Lepisiota annandalei ( Mukerjee, 1930 )

Harshana, Anand & Dey, Debjani, 2022, Taxonomic studies on the ant genus <i> Lepisiota </ i> Santschi 1926 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) in India, with description of four new species, Oriental Insects 57 (3), pp. 785-818 : 18-20

Lepisiota annandalei ( Mukerjee, 1930) ( Fig. 5A–C )

Acantholepis annandalei Mukerjee 1930: 156 , fig. 4 (Worker). Syntype workers, Shimla [Simla], Himachal Pradesh, India.

Lepisiota annandalei (Mukerjee) , Bolton 1995: 226. Combination in Lepisiota .

Material examined

INDIA: Madhya Pradesh: Gwalior, 26°14 ʹ 06”N 78°13 ʹ 16”E, 196 m, 4 workers, 7.VIII.2020, coll. A. Harshana . Delhi: IARI, 28°38 ʹ 28”N 77°10 ʹ 12”E, 7 workers, IX.2021, Coll. A. Harshana ; 7 workers, VII.2010, Coll. Mir Samim Akhatar, NPC .

Measurements and indices

Workers (N = 4). EL: 0.17–0.18; HL: 0.54–0.57; HW: 0.49–0.51; MML: 0.22– 0.24; PH: 0.23–0.24; PRW: 0.34–0.36; SL: 0.55–0.56; TL: 2.19–2.34; WL: 0.69–0.74; CI: 89–94; OI: 35; REL: 31–33; SI: 108–114.

Description (Worker): Head

Head little longer than broad, sides slightly convex, posterior margin about straight, posterolateral corners rounded and head covered with sparse appressed pubescence ( Fig. 5C ); palp formula 6,4 and third maxillary segment from base longest of all segments; mandible with five teeth on masticatory margin, third and fourth tooth from apex smaller than other teeth; antennae 11 segmented, scape extending to posterior margin of head not more than 1/3 rd of its length; antennal insertions touching posterior clypeal margin and a pair of erect setae present little behind the antennal insertions; clypeus dorsally convex, having sparsely distributed appressed pubescence, posterior margin having a pair of long yellowish erect setae while anterior margin with two pairs of long yellowish erect setae with a downwardly directed long median seta, anterior clypeal margin weakly convex; eyes broadly oval, placed at about mid-length of head and covering about 1/3 rd lateral margin of head; three ocelli present with a pair of erect setae in between the lateral ocelli.

Mesosoma

Promesonotum in profile view dome-shaped and convex, metanotum at a lower than promesonotum ( Fig. 5A ); pronotum with 2–5 erect setae and mesonotum with a pair of erect setae; propodeum with pointed tubercles and propodeal declivity steep; mesosoma with sparse appressed pubescence.

Metasoma

Petiole upright, without distinct teeth, emarginated dorsally while its sides are convex; gaster with sparsely distributed erect setae; metasoma covered with sparse appressed pubescence; acidopore well-developed with the fringe of hairs.

Sculpture and colour

Head, mesosoma, and metasoma are smooth and shining except for rugulose mesopleuron. Body uniformly black; mandible, antennae, trochanters, tarsi, fore tibiae, the distal and proximal end of mid and hind tibiae yellowish-brown to brown.

Comments

Lepisiota annandalei has smaller-sized workers, which we have found dwelling on different plants or flowers. It is the smallest among all the Lepisiota species in our collection from Central India and it is not so frequent in collections.

Distribution in India: Delhi*, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh*, Punjab, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.

Figures

Figure 5A–F. Workers of Lepisiota annandalei (A–C), Lepisiota bipartita (D–F). A, D, body in profile view; B, E, body in dorsal view; C, F, head in full-face view.