Myrmecina silvalaeva, Shattuck, Steve, 2009

Shattuck, Steve, 2009, A revision the Australian species of the ant genus Myrmecina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 2146, pp. 1-21 : 15

Myrmecina silvalaeva sp. n.

( Figs 5 , 7 , 29–31 , 47 )

Types. Holotype worker from Gadgarra, 17°16'S 145°40'E, Queensland, Feb. 1976, P. J. M. Greenslade & J. Holt, litter (ANIC, ANIC32-047265).

Diagnosis. Sculpturing on anterior mesonotum consisting of continuous transverse “U”-shaped carinae, the area immediately behind the pronotal collar weakly sculptured or essentially smooth. This species is most similar to eruga and pumila in having weakly developed sculpturing on the pronotum immediately behind the collar but differs in having transversely arched (rather than longitudinal) carinae on the dorsum of the mesosoma.

Worker description. Antennal scapes smooth with one or two low ridges. First segment of funiculus cone-shaped. Sides of head behind compound eyes smooth. Sculpturing on dorsal surface of mesosoma “U”- shaped anteriorly and “V”-shaped posteriorly, dorsal surface of pronotum immediately behind the collar with very weak sculpturing and nearly smooth. Carinae extending continuously from the dorsal surface onto the lateral surfaces of the mesosoma. Metanotal spines short. Propodeal spines long. Erect hairs abundant, straight, relatively short. Colour dark brown-black, antennae, mandibles, legs and tip of gaster yellow-red.

Measurements. Worker (n = 3) — CI 93–96; HL 0.60–0.61; HW 0.56–0.59; MTL 0.29–0.29; SI 79–90; SL 0.47–0.52; WL 0.70–0.73.

Additional material examined ( ANIC). Queensland: 6km E Butchers Creek School (Monteith,G.).

Comments. This rainforest species is known from a limited number of collections from a small area of the wet tropics, northern Queensland. It has been collected from leaf litter samples.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Fig. 7, graph of scape length versus head width for M. silvampla, silvangula, silvarugosa, livelaeva and silvatransversa.

FIGURES 5 – 6. Fig. 5, graph of head length versus head width for M. ampla, eruga, orbicula and pumila; Fig. 6, graph of head length versus head width for M. difficulta and the remaining Australian species.

FIGURES 29 – 34. Myrmecina silvalaeva sp. n. worker. Fig. 29, front of head; Fig. 30, lateral view of body; Fig. 31, dorsal view of body. Myrmecina silvampla sp. n worker. Fig. 32, front of head; Fig. 33, lateral view of body; Fig. 34, dorsal view of body.

FIGURES 47 – 52. Distribution of material examined during this study. Fig. 47, M. alpina, M. pumila, M. silvalaeva, M. silvampla, M. silvangula, M. silvarugosa and M. silvatransversa; Fig. 48, M. australis; Fig. 49, M. difficulta; Fig. 50, M. eruga (circles) and M. rugosa (square); Fig. 51, M. inaequala; Fig. 52, M. wesselensis.