Nesomyrmex ezantsi, Mbanyana, N. & Robertson, H. G., 2008

Mbanyana, N. & Robertson, H. G., 2008, Review of the ant genus Nesomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) in southern Africa., African Natural History 4, pp. 35-55 : 35

publication ID

23052

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6230188

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/DD190497-E768-3BA9-989B-612EB17F9042

treatment provided by

Donat

scientific name

Nesomyrmex ezantsi
status

sp. nov.

Nesomyrmex ezantsi   HNS sp. nov.

Fig. 4m -o

Description of worker

Holotype. HL 0.755, HW 0.598, HW1 0.659, CI 79, SL 0.569, SI 95, PW 0.423, ML 0.875, EL 0.226, EI 38.

Mandibles with fine longitudinal striations. Clypeus predominantly smooth, with a striation medially and borderedby longitudinal striations. Anterior clypeal margin convex. Scapes of moderate length (SI 90). Eyes with 14 ommatidia in the longest row. Promesonotum in profile evenly convex and metanotal groove conspicuously impressed. Propodeum armed with a pair short triangular teeth.

Metapleural lobes low and rounded. Anterior peduncle short and thick, with a tooth-like subpetiolar process. Petiolar node in profile with an angulate anterodorsal angle and a rounded posterodorsal angle; dorsum convex and not clearly defined. Postpetiole low and rounded. Head dorsum with a reticulate pattern and faint striations medially. Promesonotal dorsum with reticulate sculpture and fine longitudinal striations anteriorly. Propodeal dorsum reticulate with a few transverse striations and both nodes also reticulate. First gastral tergite smooth with a ring of short basal costulae. Dorsum of head with four longitudinal lines of fine acute hairs running between the eyes. The venter of head with two curved hairs and three straight hairs; pubescence present. Promesonotal dorsum with at least 10 erect hairs, acute apically. Propodeal dorsum with three erect hairs. Petiolar node with three pairs of hairs and postpetiole with four pairs of hairs. Gastral tergite and sternite with regularly spaced suberect hairs. Colour uniformly yellow.

Paratypes. HL 0.767-0.806, HW 0.598-0.610, HW1 0.664-0.686, CI 76-78, SL 0.561-0.570, SI 94, PW 0.425-0.462, ML 0.875-0.944, EL 0.226-0.236, EI 38-39 (2 of 2 measured).

Same as the holotype, except number of hairs on the propodeum range from three tofour andonthe petiolar node range from three to four.

Diagnosis

Nesomyrmex ezantsi   HNS is similar in appearance to N. koebergensis   HNS , N. njengelangaandN. inye   HNS . They share the following characteristics: petiolar node with rounded posterodorsal angle and anterodorsal angle either angulate or rounded; dorsum convex and not clearly defined. Dorsum of head with reticulate sculpture, sometimes overlaid by longitudinal rugulae. N. ezantsi   HNS is separated from N. njengelanga   HNS and N. inye   HNS by the propodeum which is armed with a pair of short triangular teeth (angulate in the latter two species with no clearly defined pair of short spines), and by being larger (HW 0.598-0.625 versus 0.507-0.559). N. ezantsi   HNS is distinguished from N. koebergensis   HNS by the pale colour (light brown in N. koebergensis   HNS ) and the dorsum of head which is predominantly smooth, with fine reticulate ground sculpture(reticulate and overlaid by longitudinal rugulae in N. koebergensis   HNS ).

Biology

The three specimens were collected from pitfall traps in ‘Lambert 's Bay Strandveld ' ( Mucina & Rutherford 2006) vegetation.

Etymology

In isi-Xhosa, ezantsi   HNS means ‘below ' and is used here to refer to the fact that this species was collected on the coastal plain, in low-lying areas.

Material examined

Holotype: South Africa: Western Cape: Lambert 's Bay, Strandveld , 32°10'51"S 18°18'59"E, 07 October 2002, A. Botes, CKOct02-LMB-1.3.10 , SAM-HYM-C019383 GoogleMaps .

Paratypes: South Africa: Western Cape: Lambert 's Bay, Strandveld , 32°10'47"S 18°18'55"E, 07 October 2002, A. Botes, CKOct02-LMB-1.2.10 , SAM-HYM-C019384 GoogleMaps ; Lambert 's Bay, Strandveld , 32°10'51"S 18°18'59"E, CKMar03-LMB-1.3.7 , 03 March 2003, A. Botes, SAM-HYM-C019386 GoogleMaps .

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Nesomyrmex

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