Lepisiota opaca ( Forel, 1892 )

Harshana, Anand & Dey, Debjani, 2022, Taxonomic studies on the ant genus <i> Lepisiota </ i> Santschi 1926 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) in India, with description of four new species, Oriental Insects 57 (3), pp. 785-818 : 28-29

Lepisiota opaca ( Forel, 1892) ( Fig. 8A–C )

Acantholepis opaca Forel 1892:6 . Syntype workers, Kanara, Karnataka, India. [Images of CASENT0909893 , CASENT0905158 ]

Acantholepis opaca Forel ; Bingham 1903: 318.

Lepisiota opaca (Forel) ; Xu 1994: 235. Combination in Lepisiota .

Material examined (Images of type-specimens)

CASENT0909893 ( MHNG). INDIA: Karnataka: Kanara, worker, 1891, Coll. Aitken. CASENT0905158 ( MSNG) . INDIA: Karnataka: Kanara, worker .

Forel (1892) (Description of worker)

Head subquadrate with somewhat convex sides ( Fig. 8C ). Mandibles narrow. Clypeus convex at middle and subcarinate. Antennal scape barely protruding 1/3 rd of their length to the posterior margin of the head. Compound eyes are located at the midlength of the head. Ocelli is very small but distinct. The dorsum of the pronotum is almost flat and sub-shouldered at its anterior angles. Strongly imprinted, shiny promesonotal suture. Mesonotum narrow. Metanotum short, propodeum with two elongated lateral protuberances, shaped like large triangular teeth. Petiole thicker than L. capensis , surmounted by two long spines. Body entirely dull, densely reticulate-punctate, except shiny gaster ( Fig. 8A–C ). Body colour ferruginous red while gaster reddish-brown colour. Short, sparse, yellowish erect setae on the body except on legs and antennae. Pubescence very sparse. TL– 2.20 mm.

Comments

Lepisiota opaca distinctly differs from L. pusaensis (which has been possibly misidentified as L. opaca in Wachkoo et al. 2021) in the sculpture of the head and mesosoma. Head of L. pusaensis bears microreticulate sculpture and is shiny while L. opaca has reticulate-punctate sculpture on the head and its overall appearance is dull. Dorsum of pronotum is microreticulate in L. pusaensis , while L. opaca has reticulate-punctate sculpture ( Forel 1892).

Figures

Figure 8A–F. Syntype worker (AntWeb: CASENT0909893, photographed by Zach Lieberman) of Lepisiota opaca (A–C), worker of Lepisiota pulchella (D–F). A, D, body in profile view; B, E, body in dorsal view; C, F, head in full-face view.