Carebara panhai Jaitrong, Pitaktunsakul et Jantarit, 2021

Jaitrong, W., Pitaktunsakul, P. & Jantarit, S., 2021, A new species of the genus Carebara Westwood, 1840 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmecinae) inhabits a cave in Thailand, Far Eastern Entomologist 425, pp. 7-20 : 9-13

Carebara panhai Jaitrong, Pitaktunsakul et Jantarit , sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ 76B1D229-0B0D-4A99-92E6-5A7647283212

Figs 1 , 2

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype – major worker (THNHM-I-14191), Thailand: Kanchanaburi Province, Thong Pha Phum District, Sahakhon Nikhom Community Forest ,

14.76255556ºN, 98.80966667ºE, 3 m from a cave entrance, 27.XI 2019, W. Jaitrong leg.

( THNHM). Paratypes: same data as holotype, 4 major workers (THNHM-I-14192, THNHM-I-

19032 to THNHM-I-19034; SKYC, THNHM) and 60 minor workers (THNHM-I-14193,

THNHM-I-19035 to THNHM-I-19093; SKYC, THNHM).

MEASUREMENTS. Holotype: TL 3.80, HL 1.10, HW 0.96, SL 0.56, ML 0.86, MW

0.50, PL 0.36, PH 0.33, DPW 0.23, CI 83, SI 61 , PI1 122, PI2 60. Major worker (four paratypes): TL 3.603.80, HL 1.09–1.10, HW 0.89–0.96, SL 0.53–0.56, ML 0.79–0.86, MW

0.46–0.50, PL 0.33–0.36, PH 0.30–0.33, DPW 0.20–0.23, CI 82–83, SI 59–61, PI1 110–122,

PI2 55–60. Minor worker (ten paratypes): TL 2.15–2.18, HL 0.53–0.56, HW 0.46, SL 0.46 ,

ML 0.53–0.56, MW 0.25–0.26, PL 0.26–0.30, PH 0.17, DPW 0.10, CI 82–88, SI 100, PI1

150–180, PI2 33–38.

DESCRIPTION. Major worker ( Fig. 1A–C ). Head, in full-face view, subrectangular,

longer than broad, almost parallel sides, posterior cephalic margin shallowly concave medially, and posterolateral corner roundly convex; cephalic median furrow developed,

extending anteriad to posterior one third of head length; in dorsal view, posterior one third of head with irregular transvers striation, anterior two third of head with longitudinal striation;

lateral (area below eye) face of head somewhat smooth and shiny; dorsum of head covered entirely with sparse erect hairs mixed with dense short decumbent hairs; mandible short, subtriangular, smooth and shiny; mandible with sparse decumbent hairs; anterior clypeal margin weakly convex; median portion of clypeus smooth and shiny; frontal lobe poorly developed,

only partly covering antennal socket; frontal carina inconspicuous; eye relatively small, with

12–13 ommatidia, located at anterior one third of head length laterally; antenna 11-segmented with 2-segmented club; antennal scape thin (clavate, its apical portion almost as long as antennal segments X) and short, when laid backward reaching posterior one third of head length;

scape somewhat smooth and shiny, covered with dense decumbent hairs.

profile; B – dorsal view of body; C – head in full-face view.

Mesosoma smaller than head and gaster; promesonotum strongly convex to form a dome,

mesosonotum slope to metanotal groove, with sparse erect hairs mixed with dense short decumbent hairs; promesonotal suture present as carina dorsally; pronotal dorsum wrinkled but slightly shiny, lateral face of pronotum smooth and shiny; mesonotum smooth and shiny;

mesopleuron punctate, clearly demarcated from metapleuron by deep groove; metanotal groove distinct; propodeal spine, in profile, relatively short and subtriangular, pointed posterolaterally; in profile view, propodeum distinctly lower than promesonotum, its dorsal outline almost straight; propodeum entirely punctate; entire mesosoma without erect hairs;

legs entirely with numerous short decumbent hairs, smooth and shiny.

Petiole, in profile, with long anterior pedicel, punctate and without hairs; petiolar node,

in profile, relatively short, shorter than high, its lateral face micropunctate, while dorsal face smooth and superficially shagreened with smooth and shiny interspaces, with 4–5 erect hairs;

postpetiole clearly shorter than broad, its dorsal outline weakly convex, and entirely finely punctate; in dorsal view, postpetiole rounded; postpetiole with 4–6 erect hairs.

Gaster larger than head and elliptical; gastral tergite I smooth and shiny, and covered with dense erect hairs mixed with dense short decumbent hairs; anterior margin of gastral tergite I feebly concave.

Head, mesosoma and waist (petiole and pospetiole) reddish brown; gaster dark brown;

antenna and legs yellowish brown.

Minor worker ( Fig. 2A–C ). Head, in full-face view, longer than broad, lateral margin weakly convex and posterior cephalic margin almost straight; head entirely smooth and shiny; dorsum of head entirely covered with dense short decumbent hairs, a pair of erect hairs on frons, and a pair of erect hairs on frontal carinae; mandible short, subtriangular,

smooth and shiny; clypeus entirely smooth and shiny, its anterior clypeal margin roundly convex; frontal lobe poorly developed, only partly covering antennal socket; frontal carina inconspicuous, reaching level of eye; eye relatively small, with one ommatidium, located at anterior ¼ of head length laterally; antenna 11-segmented with 2-segmented club; antennal scape thin (clavate, its apical portion almost as broad as antennal segment X), when laid backward extending slightly beyond posterolateral corner of head; scape somewhat smooth and shiny, with dense decumbent hairs.

Mesosoma narrower than head and gaster; promesonotum strongly convex to form a dome,

mesonotum slope to metanotal groove, with dense short decumbent hairs; promesonotal suture absent, promesonotum entirely smooth and shiny; mesopleuron finely punctate, clearly demarcated from metapleuron by deep groove; metanotal groove distinct; metapleuron not demarcated with lateral face of propodeum, largely smooth and shiny; propodeal spine absent, in profile view, propodeum distinctly lower than promesonotum, its dorsal outline weakly convex; propodeal junction convex; declivity of propodeum shallowly concave,

marginated laterally by thin rim; dorsum of propodeum smooth and shiny, its lateral face punctate posteriorly; entire mesosoma without erect hairs; legs entirely with numerous short decumbent hairs, smooth and shiny.

Petiole, in profile, with long anterior pedicel, micropunctate and without hairs; petiolar node, in profile, shorter than high, convex dorsal outline, smooth and shiny, with 2–4 erect hairs; postpetiole in profile view, almost flat, with weakly convex dorsal outline, smooth and shiny, with 2–4 erect hairs.

Gaster larger than head; gastral tergite I smooth and shiny, and covered with dense short decumbent hairs mixed with sparse erect hairs; anterior margin of gastral tergite I feebly concave. Body yellowish brown.

DIAGNOSIS. New species is most similar to C. pygmaea . Both species share the following characteristics of major workers: frons with longitudinal striation, while vertex with transverse striation; frontal carinae with 3 pairs of erect hairs; masticatory margin with 5 teeth (including large apical tooth); antenna 11-segmented with 2-segmented club; promesonotum in profile view distinctly convex to form a dome; promesonotal suture indistinct; propodeal spine short,

usually shorter than its base. However, C. panhai can be easily distinguished from C. pygmaea by the following characteristics: 1) in major workers, frons, vertex dorsa of petiole and postpetiole and first gastral tergite with dense erect hairs (without erect hairs in C. pygmaea );

2) lateral face of pronotum largely smooth and shiny (punctate and reticulate in C. pygmaea );

propodeum in minor workers largely smooth and shiny (entirely punctate in C. pygmaea ).

HABITAT. The type series was collected from a cave at twilight zone about 3 m from the entrance.

profile; B – dorsal view of body; C – head in full-face view.

DISTRIBUTION. Thailand (Kanchanaburi Province) .

ETYMOLOGY. The specific name is dedicated to Professor Somsak Panha (the Director of the Higher Education Commission and Centre of Excellence on Biodiversity, Chulalongkorn

University), a famous taxonomist in Thailand, who is dedicated to karst and cave biodiversity and conservation in the country and kindly supported us in field surveys.

Figures

Fig. 1. Carebara panhai sp. n., holotype major worker (THNHM-I-14191). A – body in

Fig. 2. Carebara panhai sp. n., paratype minor worker (THNHM-I-14193). A – body in