Temnothorax liviae (Agosti & Collingwood, 2011 ) Sharaf & Akbar & Al Dhafer & Aldawood, 2017

Sharaf, Mostafa R., Akbar, Shahid A., Al Dhafer, Hathal M., El-Gharbawy, Ali & Aldawood, Abdulrahman S., 2017, Taxonomy of the Myrmicine ant genus Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) in the Arabian Peninsula, European Journal of Taxonomy 280 (280), pp. 1-17 : 6-9

Temnothorax liviae (Agosti & Collingwood, 2011) comb. nov.

Figs 4–9

Leptothorax liviae Agosti & Collingwood in Collingwood et al. 2011: 430 , pl. 44–46, figs 36–37 (combined in Temnothorax by Bolton (2017), not formally published, see http://antcat.org).

Material examined

Holotype UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Baynunah sand desert, 23°40' N, 53°00'E, 2 Mar. 1995, CASENT0102700 .

Paratype

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 1 dealate q, Baynunah sand desert , 23.8333° N, 52.8333° E, 3 Dec. 1994, B. Tigar & C.A. Collingwood leg. ( CASENT0102699 ) ( NHMB).

Description

Holotype worker

MEASUREMENTS. EL 0.33; FRS 0.26; HFL 0.83; HFW 0.13; HL 0.94; HW 0.72; IOD 0.65; OMD 0.18; PPTL 0.26; PPTH 0.25; PPTW 0.42; PTL 0.46; PTH 0.37; PTW 0.26; SPST 0.32; PW 0.53; SL 0.86; WL 1.16; CI 77; OI 46; FI 115; PI 49; PSLI 34; SI 119 (n=1).

HEAD. Distinctly longer than broad (CI 77), with straight posterior and lateral margins; eyes massive (EL 0.45 × HW), with 20 ommatidia in longest row; frontal carinae short extending back only as far as the anterior level of eyes; scapes relatively long (SI 119), when laid back from their insertions clearly surpassing posterior margin of head. Mesosoma slender (WL 1.16); metanotal groove shallow but distinct; propodeal dorsum nearly straight or feebly convex; propodeal spines long, sharp and acute (PSLI 34); anterior pronotal corners distinctly rounded in dorsal view. In profile, petiole distinctly longer than broad (PI 49), with convex dorsum. Postpetiole distinctly broader than long.

BODY. Pale brown, gaster dark brown, antennae, mandibles and legs yellow. Cephalic dorsum strongly, longitudinally and irregularly striate; mandibles feebly longitudinally striate; mesosoma irregularly longitudinally striate; petiole and postpetiole feebly and superficially sculptured; gaster smooth and shining. Cephalic dorsum with many sparse short hairs; underside of head with a few short curved hairs; mesosomal pilosity restricted to three pairs on pronotal angles, two on mesonotum and two short pairs on propodeal dorsum; petiole with two pairs of long back directed hairs; postpetiole with three pairs of long hairs; gaster with many scattered shorter hairs.

Queen

MEASUREMENTS. EL 0.35; FRS 0.27; HFL 0.85; HFW 0.14; HL 1.01; HW 0.75; IOD 0.67; OMD 0.21; IOcD 0.19; PPTL 0.29; PPTH 0.27; PPTW 0.45; PTL 0.50; PTH 0.40; PTW 0.28; SPST 0.32; PW 0.57; SL 0.87; WL 1.24; CI 74; OI 46; FI 113; PI 49; PSLI 31; SI 80 (n=1).

HEAD AND BODY. Similar to the workers from the same colony but larger, with thicker body, especially mesosoma and gaster. Ocelli present, prominent. Pilosity is much more prominent compared to the workers.

Ecology

Specimens were collected in a pitfall trap from Baynunah, a sandy desert in United Arab Emirates ( UAE). The species is known only from its type locality.

Remarks

Despite the absence of formally published data, Leptothorax liviae has long been treated as a member of the genus Temnothorax ( Bolton 2017) . This generic placement of the species is obvious from the presence of a median clypeal carina, the absence of a transverse crest on the stipes, and the 12-segmented antennae, typical of Temnothorax . Based on Bolton’s unpublished opinion and examination of the material during the present study, Leptothorax liviae is hereby validated as Temnothorax liviae (Agosti & Collingwood, 2011) comb.nov.

Figures

Figs 4–6. Temnothorax liviae (Agosti & Collingwood, 2011) comb. nov., holotype, worker (CASENT0102700). 4. Body in profile. 5. Body in dorsal view. 6. Head in frontal view.

Figs7–9. Temnothoraxliviae(Agosti & Collingwood, 2011) comb. nov., queen (CASENT0102699). 7. Body in profile. 8. Body in dorsal view. 9. Head in frontal view.