Vollenhovia benzai, Terayama, M. & Kinomura, K., 1997

Terayama, M. & Kinomura, K., 1997, Taxonomic studies of Japanese Formicidae part 3: genus Vollenhovia., Nature and Human Activities 2, pp. 1-8 : 2-3

Vollenhovia benzai sp. nov.

(Figs. 2, 6)

Holotype. Worker. HL 0.53 mm; HW 0.48 mm; SL 0.29 mm; CI 90; SI 60; WL 0.60 mm; PL 0.23 mm; PH 0.21 mm; DPW 0.14 mm; TL 2.0 mm.

Head slightly longer than wide, with subparallel sides and weakly concave posterior margin in frontal view. Mandibles with 7 teeth; basalmost tooth minute. Clypeal carinae subparallel. Antennae with 12 segments; scape 0.55 x head length. Eyes 0.13 mm in diameter.

Dorsum of promesonotum straight in profile; metanotal groove not incised dorsally; posterodorsal corner of propodeum dully angulated, without a dorsal tooth in profile.

Petiole higher than long, with convex dorsal outline in profile; anterodorsal corner rounded, not forming distinct angle. Subpetiolar process low and small; its thin lamellar wall ca. 0.12 mm in height. Postpetiole as long as high and highest at midlength, with convex dorsal outline in profile; posterodorsal margin convex.

Head shagreened with large coarse punctures; space between punctures less than 0.5 x their own diameters; dorsum of alitrunk coarsely punctated with numerous longitudinal ruglae and without unsculptured longitudinal band medially; mesopleura, propodeum and petiole reticulate; sculpture on petiole weaker than that on propodeum; postpetiole smooth in most part; gaster and legs smooth and subopaque.

Color, reddish brown; mandibles, antennae, and legs yellowish brown; irons without dark brown spot.

Paratype female. HL 0.53 mm; HW 0.50 mm; SL 0.35 mm CI 95; SI 70; WL 0.78 mm; PL 0.25 mm; PH 0.24 mm; DPW 0.35 mm; TL 2.5 mm (one measured).

Head slightly longer than wide, with weakly concave posterior margin in frontal view; eyes 0.13 mm in diameter, ocelli small, forming a right angled triangle.

Alitrunk 0.48 mm in maximum dorsal width; dorsum of metanotum coarsely punctated with longitudinal unsculptured band medially; interspaces among punctures smooth; posterodorsal corner of propodeum dully angulate, not forming a distinct tooth in profile.

Petiole almost as long as wide, with strongly convex dorsal margin in profile; subpetiolar process low and small. Postpetole with convex dorsal margin highest at midlength in profile; posterodorsal margin convex.

Color reddish brown; ocellar triangular area blackish brown; frons without dark brown spot.

Variation. Five paratype workers with the following measurements and indices: HL 0.50-0.53 mm; HW 0.43-0.48 mm; SL 0.29-0.31 mm; CI 93-95; SI 63-64; WL 0.60-0.63 mm; PL 0.20-0.24 mm; PH 0.19-0.21 mm; DPW 0.14-0.16 mm; TL 2.0-2.2 mm. Eye diameter varied from 0.12 to 0.13 mm.

Holotype. Worker, Onoma, Yaku-shima, Kagoshima Pref.. 16.VHI.1986, K. Kinomura leg.

Paratypes. 2 females, 4 workers, same data as holotype; 2 females 4 workers, same locality, 17. Vm. 1986, K. Kinomura leg.; 1 female, 2 workers, Nagata, Yaku-shima, Kagoshima Pref., 14.VHI. 1986, K. Kinomura leg.; 3 workers, Yaku-shima, Kagoshima Pref., 19.m. 1991, T. Satoh leg.; 1 female, 3 workers, Yaku-shima, Kagoshima Pref., 25.m. 1981, M. Terayamaleg.

Other material examined. 6 workers, Fukuokashi , Fukuoka Pref., 20.Vm. 1983, M. Terayama leg .; 3 workers, Misawa , Tokushima Pref., 5.VHI. 1977, K. Kinomura leg .; 1 worker, Sukumo , Kochi Pref., 7.VIH.1977, K. Kinomura leg .; 3 workers, Amami-oshima , Kagoshima Pref., 24.HI. 1980, M. Terayama leg .; 5 workers, same locality, 29.VI. 1983, M. Terayama leg .; 1 female, 3 workers, same locality, 19.HI. 1980. M. Terayama leg .; 3 workers, Tokuno-shima, Kagoshima Pref., 20.HI. 1980. M. Terayama leg .

Type depository. The holotype and some paratypes are deposited in the Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo, and the other paratypes are in the National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba, and National Science Museum, Tokyo.

Etymology. One of the seven deities of good fortune in Japanese Folklore.

Remarks. Among the 4 described species from East Asia, this species is distinguishable as follows differs V. benzai from V. emeryi Wheeler , 1906, of Japan and V. pyrrhoria Wu and Xiao. 1989, of China by having a low and small subpetiolar process, dully angulate posterodorsal corner of propodeum, lacking large brown spot on frons, and smaller body size (HL 0.50-0.53 mm and HW 0.43-0.48 mm in benzai workers; HL 0.55-0.59 mm and HW 0.50-0.54 mm in emeryi workers (n = 10), and HL 0.60 mm and HW 0.55 mm in pyrrhoria worker (one paratype is measured); V. benzai differs from V. satoi Santschi , 1937, from Taiwan by having less incised metanotal groove (deeply incised dorsally in satoi ); and V. benzai differs from V. nipponica Kinomura and Yamauchi, 1992, which is a workerless social parasitic species by having a low and small subpetiolar process and a dully angulate posterodorsal corner of the propodeum in female. It is also distinguished from the other Japanese congeners in workers by the following characteristics: 1) irons without large brown spot; 2) dorsum of promesonotum coarsely punctate, without unsculptured longitudinal band medially: 3) propodeal teeth absent 4) subpetiolar process low, longer than high; 5) postpetiole highest at midlength in profile.

This species is polygenous, and nesting in the woodlands or woodland margins. Distribution is shown in Fig. 10. This species corresponds to Vollenhovia sp. 6 ("Tatenashi-umematsuari" in Japanese) in Terayama and Yamauchi (1992).

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