Zasphinctus kouakoui Hita Garcia & Gómez, 2025

Hita Garcia, Francisco, Gómez, Kiko, Keller, Roberto A., Schurian, Bernhard & Economo, Evan P., 2025, A never-ending story: updated 3 D cyber-taxonomic revision of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) for the Afrotropical region, ZooKeys 1223, pp. 1-55 : 1-55

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3897/zookeys.1223.131238
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:974E3C3D-A08E-42CB-B75E-D7A329B1B715
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14606287
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/12BF1247-890B-550E-8431-963B8127DB15
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Zasphinctus kouakoui Hita Garcia & Gómez
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Zasphinctus kouakoui Hita Garcia & Gómez sp. nov.

Figs 3 B View Figure 3 , 4 B View Figure 4 , 5 B View Figure 5 , 6 B View Figure 6 , 7 B View Figure 7 , 8 B View Figure 8 , 10 B View Figure 10 , 11 B View Figure 11 , 12 B View Figure 12 , 13 B View Figure 13 , 14 B View Figure 14 , 15 B View Figure 15 , 16 B View Figure 16 , 17 B View Figure 17 , 18 B View Figure 18 , 19 B View Figure 19 , 20 B View Figure 20 , 21 B View Figure 21 , 26 View Figure 26

Type material examined.

Holotype • Pinned worker, Ivory Coast, Montagnes District, Taï National Park, Site 04, primary forest, hand collected, ex soil, 5.8309, - 7.3440, 200 m, collection code KG 04079, 10. XI. 2019 (K. Gómez and L. Kouakou) ( RBINS: KGCOL 00589 About RBINS ) GoogleMaps . Paratypes • Four pinned workers with same data as holotype ( KGAC: KGCOL 00586 ; MNHNC: KGCOL 01321 ; RBINS: KGCOL 02132 About RBINS ; NHMUK: KGCOL 01884 About NHMUK ) GoogleMaps • 1 pinned worker fromIvory Coast, Tai Forest , 5.83, - 7.34, 18. V. 77 (T. Diomande) ( ZMHB: CASENT 0764653 ) .

Cybertype • Dataset includes data from the holotype ( KGCOL 00589 ) and one paratype ( CASENT 0764653 ), and consists of the volumetric raw data (in DICOM format), 3 D surface model (in PLY format), still images of multiple body parts from surface volume renderings of 3 D models, and stacked digital colour images illustrating head in full-face view, profile, and dorsal views of the body. The data is deposited at Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12593275) and can be freely accessed as virtual representation of the physical holotype and paratype. In addition to the data at Zenodo, we also provide a freely accessible 3 D surface model at Sketchfab (https://skfb.ly/p7MpP and https://skfb.ly/p7MpQ).

Differential worker diagnosis.

With characters of the Z. sarowiwai group plus the following: body size significantly larger (HL 0.75–0.80; WL 1.03–1.10); torular – posttorular complex in profile comparatively lower and funnel – shaped (Fig. 5 B View Figure 5 ); vertexal margin very weak and dorsum smoothly rounding onto posterior face of head (Figs 6 B View Figure 6 , 7 B View Figure 7 ); lateral arms of hypostomal carina strongly diverging anteriorly, relatively thick, and outline mostly rounded (Fig. 8 B View Figure 8 ); postgenal sulcus deeply and conspicuously impressed but only running halfway to occipital margin (Fig. 8 B View Figure 8 ); posterodorsal margin of mesosoma continuous across its entire length (Figs 11 B View Figure 11 , 12 B View Figure 12 ); subpetiolar process of petiole ( AS II) in profile with thickened anterior and ventral margins and well developed concavity with differentiated fenestra (Fig. 13 B View Figure 13 ); petiolar tergum in dorsal view relatively thicker: ~ 1.1 × broader than long (DPI 109–114) (Fig. 14 B View Figure 14 ); abdominal sternum III in ventral view campaniform, comparatively broad and short, sides strongly rounded (Fig. 16 B View Figure 16 ); posterior end of abdominal segment III in ventral view with transverse groove weak to absent, instead with irregular groves and rugosity (Fig. 16 B View Figure 16 ); prora in anteroventral view well – developed with sharply and very regularly shaped lateroventral margins (Fig. 16 B View Figure 16 ); abdominal segment VI in dorsal view distinctly shorter: ~ 1.8–2 × broader than long (DA 6 I 180–204) (Fig. 17 B View Figure 17 ); girdling constrictions between abdominal segments IV, V, VI cross-ribbed (Fig. 18 B View Figure 18 ); surface sculpture on cephalic dorsum and genae completely smooth and very shiny with moderately dense, deep, and moderately sized to large piliferous foveae (Figs 4 B View Figure 4 , 5 B View Figure 5 , 19 B View Figure 19 , 20 B View Figure 20 ); general surface sculpture on mesosoma and metasoma almost completely smooth and very shiny with scattered, piliferous foveae (Figs 20 B View Figure 20 , 21 B View Figure 21 ).

Measurements and indices.

Morphometric data is based on five workers from Ivory Coast and can be seen in Table 2 View Table 2 , Suppl. material 3.

Etymology.

The species name kouakoui is a Latinised noun in the genitive case, dedicated to our good friend and Ivorian myrmecologist Dr. Lombart Kouakou. May this serve as a recognition of his present and future endeavours in Afrotropical myrmecology.

Distribution and biology.

Presently, Z. kouakoui is only known from two collection events from the type locality, the Tai National Park in Ivory Coast, which is the last remaining major intact block of primary forest in West Africa. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to exceptional richness in fauna and ﬂora. Indeed, based on several criteria including species diversity, endemism, presence of rare species, and / or endangered and critical habitats, the Tai National Park is considered a priority for the conservation of mammals, birds, amphibians, and invertebrates in West Africa ( Reizebos et al. 1994).