Myrmicaria buenaventei, Zettel & Laciny & Balàka & General, 2018

Zettel, Herbert, Laciny, Alice, Balàka, Pia & General, David Emmanuel M., 2018, On the taxonomy of Myrmicaria Saunders, 1842 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Philippines, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 66, pp. 610-623 : 615-616

Myrmicaria buenaventei new species

( Figs. 5–8 , 18 )

Etymology. Dedicated to Perry A. C. Buenavente of the National Museum of Natural History, Manila, who discovered this remarkable species.

Material examined. Holotype (worker) ( NMNH) from Luzon Island, Nueva Vizcaya Province, Municipality of Quezon, Maddiangat Village , N16°27′16″, E121°13′14″, 1,076 m a.s.l., coll. P.A.C. Buenavente, 14 January 2010.

Paratypes: 1 worker ( NMNH) from the same locality ; 2 workers ( NMNH), same village, Mount Palali , N16°26′32″, E121°13′19″, 890 m a.s.l., coll. P.A.C. Buenavente, 16 January 2010 ; 22 workers ( NMNH, ANIC, BMNH, CASC, CZW, LKCNHM, MCZ, NHMW, UPLB), same village ,

Mt. Palali, N16°26.80′, E121°13.27′, 1,296 m a.s.l., coll. P.A.C. Buenavente, 11 January 2010; 2 workers ( UPLB), same village, N16°26.272′, E121°13.493′, 1,436 m a.s.l., coll. P.A.C. Buenavente , 9 January 2010.

Diagnosis (worker). Clypeus with pronounced median carina. Scape long, SI = 99–110. Pronotum dorsally with arcuate rugae, anteroventral teeth prominent. Sides of mesonotum hardly bulging; posterior surface with reduced sculpture. Rugae on metapleura and sides of propodeum longitudinal (reduced in smallest specimens). Propodeal spines long, directed caudally, continuing dorsal outline of propodeum, weakly upcurved. Propodeum deeply concave between bases of spines. Peduncle of petiole long. Base of gaster tergite 1 without striation. Gaster light brown.

Description (worker). Measurements of holotype: HW 1.54; HL 1.50; SL 1.53; SW 0.16; TL 7.11; Pmin 0.17; PW 0.40; PPW 0.45; SpD 0.53; PrL 1.14; FeL 2.02; ML 1.92; PnW 1.08; CI 103; SI 99; FeI 131.

Measurements of paratypes: min–max (n = 15): HW 1.11–1.52; HL 1.13–1.52; SL 1.22–1.53; SW 0.13–0.16; TL 4.96–7.17; Pmin 0.12–0.16; PW 0.28–0.40; PPW 0.35–0.45; SpD 0.35–0.53; PrL 0.74–1.08; FeL 1.50–1.99; ML 1.37–1.96; PnW 0.75–1.08; CI 97–100; SI 101–110; FeI 131–136.

Structures: Head ( Fig. 7 ) roundish; medioposteriorly with strong piliferous punctures; most areas dorsally and laterally with fine longitudinal rugae. Clypeus with distinct median carina (usually complete) and few longitudinal rugae. Mandible with sharp longitudinal rugae; apical margin with four teeth. Pronotum with arcuate rugae on dorsal surface, usually without longitudinal elements; anteroventral teeth prominent (comparatively short in smallest specimens). Mesonotum with reduced sculpture, usually with a median and one transverse carina; sides laterally scarcely bulging. Metanotal groove narrow and sharp, in dorsolateral view lateral margin forming an obtuse angle. Mesopleura and sides of propodeum with more or less developed longitudinal rugae (evanescent in smallest specimens). Dorsum of propodeum with reduced sculpture, a transverse carina or a pair of longitudinal carinae occasionally present; in dorsal view, area between bases of spines strongly concave. Propodeal spines long, directed caudally, slightly diverging, at base continuing dorsal outline of propodeum, then weakly upcurved (except in one aberrant specimen with downcurved spines). Nodes of petiole and postpetiole rounded; peduncle of petiole long. Gaster with piliferous punctures; base of gaster tergite 1 without striation.

Setae abundant on trunk and appendages. Dorsal setiferation composed of two types of setae, short setae about half as long as long ones. On head dorsum, petiole and postpetiole all setae suberect. Short setae abundant on mesosoma sides, but scarce on its dorsum. On gaster, long setae suberect, short setae subdecumbent anteriorly, suberect posteriorly.

Colour: yellow; mandibles, distal part of antenna and gaster tergites light brown. All setae white.

Comparative notes. Myrmicaria buenaventei new species can be immediately recognized by the arcuate rugae on the dorsum of the pronotum ( Fig. 6 ). Pronounced anteroventral pronotum teeth ( Fig. 6 ), a reduced sculpture of the mesonotum, comparatively long propodeal spines and petiolar peduncle ( Fig. 5 ), and a smooth gaster base are further important characteristics of M. buenaventei new species. The overall very pale colour may be an artefact caused by preservation in ethanol.

Distribution and habitat. Despite the fact that numerous samples of Myrmicaria from Luzon were studied, M. buenaventei new species is only known from Mt. Palali in Nueva Vizcaya Province. There it occupies a wide altitudinal range (890–1,436 m a.s.l.) including cold and wet habitats in the mossy forest zone ( Figs. 21–24 ) (Perry A. C. Buenavente, pers. comm.).

Figures

Figs. 5–6. Holotype worker of Myrmicaria buenaventei new species in lateral (5) and dorsal (6) view.

Figs. 7–8. Holotype worker of Myrmicaria buenaventei new species: (7) head in full-face view; (8) postpetiole and base of gaster tergite 1 in dorsal view.

Figs. 17–20. Mesosoma in dorsal view: (17) Myrmicaria aphidicola from Bukidnon; (18) M. buenaventei new species (holotype); (19) M. chapmani new species (holotype); (20) M. transversa new species (holotype).

Figs. 21–24. Forest habitats on Mt. Palali, Nueva Vizcaya Province, type locality of M. buenaventei new species (© P.A.C. Buenavente).