Parasyscia reticulata ( Emery, 1923 )

Chen, Zhilin, Liang, Cuijun & Du, Congcong, 2022, Revision of Chinese species of the ant genus Parasyscia Emery, 1882 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylinae), Zootaxa 5196 (3), pp. 301-330 : 317

Parasyscia reticulata ( Emery, 1923)

( Figs. 27 , 28 )

Cerapachys reticulatus Emery, 1923: 60 .

Holotype queen: CHIAN ( Taiwan), "Formosa", Suisharyo (H. Sauter) [DEI, unique specimen identifier FOCOL0375 ] (AntWeb image examined). Combination in Parasyscia: Borowiec, 2016: 205 .

Other material examined. CHINA: Guangxi: Guilin City, Ziyuan County, Maoershan Antangping , 1442.85 m, 25.9047° N, 110.4669° E, 9.VII.2019, Gaosong Huang leg., No. GXNU192821 [4 workers, GXNU] .

Diagnosis. Concolorous species, whole body yellowish brown to dark yellowish brown. Eyes reduced, ommatidial edge unclear. Petiole as long as broad in dorsal view, with almost parallel margins. Head, mesosoma petiole and abdominal segment III punctate-reticulate, sculpture of abdominal segment IV from dense punctures to sparse piligerous punctures.

Workers. HL 0.70–0.85, HW 0.60–0.65, CI 72–86, SL 0.40–41, SI 61–67, ED 0.05–0.06, MSL 0.96–1.08, PW 0.46–50, PL 0.40–0.42, PH 0.41–0.56, DPW 0.36–0.40, LPI 117–140, DPI 95–102, TL 3.66–4.20, (n=4).

Head. In full-face view subrectangular, longer than broad, with general convex margins and straight posterior margin, posterolateral corners obtuse-angulate. lateral portion of clypeus rounded lobe. Frontal carina short and closed. Antennae with 12 segments, scapes when laid back from their insertions surpass posterior margin of eyes. Eyes reduced, ommatidia without a clear edge. Mesosoma. In lateral view, dorsal outline of mesosoma almost straight, posterodorsal corner in lateral view obtuse-angulate, posterior edge of propodeum carinate, declivity of propodeum almost straight. In dorsal view, propodeum as broad as pronotum. Metasoma. Petiole in lateral view, appears subrectangular, with nearly straight anterior and posterior margins, dorsum convex; subpetiolar process subrectangular, its ventral margin straight. In dorsal view, lateral margins of petiole almost parallel, posterior margin almost straight.Abdominal segment III in lateral view first gastral segment square, in dorsal view abdominal segment III subtrapezoidal, broader posteriorly, broader than long; lateral margins weakly convex. Sculpture. Head, mesosoma petiole and abdominal segment III punctate-reticulate; in dorsal view, abdominal segment IV from dense punctures to sparse piligerous punctures. Pilosity. Body entirely densely covered with suberect or erect hairs.

Color. Head, petiole and gaster yellow brown, mesosoma dark yellow brown.

Notes. This species was described based on the winged female by Emery (1923) . So far, no morphological description of the worker of this species has been reported. Through careful morphological comparison, we found that the workers of specimens (No. GXNU192821, Fig. 28 ) were consistent with the morphological characteristics of the queen of P. reticulata . The worker caste of P. reticulata is described for the first time here. This species is nearly identical to P. hashimotoi in worker morphology, but the petiole is more symmetrical, with the anterodorsal corner as high as the posterodorsal corner in lateral view, and in dorsal view it is subrectangular, with lateral margins parallel.

Distribution. China ( Taiwan, Guangxi).

Figures

FIGURE 27. Parasyscia reticulata. Non-type worker from Guangxi, China. Head in full-face view (A), distribution map (B), body in dorsal view (C), body in lateral view (D).

FIGURE 28. Parasyscia reticulata. holotype queen (From https://www.antweb.org, FOCOL0375, imaged by Christiana Klingenberg). Head in full-face view (A), Label of Holotype (B), body in dorsal view (C), body in lateral view (D).