Pheidole boribora, Salata & Fisher, 2020

Salata, Sebastian & Fisher, Brian L., 2020, Pheidole Westwood, 1839 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Madagascar - an introduction and a taxonomic revision of eleven species groups, ZooKeys 905, pp. 1-235 : 1

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.905.39592

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F4C766E4-633A-4103-9FFD-E952718F41FB

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/EDD6BF4F-581F-4246-B931-502AB27EC1BB

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:EDD6BF4F-581F-4246-B931-502AB27EC1BB

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Pheidole boribora
status

sp. nov.

Pheidole boribora sp. nov. Figs 73A-F View Figure 73 , 84J View Figure 84 , 86J View Figure 86

Type material.

Holotype. Madagascar. •1 major worker; Toliara; Parc National d’Andohahela, Col du Sedro, 3.8 km 113°ESE Mahamavo, 37.6 km 341°NNW Tolagnaro; -24.76389, 46.75167; alt. 900 m; 21 Jan 2002; B.L. Fisher et al. leg.; BLF05130, CASENT0456013 (CASC). Paratypes. Madagascar. •4w.; same data as for holotype; CASENT0456014-CASENT0456016, CASENT0872187-CASENT0872190 (CASC).

Diagnosis.

Major workers. Head in full-face view oval, relatively as long as wide, anterior and posterior of eyes moderately convex; sides of the head with moderately dense, long, erect pilosity; genae smooth and shiny; inner hypostomal teeth distinct, distinct, low, thick, and triangular, with rounded apex; outer hypostomal teeth approximately the same size as inner hypostomal teeth, thick, dentate, with rounded tips; propodeal spines small, triangular; first gastral tergite finely shagreened; body reddish brown. Minor workers. Head foveolate; promesonotum low, short, slightly convex, with relatively steep posterior declivity; propodeal spines small; mesosoma foveolate, foveolate, mesonotum, anepisternum, katepisternum and lateral surfaces of propodeum smooth; body yellow.

Description.

Major workers. Measurements (N = 1): HL: 1.5; HW: 1.4; SL: 0.66; EL: 0.17; WL: 1.07; PSL: 0.17; MTL: 0.66; PNW: 0.58; PTW: 0.19; PPW: 0.41; CI: 93.4; SI: 47.2; PSLI: 11.2; PPI: 45.5; PNI: 41.6; MTI: 46.9. Head. In full-face view oval, anterior and posterior of eyes moderately convex (Fig. 73B View Figure 73 ). In lateral view sub-rectangular; ventral and dorsal faces finely convex; dorsal face finely depressed posteriorly, forming shallow transverse depression between frons and occipital lobes; inner hypostomal teeth invisible. Sides of the head with moderately dense, long, erect pilosity; whole head with moderately dense, short, suberect to erect pilosity. Antennal scrobes indistinct and not delimited by carinulae. Occipital lobes shiny, with thick, sparse, irregular rugae, interspaces smooth to finely foveolate; frons with thick, moderately dense, longitudinal rugae, interspaces smooth to finely foveolate; lateral sides of head foveolate, with additional thin, sparse, longitudinal rugae; malar area with dense and thin longitudinal rugulae; genae smooth and shiny. Clypeus shiny and smooth, with thin, longitudinal rugulae on the lateral sides; median notch present, narrow, and moderately deep; median longitudinal carina absent; lateral longitudinal carinae absent. Scape, when laid back, reaching the midlength of head; pilosity decumbent to erect (Fig. 73B, D View Figure 73 ). Inner hypostomal teeth distinct, low, thick, and triangular, with rounded apex; outer hypostomal teeth approximately the same size as inner hypostomal teeth, thick, dentate, with rounded tips (Fig. 84J View Figure 84 ). Mesosoma. In lateral view, promesonotum short, angular, and relatively low, posterior mesonotum steep, with moderately large, tubercle-like projections; promesonotal groove absent; metanotal groove absent or indistinct; propodeal spines small, triangular, with base wide, apex rounded; humeral area with small and flat tubercles (Fig. 73D View Figure 73 ). Surface shiny, with very sparse, transverse to irregular thin rugae, pronotum and propodeum with additional indistinct and sparse foveolae. Pilosity moderately dense, long, and erect (Fig. 73D, F View Figure 73 ). Petiole. Shiny, finely shagreened to smooth; peduncle short, with small, rounded, horizontal lobes on its basal part; node moderately high and triangular, with convex apex, in rear view node relatively straight; pilosity moderately sparse and erect (Fig. 73D, F View Figure 73 ). Postpetiole. Shiny and finely shagreened; short and rounded; in dorsal view sides with short, acute, triangular projections; pilosity long, moderately dense, and erect (Fig. 73D, F View Figure 73 ). Petiole. First gastral tergite shiny and finely shagreened; pilosity dense, long and erect (Fig. 73D, F View Figure 73 ). Colour. Head reddish brown; mesosoma and gaster yellowish brown to brown; legs dark yellow (Fig. 73D, F View Figure 73 ).

Minor workers. Measurements (N = 3): HL: 0.55-0.58 (0.56); HW: 0.49-0.5 (0.49); SL: 0.57-0.58 (0.57); EL: 0.11-0.11 (0.11); WL: 0.68-0.76 (0.74); PSL: 0.07-0.1 (0.08); MTL: 0.42-0.46 (0.43); PNW: 0.31-0.32 (0.31); PTW: 0.06-0.08 (0.07); PPW: 0.12-0.14 (0.13); CI: 85.8-89.4 (87.5); SI: 116.2-116.8 (116.4); PSLI: 12.0-17.0 (14.6); PPI: 46.0-59.8 (53.3); PNI: 62.9-64.2 (63.5); MTI: 85.0-91.2 (88.0). Head. Occipital margin straight or indistinctly concave; occipital carina indistinct, weakly developed (Fig. 73A View Figure 73 ). Pilosity moderately dense, long, erect. Whole head foveolate. Clypeus with median longitudinal carina absent; two lateral longitudinal carinae absent. Scape, when laid back, surpassing the posterior head margin by two-fifths of its length; pilosity erect (Fig. 73A, C View Figure 73 ). Mesosoma. In lateral view, promesonotum low, short, slightly convex, with relatively steep posterior declivity; promesonotal groove absent; metanotal groove absent; propodeal spines small, triangular, apex acute (Fig. 73C View Figure 73 ). Sculpture foveolate; katepisternum, anepisternum and mesonotum smooth. Pilosity sparse, long, and erect (Fig. 73C, E View Figure 73 ). Petiole. Peduncle short and thin with ventral face slightly convex; node low, triangular, and small; with few moderately long, erect setae (Fig. 73C, E View Figure 73 ). Postpetiole. Short, low, and convex; with few moderately long, erect setae (Fig. 73C, E View Figure 73 ). Petiole. With moderately sparse, erect pilosity (Fig. 73C, E View Figure 73 ). Colour. Unicolourous, yellow (Fig. 73C, E View Figure 73 ).

Etymology.

Malagasy for oval, in reference to the head shape of major workers.

Biology.

The species was collected at 900 m in elevation, in montane rainforest. Nest was located in a rotten log.

Comments.

Major workers. Pheidole boribora sp. nov. is most similar to P. miramila sp. nov. and differs from it by presence of foveolae on head, dense and long pilosity of sides of head, dentate inner hypostomal teeth, and small propodeal spines. Minor workers. Pheidole boribora sp. nov. is most similar to P. petax and differs from it by smooth mesonotum, anepisternum, and lateral surfaces of propodeum.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Pheidole