Prenolepis nitens ( Mayr, 1853 )

Williams, Jason L., 2016, Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of the ant genus Prenolepis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 4200 (2), pp. 201-258 : 236-239

Prenolepis nitens ( Mayr, 1853)

( Figs 104–114 )

Tapinoma nitens Mayr, 1853: 144 (w.). Syntype worker, SLOVENIA: Siska , Ljubljana (Hauff) ( NHMW: CASENT0915728) [examined] . Syntype worker, (no specific locality provided) ( ZMHB: FOCOL 2729 ) [not examined]. André , 1882: 205 (q. m.). 2 syntype queens, (no specific locality provided) ( ZMHB: FOCOL 2728 , FOCOL 2730 ) [not examined] . Syntype male(s?), (no specific locality provided) (depository unknown) [not examined]. Combination in Prenolepis: Mayr, 1861: 52 . Junior synonym of Prenolepis imparis: Emery, 1893a: 635 . Subspecies of Prenolepis imparis: Dalla Torre, 1893: 178 ; Forel , 1895: 229; Ruzsky , 1905: 262; Emery , 1910a: 128; Emery , 1914: 159; Wheeler , 1930a: 19; Novák & Sadil , 1941: 99; Röszler , 1942: 56. Status as species: Finzi , 1922: 120; Müller , 1923: 118; Emery , 1925: 225; Baroni Urbani , 1962: 136; Arnoldi & Dlussky , 1978: 556.

Formica crepusculascens Roger, 1859: 238 (q.). Syntype queen(s?), TURKEY: (no specific locality provided) (depository unknown) [not examined]. Synonymy by Roger, 1862: 256.

Tapinoma polita Smith, 1855: 112 (w.). Syntype worker(s?), GREAT BRITAIN: (no specific locality provided) (depository unknown) [not examined]. Synonymy by Roger, 1863.

Worker diagnosis. Obtusely angled propodeum with flat dorsal and posterior faces ( Fig 25 ); entire cuticle smooth and shiny; ectal surface of mandibles with deep longitudinal striations.

Most similar species. P. imparis

Morphology. Worker. Measurements (n=29): CMC: 14–18; EL: 0.24–0.29; EW: 0.20–0.22; HL: 0.77–0.94; HLA: 0.40–0.48; HLP: 0.21–0.30; HW: 0.70–0.90; IOD: 0.47–0.55; LF1: 0.20–0.25; LF2: 0.09–0.12; LHT: 1.03– 1.14; MMC: 2–3; MTW: 0.41–0.50; MW: 0.28–0.37; PDH: 0.29–0.38; PMC: 3–5; PrCL: 0.45–0.50; PrCW: 0.25– 0.31; PrFL: 0.76–0.93; PrFW: 0.17–0.22; PTH: 0.37–0.38; PTL: 0.32–0.38; PTW: 0.26–0.33; PW: 0.48–0.57; SL: 0.93–1.11; TL: 2.80–3.93; WF1: 0.06–0.08; WF2: 0.06–0.08; WL: 0.94–1.30; BLI: 123–144; CI: 90–100; EPI: 160– 211; FLI: 203–240; HTI: 135–141; PetHI: 119–121; PetWI: 81–86; PrCI: 53–62; PrFI: 22–25; REL: 28–34; REL2: 30–36; REL3: 49–57; SI: 119–135.

Light to dark brown with head and gaster sometimes darker than mesosoma; entire cuticle smooth and shiny; abundant decumbent setae on scapes and legs; erect macrosetae on head, mesosoma, and gaster; head about as broad as long and square in shape with rounded posterolateral corners and a straight posterior margin; eyes moderately large and convex, but not surpassing the lateral margins of the head in full-face view; torulae overlap with the posterior border of the clypeus; anterior border of clypeus with a pair of prominent anterolateral lobes ( Fig 48 ); mandibles with 6 teeth on the masticatory margin; ectal surface of mandibles with deep longitudinal striations; in profile view, propodeum is obtusely angled with a flat dorsal face ( Fig 25 ); dorsal apex of petiole scale is sharply angled and forward-inclined ( Fig 53 ).

Queen. Measurements (n=1): EL: 0.47; HL: 1.24; HW: 1.46; SL: 1.44; TL: 8.51; WL: 2.76; BLI: 189; CI: 118; REL: 38; REL2: 32; SI: 99.

Much larger and distinctly lighter in color than male; light to medium brown; abundant short, erect macrosetae on head, mesosoma, and gaster; entire cuticle covered in dense pubescence; head broader than long and square in shape; three ocelli present; compound eyes large and convex, barely surpassing the lateral margins of the head in full-face view; antennae with 12 segments; scapes long, surpassing the posterior margin of the head; mandibles with 6 teeth on the masticatory margin; ectal surface of mandibles with longitudinal striations; mesosoma large to accommodate flight muscles and without a constriction; small collar-like pronotum; large and strongly convex shelf-like mesonotum; petiole is forward-inclined and triangular, as seen in worker; dorsal apex of petiole scale is sharply angled.

Male. Measurements (n=1): EL: 0.40; HL: 0.74; HW: 0.79; SL: 0.73; TL: 3.53; WL: 1.46; BLI: 184; CI: 107; REL: 54; REL2: 50; SI: 92.

Much smaller and distinctly darker than queen; dark brown; abundant long, erect macrosetae on head, mesosoma, and gaster; entire cuticle covered in dense pubescence; head broader than long and oval in shape; three large ocelli present; compound eyes very large and convex, surpassing the lateral margins of the head in full-face view; antennae with 13 segments; scapes very short, barely surpassing the posterior margin of the head; mandibles with a single apical tooth on the masticatory margin; ectal surface of mandibles with deep longitudinal striations; mesosoma large to accommodate flight muscles and without a constriction; small collar-like pronotum; large and strongly convex shelf-like mesonotum; petiole is forward-inclined and triangular, as seen in worker; dorsal apex of petiole scale is sharply angled; genitalia oriented posteriorly; parameres elongate, roughly triangular, and curved medially; ental surface of parameres strongly concave; digiti are long and slender; cuspi are broad, triangular, and short relative to the rest of the genitalia; parameres are covered in very long, erect macrosetae; edges of cuspi are covered in short, erect macrosetae; 9th sternite is large and broad.

Notes. This species is nearly identical to P. imparis in worker morphology, but has a more robust mesosoma at the mesonotal constriction ( Fig 25 ). The male genitalia of P. nitens bear a few key differences from those of P. imparis : (1) in P. nitens the genitalia are oriented posteriorly and in P. imparis they are oriented ventrally, curving downward; (2) in P. nitens the ental surface of the parameres is strongly concave and scoop-like and in P. imparis the ental surface is flattened; (3) in P. nitens the cuspi are longer; and (4) the genitalia of P. nitens are overall less hirsute than those of P. imparis .

Other material examined. HUNGARY: Balatonfüred, Péter-hegy , 207m, 46°58’33.54”N 17°53’34.62”E, 31.v.2014 (G. Lôrinczi) ; ITALY: Veneto, Verona, Giardino Giusti , 29.ix.2005 (F. Ballarin) ; TURKEY: Isparta, 1.x.1991 and 6.xi.1991 (S. Oygur). In: AMNH, TUBC, USNM.

Figures

FIGURES 104 – 106. Prenolepis nitens worker USNMENT 00755076. Lateral, full-face, and dorsal view of the body.

FIGURES 107 – 114. Prenolepis nitens reproductives. 107, queen in frontal view; 108, queen in lateral view; 109, male in frontal view; 110, male in lateral view; 111 – 114, male genitalia (dorsal, dorsal close-up of digitus and cuspus, ventral, and lateral parameres).

FIGURES 15 – 27. Illustrations of mesosoma shapes (profile view) observed in all Prenolepis species. 15, P. angularis; 16, P. darlena; 17, P. fisheri; 18, P. fustinoda; 19, P. imparis; 20, P. jacobsoni; 21, P. jerdoni; 22, P. mediops; 23, P. melanogaster; 24, P. naoroji; 25, P. nitens; 26, P. shanialena; 27, P. subopaca.

FIGURES 38 – 50. Illustrations of clypeus shapes (full-face view) observed in all Prenolepis species. Apparent differences in width of torulae are artifacts of specimen orientation. In some species the torulae are oriented more laterally. 38, P. angularis; 39, P. darlena; 40, P. fisheri; 41, P. fustinoda; 42, P. imparis; 43, P. jacobsoni; 44, P. jerdoni; 45, P. mediops; 46, P. melanogaster; 47, P. naoroji; 48, P. nitens; 49, P. shanialena; 50, P. subopaca.

FIGURES 51 – 56. Illustrations of petiole shapes (profile view) observed in Prenolepis species. 51, P. darlena; 52, P. fustinoda; 53, P. imparis (typical shape seen in most Prenolepis species); 54, P. jacobsoni; 55, P. jerdoni; 56, P. subopaca.