Carebara villiersi (Bernard)

Fischer, Georg, Azorsa, Frank & Fisher, Brian L., 2014, The ant genus Carebara Westwood (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): synonymisation of Pheidologeton Mayr under Carebara, establishment and revision of the C. polita species group, ZooKeys 438, pp. 57-112 : 89-92

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.438.7922

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:65A5BAEC-5E98-4029-A740-637590BD3126

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/5C37757F-4FEB-793B-A65C-F39DB007F617

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Carebara villiersi (Bernard)
status

 

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Formicidae

Carebara villiersi (Bernard) Figure 17

Nimbamyrma villiersi Bernard, 1953: 241. Syntypes (2 minor workers): GUINEA: Mt Nimba, forest, moss, ix.1946 (Villiers). [1 syntype examined, MNHN: EY0000000330/CASENT0913610].

Oligomyrmex villiersi (Bernard): Ettershank 1966: 124 (combination).

Carebara villiersi (Bernard): Fernández 2004: 235 (combination).

Diagnosis.

Antenna with eleven segments. Major workers: unknown. Minor worker: Head shape rounded, sides strongly convex and posterior margin straight to faintly convex medially, face smooth and shiny, frontal carinae short to inconspicuous, dorsal face of propodeum nearly straight or weakly convex, anepisternum and katepisternum areolate, propodeal spines long and spinose, in dorsal view longer than distance between them, gaster with sparse hairs, some hairs moderately long and suberect.

Description of minor workers.

Measurements (n=5): HW 0.44-0.49 (0.47), HL 0.50-0.54 (0.52), SL 0.37-0.38 (0.38), MDL 0.27-0.29 (0.28), EL 0.02-0.03 (0.03), WL 0.52-0.54 (0.53), PNH 0.20-0.21 (0.21), PNW 0.26-0.28 (0.27), MNH 0.29-0.31 (0.30), PDH 0.20-0.22 (0.21), PTL 0.21-0.23 (0.22), PPL 0.13-0.14 (0.14), PTH 0.14-0.15 (0.14), PPH 0.10-0.11 (0.10), PTW 0.08-0.09 (0.08), PPW 0.10 -0.11 (0.10), PSL 0.10-0.11 (0.10), MFL 0.40-0.42 (0.41), MTL 0.30-0.34 (0.31), CI 87-90 (89), SI 78-86 (81), MDI 58-62 (60), EI 5-7 (6), FI 85-93 (88), PSLI 21-23 (22), LPpI 131-146 (138), DPpI 68-81 (75), PpWI 113-130 (123), PpLI 59-68 (63), PpHI 68-72 (70).

Head longer than wide (CI 87-90), in full-face view rounded oval to subcircular, narrowed anteriorly and posteriorly, posterior margin weakly concave. Sides strongly convex, smoothly rounding into posterolateral corners. Mandible triangular with five teeth apical and preapical tooth larger than the others. Anterior margin of clypeus concave, bicarinate and divergent forward, sides with short triangular teeth. Antennae with eleven segments, scape almost reaching posterior margin of head (SI 78-86). Eyes consisting of one ommatidium, situated comparatively close to anterolateral margin of head (EI 5-7).

In profile, promesonotum convex, metanotal groove moderately impressed. Dorsum of propodeum short in profile and slightly convex, posteriorly with long, acute, blade-like, and posteriorly pointing spines, in dorsal view distinctly longer than distance between their bases, declivity of propodeum faintly concave to straight and oblique, with straight lamella. Propodeal spiracle rounded and situated near the base of the spines.

Petiole in profile with peduncle slightly longer than petiole node, ventrally almost straight with straight and shallowly lamellate anterior process and rounded posterior corner, petiole node low, anterodorsally and posterodorsally with short, weakly concave faces, dorsal face almost straight and subangulate anteriorly and posteriorly. Postpetiole in profile on average 1.4 times longer than high (LPpI 131-146), lower than petiole (PpHI 68-72), anteroventrally weakly convex. In dorsal view, petiole node narrow, distinctly longer than wide, anteriorly tapering, posteriorly almost straight, postpetiole distinctly longer than wide (DPpI 68-81), slightly wider than petiole (PpWI 113-130), anteriorly tapering, almost pedunculate, and posterior face convex. Gaster anterolaterally with acute shoulders around posterior base of postpetiole.

Mandibles and head smooth and shiny with some punctures, except on frons, malar region anterior of eye level with short rugulae. Mesosoma and metasoma mostly smooth and shiny, except for weak areolae on mesopleuron and metapleuron, comparatively long cross-ribs at dorsal metanotal groove, superficial areolae on anterolateral border of propodeum and on posterolateral lamella. Anterodorsal and ventral surface of petiole weakly to superficially areolate, ventral face of postpetiole weakly punctate.

Standing hairs relatively short and stout, not abundant, evenly distributed, and mostly arrayed in pairs from head to gaster. Scapes and metatibiae with appressed to weakly decumbent pilosity. Color yellowish orange.

Distribution and biology.

Carebara villiersi was described from the Nimba Mountains in Guinea and can also be found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Ghana, and Ivory Coast, where it was collected in rainforest at elevations ranging from 20-1470 m. Individuals and nest series were collected from leaf-litter using Winkler sifting.

Comments.

Minor workers of Carebara villiersi can be confused with Carebara nicotianae and Carebara polita , but can be easily separated from them, because the mesopleuron and metapleuron are areolate in Carebara nicotianae and smooth and shiny in Carebara polita , but the mesopleuron is areolate and the metapleuron smooth and shiny in Carebara villiersi . Major workers either not existing or not yet collected or identified as such.

Material examined.

CAMEROON: Sud-Ouest, Korup N. P., 6.9 km 317° NW Mundemba, 5.016, 8.864, 110m, rainforest, 19.iv.2000 (B.L. Fisher); CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Prefecture Sangha-Mbaéré, Parc National Dzanga-Ndoki, 38.6 km 173° S Lidjombo, 2.36, 16.14397, 350m, rainforest, 21-27.v.2001 (S. Van Noort); GABON: Ogooue-Maritime, Reserve de Faune de la Moukalaba Dougoua, 12.2 km 305° NW Doussala, -2.31667, 10.53333, 110m, rainforest, 24.ii.2000 (B.L. Fisher); Ogooue-Maritime, Aire d'Exploit. Rationnelle de Faune des Monts Doudou, 24.5 km 303° WNW Doussala, -2.23283, 10.398, 630m, rainforest, 18.iii.2000 (B.L. Fisher); Woleu-Ntem, 31.3 km 108° ESE Minvoul, 2.08, 12.40667, 600m, rainforest, 7.ii.1998 (B.L. Fisher).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Carebara