Myrmica wangi, Chen, Zhilin, Zhou, Shanyi & Huang, Jianhua, 2016

Chen, Zhilin, Zhou, Shanyi & Huang, Jianhua, 2016, Seven species new to science and one newly recorded species of the ant genus Myrmica Latreille, 1804 from China, with proposal of a new synonym (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), ZooKeys 551, pp. 85-128 : 104-107

Taxon classification Animalia ORDO FAMILIA

Myrmica wangi sp. n. Figures 26-28

Type material.

Holotype worker. Huangbaiyuan , Shaanxi Prov., China, 34°10'36"N, 107°11'03"E, 1567m. 1.vi.2012, leg. Chaotai Wei, No. G120127 . Paratypes. 5 workers, data as holotype.

Measurements and descriptions.

Holotype worker. HL 1.62, HW 1.42, FW 0.55, FLW 0.58, SL 1.67, PW 1.05, ML 2.25, PL 0.63, PH 0.43, ESL 0.75, CI 1.14, FI 0.39, FLI 1.05, SI1 1.03, SI2 1.18, ESLI 0.53. Paratype workers (n = 5). HL 1.60−1.67, HW 1.33−1.41, FW 0.54−0.56, FLW 0.57−0.60, SL 1.56−1.64, PW 1.00−1.11, ML 2.19−2.23, PL 0.59−0.64, PH 0.40−0.44, ESL 0.70−0.77, CI 1.13−1.17, FI 0.38−0.41, FLI 1.02−1.08, SI1 1.00−1.04, SI2 1.17−1.20, ESLI 0.51−0.54.

Holotype worker. Head longer than broad, with very feebly convex sides, nearly straight posterior margin and broadly rounded posterior corners. Anterior clypeal margin very feebly convex, notched medially. Frontal carinae very feebly curved, merging with the rugae that extend to the posterior third dorsum of head. Frons wide, frontal lobes not extended, but raised vertically (i.e. perpendicular to the surface of the head). Antennal scape relatively long (SI2 = 1.18), longer than head width, gradually though distinctly curved at the base, without any trace of lobe or carina.

Promesonotal dorsum in profile view convex, promesonotal suture in dorsal view indistinct; mesonotum abruptly curved down to propodeum to form distinct, deep and wide metanotal groove. Propodeal lobes projecting to form short blunt triangle. Propodeal spines relatively long, widened at the base, directly backward and slightly downward. Petiole relatively short and wide, with anterior surface strongly concave, dorsum of node feebly convex; postpetiole somewhat shorter than high (Fig. 26).

Head with fine, almost straight, posteriorly diverging longitudinal rugae on the whole dorsum extending back to posterior margin, eight rugae between frontal carinae level with the eyes. Posterior part of the head with reticulations, space between rugae finely superficially micro−punctate. Clypeus with longitudinal rugae, space between them shiny. Frontal triangle smooth and shiny.

Dorsum of mesosoma with coarse reticulation, lateral sides with coarse sinuous longitudinal rugae. Petiole with coarse, short, sinuous longitudinal rugae, postpetiole with less coarse longitudinal, slightly sinuous rugae. Space on body between rugae smooth and shiny.

Posterior margin of head with up to two long suberect hairs; mesosoma dorsum with longer hairs, petiole with 1−6 long hairs. Antennal scape with suberect hairs. Tibiae with subdecumbent hairs. Head, gaster and petiole and postpetiole brownish-red, mesosoma black to blackish-brown.

Paratype workers. As holotype.

Queens and males. Unknown.

Habitat.

This species nests inside decayed wood in the broadleaf and coniferous forests, at elevation 1667m.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is the last name of a famous Chinese artist in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Xizhi Wang.

Differential diagnosis.

Myrmica wangi sp. n. belongs to the draco -complex of the ritae species group. This species group includes 5 species: Myrmica draco , Myrmica oui sp. n., Myrmica plodii , Myrmica schoedli , Myrmica yamanei . So far, only two species ( Myrmica draco and Myrmica wangi sp. n.) of the ritae species group were found from Shaanxi Province, which is the highest latitude distribution areas of this species group in the Old world. We investigated the two paratypes workers of Myrmica draco Radchenko, Zhou & Elmes found that two species are very similar to each other, but Myrmica wangi sp. n. differs from the Myrmica draco by the nearly straight posterior margin and broadly rounded posterior corners, frontal carinae extend back to posterior margin, posterior part of the head without reticulation; only posterior margins with 0−2 long suberect hairs; propodeal lobes projecting to form short and blunt triangle; petiole with coarse, short, sinuous longitudinal rugae, petiole and postpetiole with fewer punctures, appears shiny. On the other hand, This species is also similar to Myrmica oui sp. n., but differs from the latter by the surface between rugae on the head with fewer punctures and appearing shiny. In dorsal view, dorsum of propodeum behind the metanotal groove with irregular coarse rugae. Petiole and postpetiole with coarse, short, sinuous longitudinal rugae, with fewer punctures, appearing shiny. We considered that these morphological differences is very obvious, which could be easily aparted from the other species of the genus Myrmica .