Zasphinctus lolae 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.14606289
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F959CFF0-5EEB-5C02-9DB8-BF256EB7AEFA
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Zasphinctus lolae Hita Garcia & Gómez
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Zasphinctus lolae Hita Garcia & Gómez sp. nov.

Figs 3 C View Figure 3 , 4 C View Figure 4 , 5 C View Figure 5 , 6 C View Figure 6 , 7 C View Figure 7 , 8 C View Figure 8 , 9 C View Figure 9 , 9 D View Figure 9 , 10 C View Figure 10 , 11 C View Figure 11 , 12 C View Figure 12 , 13 C View Figure 13 , 14 C View Figure 14 , 15 C View Figure 15 , 16 C View Figure 16 , 17 C View Figure 17 , 18 C View Figure 18 , 19 C View Figure 19 , 20 C View Figure 20 , 21 C View Figure 21 , 27 View Figure 27

Type material examined.

Holotype • Pinned worker, Ghana, Bobiri Forest Reserve , primary unlogged forest, hand collected, ex soil, 6.69048, - 1.33828, ca 260 m, collection code KG 03946, 10. I. 2019 (K. Gómez) ( RBINS: KGCOL 02270 About RBINS ) GoogleMaps . Paratypes • Three pinned workers with same data as holotype ( KGAC: KGCOL 02269 ; MNHNC: KGCOL 00163 ; RBINS: CASENT 0881885 About RBINS ) GoogleMaps • two pinned workers from Ghana, Wiawso , ant ecology sample, 6.915525, - 2.03919, ca 300 m, collection code ANTC 39479, 25. IV. 1969 (D. Leston) ( NHMUK: CASENT 0764652 About NHMUK ; ZMHB: CASENT 0764651 ) GoogleMaps .

Cybertype • Dataset includes data from the holotype ( KGCOL 02270 ) and one paratype ( CASENT 0764651 ), 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 two freely accessible 3 D surface models at Sketchfab (https://skfb.ly/p7MpV and https://skfb.ly/p7MpW).

Differential worker diagnosis.

With characters of the Z. sarowiwai group plus the following: body size significantly much larger (HL 0.90–0.98; WL 1.29–1.40); torular-posttorular complex in profile comparatively lower and funnel-shaped (Fig. 5 C View Figure 5 ); vertexal margin and posterior face of head weakly developed (Figs 6 C View Figure 6 , 7 C View Figure 7 ); lateral arms of hypostomal carina strongly diverging anteriorly, relatively thick, and strongly angulate at widest points (Fig. 8 C View Figure 8 ); postgenal sulcus deeply and conspicuously impressed and running almost to occipital margin (Fig. 8 C View Figure 8 ); posterodorsal margin of mesosoma continuous across its entire length (Figs 11 C View Figure 11 , 12 C 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 C View Figure 13 ); petiolar tergum in dorsal view relatively thicker: ~ 1.2–1.3 × broader than long (DPI 120–131) (Fig. 14 C View Figure 14 ); abdominal sternum III in ventral view campaniform, very broad and short, sides strongly rounded (Fig. 16 C 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 C View Figure 16 ); prora in anteroventral view well-developed with sharply and very regularly shaped lateroventral margins (Fig. 16 C View Figure 16 ); abdominal segment VI in dorsal view distinctly shorter: ~ 1.9–2 × broader than long (DA 6 I 189–200) (Fig. 17 C View Figure 17 ); girdling constrictions between abdominal segments IV, V, VI cross-ribbed (Fig. 18 C 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 C View Figure 4 , 5 C View Figure 5 , 19 C View Figure 19 , 20 C View Figure 20 ); general surface sculpture on mesosoma and metasoma almost completely smooth and very shiny with scattered, piliferous foveae (Figs 20 C View Figure 20 , 21 C View Figure 21 ).

Measurements and indices.

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

Etymology.

The species name lolae is a Latinised noun in the genitive case, dedicated to the mother of the second author Kiko Gomez. Thanks for everything.

Distribution and biology.

Presently, Z. lolae is only known from two collection events from Ghana, from Wiawso and Bobiri Forest Reserve, both of which are / were rainforest habitats.

[Note: the 3 D model of the mouthparts presented in Hita Garcia et al. (2017 a) is not Z. sarowiwai , but instead Z. lolae ( CASENT 0764652 )]