Temnothorax kashmirensis, Bharti & Gul & Schulz, 2012

Bharti, H., Gul, I. & Schulz, A., 2012, Three New Species Of Genus Temnothorax (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) From Indian Himalayas With A Revised Key To The Indian Species, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (4), pp. 325-336 : 329-331

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5735956

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5735878

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03919A08-3008-FFEE-890A-FCCCC7BBF4B3

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Temnothorax kashmirensis
status

sp. nov.

Temnothorax kashmirensis sp. n.

( Figs 4–9 View Figs 1–5 View Figs 6–10 )

Holotype worker – India, Kashmir , Dara, 34.187N, 74.930E, 2130 m a.s.l., 15.xii.2011 (deposited in PUPAC) GoogleMaps ; Paratypes: 15 workers same data as holotype (deposited in CAS, PUPAC, SMNK) GoogleMaps ; 9 workers India, Himachal Pradesh, Manali , 32.2310N, 77.1910E, 1845 m a.s.l., 17.vi.2010, hand collecting (coll. Irfan Gul) (deposited in PUPAC) GoogleMaps ; 6 workers, 1 queen, Kullu Valley, vic. Kalath , 1700–1800 m a.s.l., 02.x.1996, (coll. Andreas Schulz) (deposited in PCAS, PUPAC) .

Worker measurements – TL 2.5–3.3 (3.0); HL 0.63–0.72 (0.70); HW 0.51–0.58 (0.56); SL 0.47–0.56 (0.55); PW 38–43 (0.40); WL 0.67–0.77 (0.77); PL 0.24–0.30 (0.26); PH 0.16–0.20 (0.20); PPL 0.19–0.23 (0.23); GL 0.73–1.24 (1.02); PSL 0.080–0.16 (0.13); FCD 0.18–0.20 (0.20); EL 0.12–0.18 (0.18); PEW 0.14–0.17 (0.17) n = 31.

Head – Longer than broad [CI= 121–125 (122)]; in full face view, posterior margin of head feebly convex; occipital corners less marked than in Temnothorax himachalensis sp. n., moderately round; lateral sides weakly convex; anterior clypeal margin broadly rounded; eyes large, situated about the middle on the sides of the head; mandibles triangular, the masticatory margin with 5 prominent teeth; antennae 12 segmented, scape fairly long, almost reaching posterior margin of head [SI1 = 74–80 (78), SI2 = 92–99 (98)].

Mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole – In profile, mesosoma with weakly convex promesonotal dorsum; metanotal groove shallow, less distinct; humeri in dorsal view rounded; propodeal spines almost cylindrical, apices oblique, long, as long as what approximately is the distance between their bases [PSLI = 15–28 (23)]; petiolar node longer than high with somewhat long anterior peduncle; petiolar node in profile with steep and very slightly concave anterior face and flat to convex dorsum; postpetiolar node as high as petiole with rounded dorsum and wider than petiole.

Gaster – Ovate, smooth and shiny.

Sculpture – Head smooth, except for scattered punctures and longitudinal irregular rugae on genae which run up to the front of eyes and a few rugulae between the frontal carinae; mandibles distinct rugulose; clypeus with a few longitudinal rugae; mesosoma reticulate, rugulose, all over except for the posterodorsal part of pronotum, dorsum of mesonotum and metanotal where the sculpture is indistinct; scattered punctuation all over mesosoma; petiole and postpetiole finely microreticulated and rugulose; petiolar node dorsum circled with distinct carinae (carinae less distinct in some specimens); gaster smooth and shining.

Pilosity – Body covered with suberect to erect blunt hairs, more abundant on gaster; shorter subdecumbent hairs on antennae and legs; decumbent pubescent hairs on antennae and legs, more dense on antennal funiculus.

Colour – The species is bicoloured, with the light to dark brown head and gaster and yellowish to reddish yellow mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole; mandibles, antennae and legs yellowish to brown; pilosity yellowish white.

8

10

Queen measurements – TL 3.46; HL 0.70; HW 0.66; SL 0.54; PW 0.64; WL 1.12; PL 0.31; PH 0.24; PPL 0.30; GL 1.03; PSL 0.12; PSLI 18; CI 106; SI1 77; SI2 81; FCD 0.21; EL 0.21; PEW 0.22 n = 1.

Resembles the worker, with modifications expected for caste and the following differences: Body massive, more hairy; head longitudinally rugose and reticulated, the rugae covering genae, antennal sockets, whole frontal area except the space in between the frontal carinae and ocelli; clypeus with a few longitudinally rugae placed wide apart; eyes large, three prominent ocelli present; mesosoma weakly longitudinally rugose on dorsum, rugulose on sides with some patches smooth; propodeal spines more or less triangular; petiole, postpetiole with a few rugulae, distinct carinae circling round the petiole dorsum; hairs of varying lengths cover entire body; mesosoma with scutellum at the same level as of the scutum; scutum with a few less distinct rugae, scutellum smooth, propodeal declivity very steep; petiolar node dorsum flat, postpetiole broad; gaster long and thick; colour slightly darker than in workers and irregular.

Distribution and habitat – The species has been collected from North-West Himalaya, in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. The species inhabits moderately wet and lighted coniferous forests with scarce undergrowth and nests mainly under stones.

Etymology – The species is named after the type locality, Kashmir.

Remarks – Temnothorax kashmirensis sp. n. is significantly different from all known Himalayan species due to following combination of characters: Head smooth; mesosoma coarsely sculptured; spines long, cylindrical, apices oblique. However, it is somewhat allied to Temnothorax fultonii ( FOREL, 1902) , which is a bicoloured species, with the head smooth without any distinct sculpture but can be easily differentiated from it by the longer propodeal spines (PSLI = 15–28) and distinct sculpture on mesosoma. In case of Temnothorax fultonii the propodeal spines are much shorter (PSLI = 9–11) and the mesosoma is much smoother.

CAS

California Academy of Sciences

SMNK

Staatliches Museum fuer Naturkunde Karlsruhe (State Museum of Natural History)

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Temnothorax

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