟻屬的分類修訂研究。本研究首先對臺灣和日本產的針蟻屬進行分類修訂，並且描述兩種產自臺灣的新物種。另外為了促進針蟻屬的分類研究，我們更新了東亞區針蟻屬的工蟻檢索表和提出新的種間診斷特徵。

The ant genus Ponera Latreille belongs to the Ponera genus group in one of the most diverse ant subfamily, Ponerinae. In 2014, Schmidt and Shattuck revised Ponerinae, and reconfirmed the diagnostic characters of Poenra proposed by Taylor in 1967, that makes Ponera easily distinguishable in Ponerinae. Currently 57 extant and 5 fossil species are included within the Ponera genus, with species distributed in tropical and temperate regions, but noticeably absent from the Neotropical and Afrotropical regions. Although the global sampling of Ponera is most likely incomplete, the Sino-Japanese and Oriental regions represented the highest diversity with 20 and 26 species respectively. In East Asia, the species diversity of Ponera is particularly remarkable with ten and eight recorded species in Taiwan and Japan respectively. However, no revision of Taiwanese or Japanese species has been proposed since the global revision of Taylor in 1967. In this study, a revision of Ponera from Taiwan and Japan is presented to foster the understandings of Ponera; with two undescribed species (Ponera terayamai sp. n. and Ponera wui sp. n.) from Taiwan. Moreover, a new updated key to Ponera species in East Asia. In addition to enhance the taxonomic study of this genus, a new updated key for Ponera species present in East Asia and new diagnostic characters are also presented.