Temnothorax desioi (Menozzi)

Rasheed, Muhammad Tariq, B, Imran Bodlah, B, Yusupov Zalimkhan Magomedovich, B, Ammara Gull E Fareen, B, Muhammad Adnan Bodlah, B, Matthew Prebus & B, Aijaz Ahmad Wachkoo, 2020, Preliminary contributions toward a revision of the ant genus Temnothorax Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Pakistan, Turkish Journal of Zoology 44 (4), pp. 375-381 : 377-380

Temnothorax desioi (Menozzi) ; Bolton 2003: 271. First combination in Temnothorax .

3.1.1. Distribution India and Pakistan ( Menozzi, 1939).

3.1.2. Ecological notes

T. desioi inhabits an elevational range of 3000–4300 m, and has been collected from meadows, the edges of springs, and rocky, vegetated slopes. It has been associated with Tamarix , Salix, Juniperus , Ephedra , and Artemesia ( Menozzi 1939) .

3.1.3. Comments

A subspecies, T. desioi melanica , was also described by Menozzi (1939).

3.2. Temnothorax pakistanensis sp. n.

Figures 3A–3D , 4A–4C

Holotype worker – ( PMAS0001 ) Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khanspur (34.023106°N, 73.421944°E) 2184 m, 14-iii-2019 ( PMAS) ; Paratype: 10 workers ( PMAS0002 – PMAS0011 ), same data as holotype ( BMNH, CASC, PMAS) hand collection (coll. M. Tariq Rasheed) ; 1 queen ( PMAS0012 ), same locality as above ( PMAS) hand collection (coll. Imran Bodlah) .

3.2.1. Description (worker): Figures 3A–3D

Head: In full face view longer than broad with feebly rounded posterior margin, rounded corners and feebly convex sides, anterior clypeal margin entire; mandibles armed with five teeth decreasing in size from apex to base; antennae 12-segmented; scape, relatively short clearly not reaching posterior margin of head by about the length of second funicular segment in full-face view.

Mesosoma: Promesonotal suture indistinct; promesonotum flat in profile; metanotal grove distinct; propodeal spines pointed, acute and broadly based. In profile petiole with a peduncle; the anterior face forms a shallow concavity; anterior face of petiolar node forms a right angle with posterior face; subpetiolar process reduced to a small denticle. In profile postpetiole globular and relatively lower than the height of the petiole; in dorsal view broader than long, trapezoidal, and broadest anteriorly.

Sculpture: Mandibles longitudinally rugulose; cephalic dorsum with fine but irregular striations; clypeus with 4–5 longitudinal rugulae. In lateral view pronotum weakly rugulose; meso and metanotum finely rugulose, smooth between rugulae; petiole weakly reticulate. In dorsal view mesosoma densely rugulose; petiole feebly rugulose. Postpetiole strongly microreticulate throughout.

Vestiture: Anterior clypeal margin convex with 4–5 protrusive setae. Body covered with erect and suberect hairs; antennae with appressed pubescence, abundant on the funicular segments.

Color: Head yellowish to light brown; antennae, mesosoma, petiole and post petiole yellowish all over; gaster brownish, basally light yellow.

Measurements (n = 5): EL: 0.10–0.13 (0.13); FRS: 0.10– 0.12 (0.11); HL:0.61–0.64 (0.61); HW: 0.46–0.56 (0.46); PEW: 0.9–0.13 (0.13); PH: 0.18–0.19 (0.18); PL: 0.24–0.28 (0.28); PPH: 0.10–0.11 (0.11); PSL: 0.08–0.11 (0.09); PW: 0.33–0.36 (0.34); SL: 0.45–0.46 (0.46); WL: 0.67–0.73 (0.68). Indices: CI: 125.49–132.60 (132.60); PSLI: 17.39– 21.56 (19.56); SCI1: 71.87–75.40 (75.40); SCI2: 80.70–102 (100).

3.2.2. Description (Queen): Figures 4A–4C Measurements (n = 1): EL: 0.19; FRS: 0.30; HL: 0.69; HW: 0.62; PEW: 0.15; PH: 0.26; PL: 0.35; PPH: 0.15; PSL: 0.12; PW: 0.70; SL: 0.49; WL: 1.06. Indices: CI: 111.29; PSLI: 19.35; SCI1: 71.01; SCI2: 79.03.

Resembles the worker, with modifications expected for caste, but with the following differences: and the following differences: body massive, frontal carina more prominent; eyes large placed at the middle of head,three prominent ocelli present; anterior clypeal margin rugulose longitudinally, posterior margin smooth; antennal scape short, reaching the level of ocelli; mandibles as in worker caste; mesosoma with scutellum at the same level as of the scutum; scutum with distinct rugae, scutellum mostly smooth, propodeal spines short, acute and broadly based, propodeal declivity very steep; petiolar node dorsum flat, postpetiole broad; gaster long and thick; color slightly darker than in workers: head, mesosoma, petiole, and post petiole brownish to dark brown; gaster brown with yellowish basal segment.

RASHEED et al. / Turk J Zool

3.2.3. Distribution

This newly recorded species has been collected from Khanspur village of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the Himalayan range of Pakistan.

3.2.4. Etymology

This species is named after the type locality, Pakistan.

3.2.5. Ecological notes

A single colony of newly recorded species was collected from under a large stone in a thick pine forest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Himalayan range of Pakistan. Several individuals were observed foraging on small grasses alongside ants of the genus Myrmica . The nesting site was located a few meters away from a roadside. The collection locality has sufficient water sources, low temperature, high humidity, and low human activity.

3.2.6. Comparative notes

This species most resembles T. himachalensis Bharti, Gul and Schulz, 2012 ( Figures 5A and 5B ), but can be distinguished by nearly rectangular head, long and distinct petiolar peduncle, smooth areas between rugae, longer propodeal spines and rounded postpetiole in dorsal view. Workers of T. himachalensis have subrectangular head, shorter peduncle, sculpture minutely microreticulate between small patches of rugae, relatively shorter propodeal spines and trapezoidal postpetiole in dorsal view.

3. 3. Temnothorax pamiricus ( Ruzsky, 1902)

Figures 5C and 5D

Leptothorax pamiricus Ruzsky, 1902:478 . Lectotype worker, Pamir , Russia [MSNG] [Images of CASENT0904744 Lectotype worker examined].

Leptothorax bulgaricus pamiricus Ruzsky ; Forel, 1904: 375; Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1926: 75; Menozzi, 1939: 303.

Leptothorax bulgaricus pamiricus Ruzsky ; Menozzi, 1939: 303. Queen and male described.

Leptothorax pamiricus Ruzsky ; Radchenko, 1994b: 152.

Temnothorax pamiricus (Ruzsky) ; Bolton 2003: 271. First combination in Temnothorax .

3.3.1. Distribution

India, Pakistan and Tajikistan ( Ruzsky, 1902; Menozzi, 1939).

3.3.2. Ecological notes

T. pamiricus inhabits an elevational range of 2100–3700 m and has been collected from meadows, along the edges of springs and glacial lakes, and from rocky slopes in arid habitats throughout its range ( Menozzi, 1939). It has been associated with Tamarix , Salix , and Artemesia ( Menozzi 1939) .

3.3.3. Comments

T. pamiricus was originally described from worker material collected in the Pamir mountains in present-day Tajikistan ( Ruzsky, 1902). Menozzi (1939) later described the queen and male of T. pamiricus and documented additional collections northern India and Pakistan. T. pamiricus has historically been considered a subspecies of T. bulgaricus and was synonymized with it soon after description ( Forel, 1904; Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1926; Menozzi, 1939) until revisionary work by Radchenko (1994b, 1994c) revived it as a species.

4. Key to the Pakistani species of the genus Temnothorax based on worker caste

1. Metanotal groove present, propodeal spines distinct and long ( Figure 3D ) ............ T. pakistanensis sp. n.

· Metanotal groove absent, propodeal spines very short to reduced ( Figures 2A and 5C ) ................................. 2

2. Large species; body coloration yellowish; mesosoma smooth and shiny with a few rugulae; propodeal spines short but distinct ( Figure 5C ) ......................... T. pamiricus (Ruzsky)

· Small species; body brownish; mesosoma dull with thick reticulae; propodeal spines reduced to triangular tubercles ( Figure 2A ) ............................. T. desioi (Menozzi)

Nomenclatural acts: This work and the nomenclatural acts it contains have been registered in ZooBank. The ZooBank Life Science Identifier (LSID) for this publication is: http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CCB28C28-5A08-4F8B-85B5-419E319345F6

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Brian Fisher (California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco) for his generous permission to use species images available at AntWeb. We also thank the referees for their constructive comments. The second author would like to extend his sincere appreciation to Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University for financial

Figures

Figure 2. Temnothorax desioi (Menozzi, 1939) (Syntype worker) A–B. (A) Body, lateral view; (B) Head, full face view (CASENT0904558, photographer: Will Ericson).

Figure 3. Temnothorax pakistanensis sp. n. (Worker) A–D. (A) Head, full-face view; (B) Head, full-face view with antennae; (C) Body, dorsal view; (D) Body, lateral view.

Figure 4. Temnothorax pakistanensis sp. n. (Queen) A–C. (A) Head, full-face view; (B) Body, dorsal view; (C) Body, lateral view.

Figure 5.Temnothorax himachalensis Bharti, Gul and Schulz, 2012 (Holotype worker) A–B.(A) Body,lateral view; (B) Head, full face view (ANTWEB1008014, photographer: Himender Bharti); Temnothorax pamiricus (Ruzsky, 1902) (Lectotype worker) C–D. (C) Body, lateral view; (D) Head, full face view (CASENT0904744, photographer: Zach Lieberman).