Lepisiota omanensis Sharaf & Monks

Mostafa R. Sharaf, Joe Monks, Andrew Polaszek & Abdulrahman S. Aldawood, 2016, A remarkable new species of the genus Lepisiota Santschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Oman and the United Arab Emirates with a key to the Arabian species, Journal of Natural History 50 (29), pp. 1875-1887 : 4-7

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222933.2016.1180722
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6057620
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03968E04-A70D-FFDE-61F0-FBFAFDEC123B
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Lepisiota omanensis Sharaf & Monks
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lepisiota omanensis Sharaf & Monks sp. nov.

( Figure 2 View Figure 2 A – E)

Holotype worker GoogleMaps

Oman, Hajar Mountains, Jebel Qahwan GoogleMaps , ( Figure 3 View Figure 3 A), 19 April 2012, 22°9'9.36"N, 59° 22'19.8"E, 305 m, (J. Monks); the holotype is temporarily deposited in BMNH pending the completion of the new Oman Natural History Museum (ONHM).

Paratype workers GoogleMaps

Two workers, Oman, base of Jebel Akhdar, near to Birkat Al-Mouz GoogleMaps , 25 March 2016, 22° 57'17.58"N, 57°39'40.92"E, 619 m, (J. Monks) one in ONHM and one in KSMA; two workers, United Arab Emirates, Ain Al Waal at the foot of Jebel Hafeet , 11 March 2014, 24°4'2.57"N, 55°44'56.05"E, ( Huw Roberts ); deposited in KSMA. GoogleMaps

Measurements

Holotype. EL 0.17, HL 0.75, HW 0.65, PH 0.31, PRW 0.48, PSL 0.25, SL 1.00, TL 3.31, WL 1.25. Indices: CI 87, OI 26, PSLI 33, SI 154.

Paratypes. EL 0.20, HL 0.57 – 0.70, HW 0.50 – 0.60, ML 0.20, PH 0.25 – 0.37, PRW 0.35 – 0.42, PSL 0.11 – 0.22, SL 1.15 – 1.40, TL 2.25 – 3.50, WL 1.05 – 1.35. Indices: CI 86 – 88, OI 33 – 40, PSLI 19 – 31, SI 230 – 233 (n = 2).

Diagnosis

This new species can be distinguished immediately from all known Arabian and Afrotropical species by the long, acute and strongly curved propodeal spines ( Figure 2 View Figure 2 ).

Description of worker

Head. Distinctly longer than broad, with straight posterior margin and shallowly convex lateral margins; antennal scape when laid back from its insertion surpassing the posterior margin of head by more than half of its length; eyes of moderate size (EL 0.26 – 0.40 × HW).

Mesosoma. Elongate with a narrow mesonotum; propodeal spines exceptionally long, acute and strongly curved (PSLI 19 – 33).

Petiole. Bispinose dorsally.

Pilosity. Posterior margin of head with a single pair of stiff, short setae; anterior clypeal margin with three pairs of long setae; mesosoma bare except for a single pair of setae on pronotum, gastral pilosity restricted to few setae on posterior margins of tergites and sternites, all body surface with pale scattered appressed pubescence.

Sculpture. Overall smooth and shining.

Colour. Uniform black with purple reflections on the face and gaster, antennae and mandibles yellow-brown.

Etymology

Named after the country of the type locality.

Habitat and biology

The type locality, Jebel Qahwan ( Figure 3 View Figure 3 A), is located in the Eastern Hajar Mountains, an area with substantial floral and faunal biodiversity. The two paratypes from UAE were collected at Ain Al Waal ( Figure 3 View Figure 3 B) (Huw Hoberts, pers. comm.). This site is characterised by areas with rocks and boulders surrounding semi-permanent pools near a dam. The water in the pools is used by the endangered Arabian tahr, Arabitragus jayakari (Thomas) . Lepisiota omanensis seems to have an association with the plants Ochradenus arabicus Chaudhary, Hillc. & A.G.Mill. (Resedaceae) , but two other plants are also present in the area, Aerva javanica (Amaranthaceae) and Tephrosia apollinea (Fabaceae) . A nest was observed about a metre away from the base of a Lycium shawii (Solanaceae) plant ( Figure 3 View Figure 3 C). The two paratype workers were observed carrying leaf material.