Prenolepis rinpoche, Williams, 2022

Williams, Jason L., 2022, Description of Prenolepis rinpoche sp. nov. from Nepal, with discussion of Asian Prenolepis species biogeography, Asian Myrmecology 5 (e 15008), pp. 1-9 : 4-7

Prenolepis rinpoche sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 – 3 )

Material examined

Type material. Holotype worker: Nepal, Gandaki Province, Mustang District, 20 km SSW Jomsom , 28.6167 N, 83.6333 E, 2300 m, 4 Dec 1988, Phil S. Ward #9645 (deposited in MCZC). Paratypes: 2 workers with same locality information as holotype (deposited in MCZC).

Similar species: P. darlena , P. fisheri , P. fustinoda , P. nepalensis , and P. shanialena

Description: Light to medium brown in overall color; most of mesosoma, head, and abdominal tergites distinctly darker and reddish, which strongly contrasts with lighter yellow brown antennae and legs; cuticle of most of body smooth and shiny, except for light reticulation on gaster and light mesopleural striations; abundant decumbent setae and pubescence on scapes and legs, except for lateral surfaces of coxae, which lack hair entirely; long, erect setae on pronotum, mesonotum, gaster, and anterior surface of procoxae; macrosetae toward posterior margin of head mostly decumbent, and macrosetae between torulae and near anterior margin of clypeus mostly erect; pubescence mostly concentrated on gena and clypeus, with little to no pubescence found elsewhere on head; sparse patches of pubescence on pronotum and propodeum; no pubescence on mesopleuron or lateral surfaces of propodeum; sparse pubescence scattered across entire surface of gaster; head about as long as broad and quadrate, with flat posterior margin and distinct posterolateral corners; compound eyes large and widely set, but do not surpass lateral margins of head in full-face view; torulae overlap with posterior margin of clypeus; clypeus smooth, shining, and strongly medially carinate with prominent anterolateral lobes on anterior margin; antennae 12-segmented; mandibles subtriangular with 6 teeth on masticatory margin; ectal surface of mandibles smooth and shiny; in profile view, anterior margin of mesonotum does not rise above pronotum; dorsal face of propodeum lightly rounded; dorsal apex of petiole scale is sharply angled and forward-inclined.

Measurements and indices (n = 3): EL: 0.19- 0.20; EW: 0.16-0.17; HL: 0.73; HLA: 0.32- 0.33; HLP: 0.20; HW: 0.65-0.67; IOD: 0.40- 0.43; LHT: 0.82-0.85; MW: 0.25-0.25; PDH: 0.24-0.25; PrW: 0.34-0.36; PTH: 0.23-0.24; PTL: 0.26-0.27; PTW: 0.20-0.23; PW: 0.43; SL: 0.82-0.85; TL: 2.96-3.15; WL: 0.90-0.94; CI: 90-92; EPI: 163-168; HTI: 126; PetHI: 105-113; PetLI: 118-131; REL: 118-131; SI: 126

Comparative notes

Prenolepis rinpoche most strongly resembles five other high elevation species found in South and Southeast Asia: P. darlena , P. fisheri , P. fustinoda , P. nepalensis , and P. shanialena . This new species is similar to P. darlena , P. fisheri , P fustinoda , and P. nepalensis in the proportions of the head in fullface view: The heads of these species are broad and subtriangular to quadrate, with widely set eyes. However, unlike these other four, P. rinpoche has a much more pronounced medial clypeal keel, decumbent (as opposed to erect) scape macrosetae, and almost entirely lacks sculpturing on the head and mesosoma. The four other species also have an elongated petiole with a rounded apex of the scale, whereas P. rinpoche has a petiole more comparable to what is found in most other Prenolepis species: It is subtriangular and not elongate ( Fig. 5D ), with a forward inclined, pointed apex of the scale. See 'Systematic treatment' section (above) for detailed comparison with P. shanialena .

Queen: Unknown.

Male: Unknown.

Etymology: The species epithet refers to Guru Rinpoche (‘Precious Guru’) and is an honorific to the legendary figure Padmasambhava, a tantric Buddhist Vajra master who is known and revered throughout Nepal.

Distribution and habitat

Prenolepis rinpoche is known from one locality southwest of Jomsom, Nepal and was collected in temperate forest in the Kali Gandaki Gorge, between the peaks of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.

Figures

Figs. 1-3. Prenolepis rinpoche holotype worker (MCZENT00532864).Lateral,full-face, and dorsal view of the body.

Fig. 5. Bivariate plots of measurement indices: (A) Cephalic Index (HW / HL), (B) Eye Position Index (HLA / HLP), (C) Hind Tibia Index (LHT / HW), and (D) Petiole Height Index (PTH / PTW), (E) Petiole Length Index (PTL / PTH), (F) Relative Eye Length (EL / HL), and (G) Scape Index (SL / HW).