Temnothorax cuneinodis, Radchenko, 2004

Radchenko, A., 2004, A Review Of The Ant Genera Leptothorax Mayr And Temnothorax Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) Of The Eastern Palaearctic, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 50 (2), pp. 109-137 : 112-114

Temnothorax cuneinodis sp. n.

( Figs 1–3 )

Material examined: 1 worker (holotype), North Korea , Maram ad Pyongyang, 10.viii.1959 leg. B. PISARSKI & J. PRÓSZYŃSKI. Deposited in the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Warsaw, Poland) .

Worker ( Figs 1–3 ). Description – Head subrectangular (CI = 1.17), with parallel sides, very weakly concave occipital margin, and narrowly rounded occipital corners. Anterior clypeal margin broadly rounded. Antennae 12-segmented, antennal scape relatively short, not reaching the occipital margin by at least its maximal diameter (SI 1 = 0.69, SI 2 = 0.81).

Alitrunk with slightly flattened promesonotal dorsum, without metanotal groove. Propodeum with moderately long, basally widened, blunt spines (ESLI = 0.23). Humeri in dorsal view distinctly marked and slightly angulate. Petiole short and high (PI = 1.05), without anterior peduncle; petiolar node (seen in profile) cuneiform, with steep and very slightly concave anterior face and narrowly rounded dorsum. Postpetiole distinctly lower than petiole, subglobular.

Head dorsum with reduced sculpture, only with fine rugulae and striation on frons and near eyes, surface unpunctured, smooth and shiny. Alitrunk with relatively coarse but scattered, irregular longitudinal rugosity, punctures present only on mesopleura; surface between rugae shiny. Sides of petiole and postpetiole finely but densely punctate, petiolar and postpetiolar nodes dorsally with rugulosity, surface shiny.

Head with sparse short standing hairs, alitrunk and waist with more abundant and longer standing hairs, which distinctly longer than the minimal eye diameter.

Head, alitrunk and waist dark reddish, gaster reddish-brown, appendages somewhat lighter than the alitrunk.

Queens and males are unknown.

Ecology is very poorly known. The single known specimen was collected on a dry open slope of a hill near a stream valley in sparse and young mixed forest.

Etymology. The species is named after the peculiar, cuneiform shape of its petiole.

Differential diagnosis. T. cuneinodis is a quite conspicuous species and well differs from all known Eastern Palaearctic (including Japanese) Temnothorax species with 12-segmented antennae by the combination of several features: distinctly and waist, dorsal view marked and slightly angulate humeri ( Fig. 3 ) [except of T. alinae (RADCHENKO) ]; high and short, cuneiform petiole; reduced sculpture on the head dorsum, etc.

T. alinae well differs from T. cuneinodis by the densely sculptured, rugulose and reticulate head dorsum ( Figs 1 and 22 ); the much lower and massive petiole, which is distinctly longer than high (PI> 1.20), with a broadly rounded node dorsum (seen in profile); the longer (ESLI> 0.25), straight, not widened basally, finger-like and bluntly rounded on the tip propodeal spines; the straight, blunt, thick and short standing hairs on the alitrunk, which at most as long as the minimal eye diameter ( Figs 2 and 23 ), etc.

Figures

Figs 1–6. Details of structure of Temnothorax cuneinodis (holotype, worker, 1–3) and T. xanthos (holotype, worker, 4–6). (1, 4) Head, dorsal view; (2, 5) alitrunk and waist in profile; (3, 6) alitrunk

Figs 16–23. Details of structure of Temnothorax michali (holotype, worker, 16–18; paratype queen, 19–21) and T. alinae (paratype, worker, 22, 23). (16, 19, 22) Head, dorsal view; (17, 20, 23) alitrunk