Hi jgl, it’s not easy to be sure about the ID without putting a specimen under the microscope. R. victoriae has been collected from Mulligans Flat/ Goorooyaroo (and other places) and is a little smaller, and seems not to be very common. Based on the photo alone, it’s not possible to be certain that this record is R. tasmaniensis but it seems the most likely and is the best I can do. Do you think it may be victoriae? Cheers, Jon
Hi John, sorry I have no idea how to distinguish these two species without delving into the primary literature; I was just wondering if R. tasmaniensis had a particular distinguishing feature which was visible in the photos. Antweb's ACT records (https://www.antweb.org/advancedSearch.do?searchMethod=advancedSearch&advanced=true&family=formicidae&country=Australia&adm1=Australian%20Capital%20Territory) also indicate 22 specimens of indeterminate Rhytidoponera '(indet)' (unfortunately no images) from a variety of locations around Canberra. So there's also undescribed species in this genus around Canberra too.
Hi jgl, no , there is no distinguishing feature from the photos other than general size, habitat, lack of iridescence and the relative abundance. The indeterminate records on ant web just means that the specimen has only been IDed to genus. However the genus has not been revised, so there could be undescribed species. Cheers, Jon
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