The Taxonomic And Fauna Study On The Formicidae Of Liaoning Province (Insecta: Hymenoptera)

The species and ecological distribution of ants in Liaoning Province were investigatedfrom 2007 to 2008. 5786 ant specimens were collected. And a total of 42 species belonging to20 genera and 4 subfamilies are recorded. Among them, 1 subfamily was new record inLiaoning Province. It is Dolichodcrinae. 7 genera were new records in Liaoning Province.They are: Dollchoderus Mayr, Tachnomyrmex Mayr, Pachycontlyla Smith, OdontomachusLatreille, Crematogaster Lund, Paratrechina Motschulsky, Plagiolepis Mayr. 24 species werenew records in Liaoning Province. They are: Dollchoderus sibiricus Emery, Technomyrmexhorni Forel, Pachycondpla chinensis (Emery), Odontomachus rixosus Smith, Crematogastermatsumurai Forel, Myrmica ruginodis Nylander, Myrmica jessensis Forel, Myrmica sinicaWu et Wang, Ahpaenogaster japonica Forel, Ahpaenogaster pumilopuncta Zhou,Tetramorium flavum Chang et He, Tetramorium tsushimae Emery, Plagiolis rothneyi Forel,Plagiolis manczshurica Ruzsky, Camponotus nipponensis Santschi, Paratrechina flavipes(Smith), Paratrechina sharpi (Forel), Formica aquilonia Yarrow, Formica altayensis sp. nov.,Formica transkaucasica Nasonov, Formica yessensis Forel, Formica cunicularia Latreille,Formica glauca Ruzaky, Formica aseta sp. nov..Among the 42 species described in Liaoning Province, 20 species are the Palaearcticspecies, accounting for 47.6%, 6 species are the oriental species, accounting for 14.3%, 16 iscommon species to the oriental and the palaearctic Regions accounting for 38.1%.According to terrain,climate and vegetation, the ant insect fauna of the research area inLiaoning Province are divided into 3 ant distributing regions (Eastern Mountains region,Central Plain region, Western hilly region) and 6 sub-region (Changbai Mountain sub-region,Peninsula hills sub-region, northern wavy plain sub-region, Southern Plains sub-region, WindChaia sub-region, Hilly coastal sub-region). In the three sub-regions, 29 species are in theChangbai Mountain sub-region, accounting for 69%; 21 species are in the Peninsula hillssub-region, accounting for 50%; 17 species are in the northern wavy plain sub-region,accounting for 40.5%; 8 species are in the Southern Plains sub-region, accounting for 19%; 22species are in theWind Chaia sub-region, accounting for 52.4%; 25 species are in the Hillycoastal sub-region, accounting for 59.5%.Among the 20 genera described, there are 12 autogenera, accounting for 60%; 7oligogenera, accounting for 35%; 1 multigenus, accounting for 5%. The result shows theautogenus take great part in the ant fauna.C. japonicas Mayr, L. alienus (Foerster), F. japonica Motschulsky, T. caespitum(Linnaeus) are the dominant species in Liaoning Provinc and the northeast of China.Specimens of the 42 species are preserved in the animal specimen room of Life ScienceCollege in Northeastern Normal University.After collection of literature by author, a total of 59 species belonging to 20 genera and 4subfamilies are recorded in the northeast of China. Among the 59 species described in thenortheast of China, 29 species are the palaearctic species, accounting for 49.2%, 9 species are the oriental species, accounting for 15.3%, 21 is common species to the oriental and thepalaearctic regions accounting for 35.6%. The ant insect fauna of the research area in thenortheast are divided into 3 ant distributing regions (Daxing'anling region, ChangbaiMountain region, Songliao plain region). In the three regions, 27 species are in theDaxing'anling region, accounting for 47.8%; 35 species are in the Changbai Mountain region,accounting for 59.3%; 42 species are in the Songliao plain region, accounting for 71.2%.