Lordomyrma mewasinghi, Dhadwal & Bharti, 2022

Dhadwal, Tarun & Bharti, Himender, 2022, Lordomyrma mewasinghi, a new species of the ant genus Lordomyrmya (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from India, Asian Myrmecology (e 016001) 16, pp. 1-7 : 2-5

Lordomyrma mewasinghi sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ 3274A11C-1DDE-400F-9CE1- 1AA4149D4F78

( Fig. 1-3 )

Type material. Holotype worker: India, Kera- la, Pampadum shola National Park, 10.12660 N, 77.25820 E, Winkler extraction, 1300m, 25.i.2017, Tarun Dhadwal leg. [ PUAC-T04 ].

Paratypes: 7 workers with same data as holotype [ PUAC] ; 2 workers, Kerala, Karian shola National Park, 10.38330 N, 77.08330 E, Winkler extraction, 650m, 1.ii.2017, Tarun Dhadwal Leg .

Measurements: Holotype: TL 1.74, HL 0.76, HW 0.64, CI 84.21, SL 0.50, SI 78.12, ED 0.10, PW 0.44, WL 0.88, PL 0.34, PH 0.22, DPW 0.20, PI, PPL 0.20, PPH 0.22, PPW 0.26, PPI 110.

Paratype: TL1.72-1.78, HL 0.72-0.77, HW 0.62- 0.66, CI 86.11-85.71, SL 0.48-0.58, SI 77.41- 87.87, ED 0.10-0.13, PW 0.44-0.48, WL 0.84- 0.90, PL 0.34-0.38, PH 0.20-0.22, DPW 0.22-0.26, PI, PPL 0.20-0.22, PPH 0.22-0.24, PPW 0.22- 0.26, PPI 110-118 (9).

Description:

In full view, the head is longer than broad. The Head is wide posteriorly and narrows in the front. In the middle, the posterior edge is slightly con- cave. The lateral margins are convex. Occipital corners are rounded. Mandibles elongate, trian- gular with 7 teeth.

In profile view, promesonotum fairly con- vex. Mesometanotum suture weakly impressed. The propodeal dorsum not straight, generating downward sloping curve. Propodeal declivity concave, and propodeal lobes triangular and lon- ger than propodeal spine. Petiolar node convex dorsally. Petiolar node is thick and trapezoidal with roundly convex dorsum; the anterior peduncle sig- nificantly shorter than length of node, with small ridge extending from anteroventral corner. Post- petiolar node with roundly convex dorsum with nearly straight ventral edge, and sharply toothed anteroventral corner.

In dorsal view, pronotum wider than re- mainder of mesosoma, lateral margins strongly convex, humeral corners rounded. Promesonotal suture absent. Mesonotum narrowest, lateral mar- gins slightly convex. Metanotal groove weakly impressed. Propodeum widened posteriorly, lat- eral margins almost straight. Anterior peduncle of petiole widened posteriorly, petiolar node roughly rounded, as broad as long. Postpetiole widened posteriorly, lateral margins moderately convex, broader than petiole node.

Mandibles smooth. Cephalic dorsum with dense posteriorly divergent rugae, rugae becom- ing reticulate-rugose laterally. Clypeus relatively smooth and shining. Mesosoma reticulate rugose; sides of pronotum reticulate rugose; mesopleura obliquely-rugose; propodeal dorsum and declivity transversely rugose, propodeal sides transversely rugose. Petiole and postpetiole densely punctate laterally, dorsum smooth except for few scattered punctures. Gaster smooth and shining.

Body dorsum with few erect to suberect hairs, pubescence sparse, hairs on cephalic dorsum short and dense. Antennal scapes with dense subdecumbent hairs and decumbent pubescence, tibiae with dense decumbent pubescence.

Body-color blackish brown; mandibles, antennae, and legs reddish-brown.

Remarks:

Lordomyrma mewasinghi sp. nov. shows resem- blance to L. bhutanensis (Baroni Urbani, 1977) and L. nima Liu, Xu & Hita Garcia, 2021 . However, it can be distinguished from L. nima based on the fol- lowing combination of characters: pronotum retic- ulate rugose, metanotal suture weakly impressed, petiole and postpetiole densely punctate laterally, dorsum smooth except for few scattered punctures, and smooth mandibles. But in L. nima , the prono- tum is longitudinally rugose, the metanotal groove is strongly impressed, the petiole and postpetiole laterally transversely rugose with dorsum reticu- late rugose. Mandibles are longitudinally striated.

Lordomyrma mewasinghi sp. nov. differs from L. bhutanensis (Baroni Urbani, 1977) by the following characteristics: petiolar node is thick, generally trapezoidal, and narrowed dorsally, with a roundly convex dorsum, postpetiolar node with a sharply toothed anteroventral corner, mesopleuron obliquely-rugose, petiole and postpetiole densely punctate and dorsally smooth with surrounding punctures and smooth mandibles. Whereas in L. bhutanensis , the petiolar node is broadly triangu- lar, longer than the anterior peduncle, the anterior border is almost straight, and the postpetiole has a properly angled anteroventral corner. Mesopleu- ron reticulate-rugose, finely reticulate-rugose peti- ole and postpetiole, sides of petiolar node finely obliquely rugose, and mandibles are striated. Densely decumbent or subdecumbent hairs are present on the body.

Furthermore L. mewasinghi sp. nov. is less pilose and pubescent compared to both the above-mentioned allied species.

Queen. Unknown.

Male. Unknown

Bionomics. The worker specimens were collected from Pampadum Shola National Park and Karian Shola National Park by the Winkler extraction method. The National parks are located between elevations of 600 m to 1800 m with a daily tem- perature of 350 C. The forest has a dense canopy and leaf litter on the ground providing ideal mois- ture conditions for the ant species.

Etymology:

The species is named in honor of Professor Mewa Singh, who has worked extensively on the behav- iour of primates from India.

Figures

Fig. 1. Lordomyrma mewasinghi sp. nov. Head in full face view

Fig. 2. Lordomyrma mewasinghi sp. nov. Body in profile view

Fig. 3. Lordomyrma mewasinghi sp. nov. Body in dorsal view