Temnothorax kathmanduensis Subedi, Budha et Yusupov, 2023

Subedi, I. P., Yusupov, Z. M. & Budha, P. B., 2023, Three new species of the ant genus Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Myrmicinae) from Nepal, Far Eastern Entomologist 475, pp. 6-16 : 10-14

Temnothorax kathmanduensis Subedi, Budha et Yusupov , sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ 3EFC18AC-837E-4BE6-94A2-E58844C851FF

Figs 3A–C , 4A–C

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype: worker ( CDZMTU HymF116), Nepal: Bagmati Province, Center for Nepal and Asian Studies premises, Kirtipur , Kathmandu , 27.6814°N, 85.2831°E, 1330 m asl, pitfall collection, 27–29. V 2019 , leg. I.P. Subedi. Paratypes: 6 workers ( CDZMTU HymF117), same data as a holotype ; 2 workers ( CDZMTU HymF118); Nepal: Bagmati Province, Kathmandu, Sundarijal Forest , SNNP, 27.7697°N, 85.4250°E, 1577 m asl, hand collection, 10.X 2020, leg. I.P. Subedi ; 2 workers ( CDZMTU HymF119), Nepal: Bagmati Province, Kirtipur, Kathmandu , coronation garden, TUC, 27.6814°N, 85.2831°E, 1330 m asl, 1. V 2016 , leg. I.P. Subedi; 1 queen ( CDZMTU HymF120), same data as a holotype .

DESCRIPTION. WORKER. Head. In full-face view head slightly longer than broad, with little rounded occipital corners and slightly emarginate posterior margin; anterior clypeal margin nearly convex; mandibles with five teeth, apical tooth longest, gradually decrease in size from apex to base; antennae 12-segmented; relatively short scape not reaching the posterior margin of head in full-face view. Mesosoma. Promesonotal suture visible; metanotal groove distinct; propodeal spines very short and triangular (dentate), propodeal declivity concave. Petiole and postpetiole. In profile, petiole with a relatively long peduncle; the anterior and posterior faces inclined, both faces tapered to form a node; subpetiolar process reduced to a small denticle. In profile, postpetiole globular and almost similar in height with petiole; in dorsal view broader than petiole, more or less equal in length and width itself. Gaster. Smooth and shiny. Sculpture and pilosity. Mandible with longitudinal striations, cephalic dorsum with fine, irregular striations, clypeus with 5–7 longitudinal rugulae. In profile view, mesosoma rugulose, fairly weak rugulosity in pronotum, petiole with very weak rugae. Mesosoma dorsum strongly rugulose, petiole weakly rugulose, postpetiole thickly granulated. Erect hair sparsely distributed throughout the body, hairs shorter in head, short suberect dense hairs on antennae, short decumbent hairs on legs, few long setae on anterior clypeal margin. Colour. Body dark brown, more or less uniformly colored, with a little darker head and lighter mandible, antennae and legs.

MEASUREMENTS AND INDICES. Ordered as holotype (paratype, n=6): HL 0.78 (0.78–0.92), HW 0.71 (0.64–0.78), SL 0.64 (0.58–0.75), OL 0.19 (0.18–0.21), FRS 0.28 (0.22–0.28), AL 1.03 (0.97–1.11), AH 0.39 (0.36–0.43), PNW 0.49 (0.46–0.53), HTL 0.64 (0.56–0.64), PL 0.31 (0.25–0.39), PW 0.19 (0.17–0.19), PH 0.22 (0.21–0.25), PPL 0.25 (0.24–0.31), PPW 0.21 (0.22–0.26), CI 1.10 (1.10–1.35), SI1 0.82 (0.67–0.87), SI2 0.90 (0.79–1.17), OI1 0.25 (0.21–0.25), OI2 0.27 (0.26–0.28), PI 1.38 (1.20–1.69), PPI 1.20 (1.12–1.38), AI 2.64 (2.45–3.00).

QUEEN. Head almost like that in workers, but slightly wider, with three distinct ocelli. Scape not reaching posterior cephalic border as in worker. Eyes as large as in workers. Mesosoma relatively longer and much taller. Propodeal spines absent. Petiole and postpetiole as long as that of workers, but little wider. Pronotal dorsum with parallelly arranged longitudinal striations with a smooth and shiny surface between fine ridges, fine striations in mesosoma in profile view. Sculpture in petiole and postpetiole similar to that in workers. Body shiny and color almost like that of workers.

MEASUREMENTS AND INDICES. HL 0.92, HW 0.81, SL 0.61, OL 0.19, FRS 0.25, AL 1.42, AH 0.83, PNW 0.75, HTL 0.58, PL 0.36, PW 0.22, PH 0.28, PPL 0.31, PPW 0.28, PPH 0.28, CI 1.14, SI1 0.67, SI2 0.76, OI1 0.21, OI2 0.24, PI 1.30, PPI 1.10, AI 1.70.

MALE. Unknown

BIONOMICS. These ants were collected from the planted forest at Tribhuvan University Campus area, Kirtipur in 2016 by hand collection and in 2019 by pitfall trapping along with a queen. They were also hand collected from Sundarijal forest, SNNP in 2020.

DISTRIBUTION. Tribhuvan University Campus area, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal. Sundarijal forest, Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park, Nepal.

ETYMOLOGY. The species is named after the type locality Kathmandu, a capital city of Nepal.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. The new species is more closely related with Temnothorax wroughtonii but former can be distinguished from the later by dentate propodeum, distinctly sculptured head and mesosoma. The new species is also comparable with T. inermis (Forel, 1902) , but differ from the later in having dentate propodeum, differently sculptured head and mesosoma, shallow pronoto-mesonotal suture, and shape of the petiolar node.

Temnothorax pathibharaensis Subedi, Budha et Yusupov , sp. n. https://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ E1D5D92D-0087-4580-ADD8-444BB1560C93

Figs 5A–C

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype: worker ( CDZMTU HymF114), Nepal: Koshi Province, Taplejung District, Pathibhara, Furrabhu , 27.4215°N, 87.7629°E, 3413 m asl, fir forest ( Abies sp. ), 9.X 2020, leg. B. R. Shrestha & T. Sherpa . Paratype: 1 worker ( CDZMTU HymF115), same data as a holotype .

DESCRIPTION. WORKER. Head. In full-face view, head slightly longer than broad; broadly rounded occipital corners and straight, posterior head margin; eyes placed roughly at the middle of the head laterally; eyes bulging, anterior clypeal margin broadly convex; mandibles subtriangular, armed with 5 teeth in its masticatory margin, apical tooth longest; antennae 12-segmented with the distinct 3-segmented club, scape moderately long ( SI 1 0.84–0.87, SI2 1.02–1.08), just surpasses the posterior head margin. Mesosoma. Mesosoma dorsum fairly convex anteriorly and roughly straight posteriorly; metanotal groove distinct; propodeal spines moderately long. Petiole and postpetiole. Petiole longer than high with long anterior peduncle; in profile petiolar node with inclined and roughly straight anterior face, convex posterior face and very roughly rounded, thicker dorsum; postpetiolar node taller than petiolar node, with the nearly rounded dorsum. Gaster. Gaster roughly oval, smooth and shiny. Sculpture and pilosity. Head with dense longitudinal striations; mandibles with faint longitudinal striations; mesosoma with longitudinal rugae; petiole and postpetiole finely rugulose; gaster smooth and shiny; suberect to erect hairs scattered over the whole body, hair sparse in mesosoma and denser in gaster; decumbent to subdecumbent pubescent hairs on antennae; decumbent pubescent hairs on legs. Colour. Head, lower half of mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole and gaster dark brown to blackish in colour, antennae, mandible, upper half of mesosoma, legs yellowish-brown, pilosity white.

MEASUREMENTS AND INDICES. Ordered as holotype (paratype): HL 0.74 (0.69), HW 0.63 (0.54), SL 0.64 (0.58), OL 0.18 (0.13), FRS 0.15 (0.14), AL 0.89 (0.81), AH 0.33 (0.28), PNW 0.36 (0.33), HTL 0.49 (0.50), PL 0.31 (0.28), PW 0.15 (0.14), PH 0.21 (0.18), PPL 0.24 (0.19), PPW 0.19 (0.17), ESL 0.13 (0.13), CI 1.18 (1.28), SI1 0.87 (0.84), SI2 1.02 (1.08), OI1 0.25 (0.18), OI2 0.29 (0.23), PI 1.47 (1.54), PPI 1.21 (1.17), AI 2.67 (2.90), ESLI 0.20 (0.23).

QUEEN AND MALE. Unknown.

BIONOMICS. Specimens were collected from the east Himalayan Abies Forest in Pathibhara, Taplejung, Eastern Nepal.

DISTRIBUTION. Pathibhara, Furrabhu, Taplejung, Nepal.

ETYMOLOGY. The species is named after the type locality Pathibhara located in Nepal.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. The new species, Temnothorax pathibharaensis sp. n. is closely related to T. rothneyi (Forel, 1902) and T. simlensis ( Forel, 1904) . However, it differs from both species in a much longer scape, which reaches (or even slightly exceeds) the occipital margin of the head, while in T. rothneyi and T. simlensis the scape does not reach the occipital margin of the head. In addition, T. pathibharaensis sp. nov. is also distinguished by its longer and lower petiole and the shape of the propodeal spines etc.

Figures

Fig. 3. Temnothorax kathmanduensis sp. n., worker, holotype. A – habitus, profile view; B – head, full-face view; C – habitus, dorsal view.

Fig. 4. Temnothorax kathmanduensis sp. n., queen, paratype. A – habitus, profile view; B – head, full-face view; C – habitus, dorsal view.

Fig. 5. Temnothorax pathibharaensis sp. n., worker, holotype. A – habitus, profile view; B – head, full-face view; C – habitus, dorsal view.