Myrmecina camellia Sheela, 2020

Sheela, S., Kazmi, S. I. & Roy, S., 2020, TWO NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS MYRMECINA CURTIS, 1829 (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE: MYRMICINAE) FROM INDIA, Far Eastern Entomologist 403, pp. 13-19 : 14-15

Myrmecina camellia Sheela , sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ 7725006A-4D2C-466F-A2D1-99A656AC5B01

Figs 1–5

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype – worker (Reg. No. 22921/H3), India: Assam, Hatikhuli

Organic Tea Estate (26.5822° N, 93.4120°E), 01.XII 2016, leg. S. Roy. Paratypes: 15 workers

(Reg. Nos. 22921/H3 to 22928/H3, 22934/H3 to 22941/H3), same data as holotype.

DESCRIPTION. Holotype worker. DPW – 0,42 mm, ED – 0,07 mm, HL – 0,78 mm,

HW – 0,84 mm, ML – 0,9 mm, PW – 0,54 mm, SL – 0,72 mm, TL – 2,98 mm, CI – 107, OI

– 8,82, SI – 86,17.

Dorsum of head mesosoma and gaster reddish brown; petiole, postpetiole and antennae light brown, mandibles and legs honey yellow; hairs abundant, long, erect and suberect;

pubescence not visible. Ground sculpture finely punctate all over body; head, mesosoma,

petiole and postpetiole coarsely longitudinally striate; striations on head slightly diverging posteriorly at sides; mandibles weakly striate; striations on mesosoma diverging towards anterior portion of pronotum; apical face of propodeum smooth; gaster finely punctate, opaque.

Head in full-face view, posteriorly widely emarginated; sides weakly convex; clypeus medially depressed, its anterior margin transverse; mandibles with two sharp apical teeth followed by a row of small denticles; masticatory margins curved towards basal margin in such a way that when closed, make a ‘V’ shaped gap in front of clypeus; antennae 12-segmented;

antennal carinae short, its posterior margin not reaching level of anterior margin of eyes;

scapes reaching posterior margin of head in front view.

Mesosoma in profile, weakly convex; promesonotal suture and metanotal groove absent;

pronotum in dorsal view, broader anteriorly; ventral teeth on pro-sternum prominent and acute; antero-lateral corners of pro notum angular; dorsal propodeal teeth present, small and vertical; propodeal spines broad at base, long and almost straight; length of spines subequal to (in some specimens shorter than) distance between them; legs crescentic. Petiole without a well defined peduncle in front, anterior face of petiole concave and node above weakly convex;

petiole broader than long, width and height subequal; post petiole broader than long, slightly broader than petiole; sub-petiolar process present, ventral tooth on postpetiole large and triangular; lateral keels visible on postpetiole in dorsal view; gaster broadly oval.

DIAGNOSIS. Worker. New species is similar to M. raviwonghei Jaitrong, Samung ,

Waengsothorn et Okido, 2019 from Thailand (Jaitrong, 2019) in the presence of three small processes at anterior clypeal margin, for the presence of petiolar and post petiolar processes,

punctate gastral tergum and presence of abundant hairs on body; but it differs clearly in the presence of extended lateral keels on post petiole and the antero-lateral corners of gaster not as extended as in M. raviwonghei . Further new species is similar to M. striata Emery in presence of clypeal processes and longitudinal striations on mesosoma. But it differs from

M. striata in the gastral tergum being punctate (smooth in M. striata ) and for presence of sub petiolar processes and lateral keels on post petiole (such processes absent on petiole and post petiole in M. striata ).

DISTRIBUTION. India: Assam.

ETYMOLOGY. The species is named after Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze, under its roots,

the species, inhabits.

REMARKS. This new species was found widely distributed through out the tea gardens,

but was not appearing above soil surface as they are adapted to an underground life.

profile view; 3 – body in dorsal view; 4 – propodeal spines and pedicel; 5 – gaster in dorsal view.

Figures

Figs 1–5. Myrmecina camellia Sheela, sp. n. 1 – head in full-face view; 2 – body in