Carebara pygmaea (Emery, 1887)

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 : 8-9

Carebara pygmaea species group

DESCRIPTION. Dimorphism in worker caste. Major worker. Head larger than thorax; frons with longitudinal striation; frontal carinae with 3 pairs of erect hairs; mandible relatively short, subtriangular, masticatory margin with 5 teeth (including large apical tooth); antenna

11-segmented with 2-segmented club; antennal scape thin (clavate, its apical portion narrower than or broad as long as antennal segment X); promesonotum in profile view distinctly convex to form a dome; promesonotal suture indistinct; metanotal groove distinct; propodeum distinctly lower than promesonotum; propodeal spine short, usually shorter than its base; petiole,

in profile, with long anterior pedicel; postpetiole clearly shorter than petiole; Gastral tergite I clearly large than remaining segments. Minor worker. Head small, smooth and shiny; mandible relatively short, subtriangular, masticatory margin with 5 teeth (including large apical tooth); eye very small, present as a dot; antenna 11-segmented with 2-segmented club; antennal scape thin (clavate, its apical portion narrower than or almost as broad as antennal segments

X); promesonotum in profile view convex, smooth and shiny; promesonotal suture absent;

metanotal groove distinct; mesopleuron and propodeum largely punctate; propodeal spine absent; petiole, in profile, with long anterior pedicel; postpetiole clearly shorter than petiole;

Gastral tergite I clearly large than remaining segments. Dealate geny. Head smaller than mesosoma; frons with longitudinal striation; eye large and convex; three ocelli present on vertex; pronotum in profile placed in vertical, subrectangular, shorter than mesoscutum;

masoscutum large, located higher than pronotum, subtrapezoidal, its anterior margin strongly convex; parapsidal line long; propodeal spine short; petiole, postpetiole and gaster as in major workers.

COMPOSITION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPECIES GROUP. Carebara pygmaeus (Emery, 1887) , C. rubra (Smith, 1860) , C. transversalis (Smith, 1860) , and C. panhai

sp. n. are known from Sri Lanka, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.