Stictoponera lattkei, Dhadwal & Bharti, 2022

Dhadwal, Tarun & Bharti, Himender, 2022, A new species of ant genus Stictoponera Mayr, 1887 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from India, Asian Myrmecology (e 016002) 16, pp. 1-8 : 3-6

Stictoponera lattkei sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ DF1BA4F3-A104-4131-85B8- 4BA81A298252

(Fig: 1-3)

Type material. Holotype worker: India, Sikkim, Rorathang , 27.19610 N, 88.60790 E, 560m, hand picking, 18.ix.2019, Tarun Dhadwal leg. [PUAC-T 17] ; Paratypes: 5 workers with the same data as holotype [PUAC] .

Measurements: Holotype: HL 1.14; HW 1.11; ML 0.42; SL 1.03; EL 0.22; WL 1.58; PL 0.64; GL 1.36; TL 5.14; CI 97.36; SI 92.79; OI 19.81.

Paratype: HL 1.12-1.18; HW 1.08-1.11; ML 0.42- 0.50; SL 1.02-1.06; EL 0.21-0.24; WL 1.56-1.71; PL 0.63- 0.66; GL 1.35-1.42; TL 5.08-5.47; CI 96.42- 94.06; SI 94.44-95.49; OI 19.44-21.62 (n= 8).

Description: Body colour ferruginous brown, with gaster darker in color. Body weakly pilose. Mesosomal dorsum and petiole with one or two hairs, while scape and gaster with decumbent or subdecumbent hairs.

In dorsal view, mandibles striated. Dorsum of head irregularly and densely foveolate, area between frontal carinae lined with longitudinal striae.

Mesosoma gleaming and covered with foveae. Pronotum and mesonotum foveolate and foveate-reticulate. Metanotum, propodeum, and petiole densely foveate, with fovea being smaller in diameter than those of pronotum. Declivitous face of propodeum smooth and shiny. Coxae strigulose transversely. First gastral tergite mostly sparsely foveolate, lateral area densely foveolate. Gastral tergite II smooth and lustrous, laterally mostly strigUlate with sparse pUnctae. Gastral sternite I mostly foveolate. Gastral sternite II sparsely pUnctUred.

Mandibles triangular in shape. Anterior margin of clypeus slightly convex. The Clypeal lamella prominent and medially forming blunt lobe. Sides of head virtually straight and subparallel. Antennal scape narrow, apically wider, and almost reaching posterior head margin. In frontal view, eyes highly developed, rounded and convex, and located posteriorly to cephalic mid-length. Vertexal margin slightly convex. In lateral view, occipital corners prominent and rounded.

The pronotum with well-developed humeral angles protruding anteriorly into tiny denticles; promesonotal suture very slightly engraved. Propodeal spiracle raised above sculpture with very small entrance. The propodeum armed with small triangular protrusion and propodeal declivity marginate on both sides. Metacoxal spine slender and curved.

In lateral view, petiolar node rounded, not higher than long, and with tiny denticle on anterior border. Subpetiolar process polygonal with denticular lobe projecting anteriorly.

Diagnosis: Stictoponera lattkei sp. nov. resembles S. menadensis ( Mayr, 1887) , and S. bicolor (Emery, 1889) and can be distinguished from them as follows;

Stictoponera lattkei sp. nov can be differentiated from S. menadensis ( Mayr, 1887) , by a combination of the following characteristics ( Fig. 4A , 5A ): in dorsal view, the mesonotum foveolate and foveate-reticulate; the propodeal declivity is margined on both sides with no projections or raised areas posterolaterally and the subpetiolar process is polygonal and ventrally produced into a denticle. While in S. menadensis ( Mayr, 1887) ( Fig. 4B , 5B ) the mesosomal dorsum has a smooth median strip, the propodeal declivity surrounded posterolaterally by ridges creating a denticle or a low triangular projection, and a subquadrate or lobe-like subpetiolar process. In S. menadensis ( Mayr, 1887) sculpture is areolate and foveo-reticulate, whereas in Stictoponera lattkei sp. nov. sculpture is mainly foveolate.

However, from S. bicolor (Emery, 1889) it can be differentiated by following characteristics ( Fig. 4A , 5A ): Body weakly pilose, mesosomal dorsal margin with one or two hairs, metacoxal spine slender and curved, subpetiolar process is polygonal and ventrally produced into a denticle, mesosomal dorsum foveolate and foveate-reticulate and gastral tergite II smooth and lustrous While in S. bicolor ( Fig. 4C , 5C ) body generally pilose with scattered suberect to subdecumbent hairs, metacoxal spine usually straight and slender, subpetiolar process subquadrate or lobe like, mesosomal dorsum densely foveolate to areolate with median longitudinal strip of strigae-rugulae extending from posterior pronotum to mesonotum and gastral tergite II smooth with scattered punctures.

Queen. Unknown.

Male. Unknown

Bionomics. The workers were handpicked from a tree trunk at Rorathang, East Sikkim. Rorathang is situated at an average elevation of 500 meters and has an average daily temperature of 300 C. The village is enclosed by dense forest area and have a good agricultural land. The workers of Stictoponera lattkei sp. nov. were collected along with workers of Camponotus parius Emery, 1889 during foraging. The association between the two species is yet to be determined.

Etymology:

The species is named in honour of Prof. John E. Lattke a distinguished Entomologist based at Department of Zoology, Universidade Federal do Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil.

Figures

Fig. 4. Body in dorsal view, A. S. lattkei sp. nov. B. S. menadensis (Mayr, 1887) (from Antwikki- G. menadensisD3.2.jpg). C. S.bicolor (Emery, 1889) (from Antwikki- MCZ G. bicolor had2 5.jpg).

Fig. 5. Body in profile view, A. S. lattkei sp. nov. B. S. menadensis (Mayr, 1887) (fromAntwikki- G.menadensis L3.2.jpg) C. S. bicolor (Emery, 1889) (From Antwikki- MCZ G. bicolor hal2 5.jpg).