Zasphinctus aprilia Hita Garcia & Gómez, 2025

Hita Garcia, Francisco, Gómez, Kiko, Keller, Roberto A., Schurian, Bernhard & Economo, Evan P., 2025, A never-ending story: updated 3 D cyber-taxonomic revision of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) for the Afrotropical region, ZooKeys 1223, pp. 1-55 : 1-55

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.3897/zookeys.1223.131238
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:974E3C3D-A08E-42CB-B75E-D7A329B1B715
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14606285
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D440A0-42DF-5BDF-98A7-03EFE5322230
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Zasphinctus aprilia Hita Garcia & Gómez
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Zasphinctus aprilia Hita Garcia & Gómez sp. nov.

Figs 2 View Figure 2 , 3 A View Figure 3 , 4 A View Figure 4 , 5 A View Figure 5 , 6 A View Figure 6 , 7 A View Figure 7 , 8 A View Figure 8 , 10 A View Figure 10 , 11 A View Figure 11 , 12 A View Figure 12 , 13 A View Figure 13 , 14 A View Figure 14 , 15 A View Figure 15 , 16 A View Figure 16 , 17 A View Figure 17 , 18 A View Figure 18 , 19 A View Figure 19 , 20 A View Figure 20 , 21 A View Figure 21 , 25 View Figure 25

Type material examined.

Holotype • Pinned worker, Uganda, Kabarole, Kibale National Park, Kanyawara Biological Station , rainforest, ex leaf litter, 0.56437, 30.36059, 1510 m, collection code FHG 01047, 6. – 16. VIII. 2012 (F. Hita Garcia) ( ZMHB: CASENT 0764763 ) GoogleMaps . Paratypes • Three pinned workers from Uganda, Kabarole, Kibale National Park, Kanyawara Biological Station , rainforest opening, field station clearing, hand collected, 0.55838, 30.35992, 1510 m, collection code PGH 00079, 6. – 16. VIII. 2012 (P. G. Hawkes) ( NHMUK: CASENT 0790015 About NHMUK ; AFRC: CASENT 0254676 ; SAMC: CASENT 0254677 View Materials ) and GoogleMaps • 2 pinned workers from Uganda, Kabarole, Kibale National Park, Kanyawara Biological Station , moist evergreen forest, ground forager (s), 0.56437, 30.36059, 1520 m, collection codes BLF 29378 and BLF 29365, 8. VIII. 2012 (B. L. Fisher; F. A. Esteves; Malagasy Arthropod Team) ( CASC: CASENT 0352810 , CASENT 0352813 ) GoogleMaps .

Cybertype • Dataset of the holotype ( CASENT 0764763 ) consists of the volumetric raw data (in DICOM format), a 3 D surface model (in PLY format), still images of multiple body parts from surface volume renderings of 3 D models, stacked digital colour images illustrating head in full-face view, profile and dorsal views of the body. The data is deposited at Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12593275) and can be freely accessed as virtual representation of the physical holotype. In addition to the data at Zenodo, we also provide a freely accessible 3 D surface model at Sketchfab (https://skfb.ly/p7MpJ).

Non-type material examined.

• Twenty workers from: Democratic Republic of Congo: Ituri, Matenda , Label F. 98, - 1.15653, 27.41793, ca 600 m, 22. IX. 1929 (A. Collart) ( MRAC: MRACFOR 000101 View Materials , MRACFOR 000102 View Materials , MRACFOR 000103 View Materials , MRACFOR 000104 View Materials , MRACFOR 000105 View Materials , MRACFOR 000106 View Materials , MRACFOR 000107 View Materials , MRACFOR 000108 View Materials , MRACFOR 000109 View Materials , MRACFOR 000110 View Materials , MRACFOR 000111 View Materials , MRACFOR 000112 View Materials , MRACFOR 000113 View Materials , MRACFOR 000114 View Materials , MRACFOR 000115 View Materials , MRACFOR 000116 View Materials ) GoogleMaps ; Ituri, Madyu (La Moto), 1.77076, 30.29094, ca 1400 m (L. Burgeon) ( MRAC: MRACFOR 001000 View Materials ) GoogleMaps • Haut Huelé, Abimva , 3.6452, 29.4306, ca 700 m, 19. – 22. VI. 1925 (H. Schouteden) ( MRAC: MRACFOR 001144 View Materials ) GoogleMaps • Uganda: Kabarole, Kibale National Park, Kanyawara Biological Station , moist evergreen forest, ground forager (s), 0.56437, 30.36059, 1520 m, collection code BLF 29365, 8. VIII. 2012 (B. L. Fisher; F. A. Esteves; Malagasy Arthropod Team) ( CASC: CASENT 0352811 , CASENT 0352812 ) GoogleMaps .

Differential worker diagnosis.

With characters of the Z. sarowiwai group plus the following: body size significantly much larger (HL 0.84–0.86; WL 1.18–1.26); torular – posttorular complex in profile comparatively lower and funnel – shaped (Fig. 5 A View Figure 5 ); vertexal margin very weak and dorsum smoothly rounding onto posterior face of head (Figs 6 A View Figure 6 , 7 A View Figure 7 ); lateral arms of hypostomal carina strongly diverging anteriorly, relatively thick, and strongly angulate at widest points (Fig. 8 A View Figure 8 ); postgenal sulcus weakly impressed and running less than halfway to occipital margin (Fig. 8 A View Figure 8 ); posterodorsal margin of mesosoma interrupted medially (Figs 11 A View Figure 11 , 12 A View Figure 12 ); subpetiolar process of petiole ( AS II) in profile with thickened anterior and ventral margins and well developed concavity with differentiated fenestra (Fig. 13 A View Figure 13 ); petiolar tergum in dorsal view relatively thicker: ~ 1.0–1.1 × broader than long (DPI 102–114) (Fig. 14 A View Figure 14 ); abdominal sternum III in ventral view campaniform, comparatively broad and short, sides strongly rounded (Fig. 16 A View Figure 16 ); posterior end of abdominal segment III in ventral view with thinner, deep, sharply and relatively regularly outlined transverse groove (Fig. 16 A View Figure 16 ); prora in anteroventral view well-developed with sharply and very regularly shaped lateroventral margins (Fig. 16 A View Figure 16 ); abdominal segment VI in dorsal view distinctly shorter: ~ 1.8–1.9 × broader than long (DA 6 I 178–193) (Fig. 17 A View Figure 17 ); girdling constrictions between abdominal segments IV, V, VI unsculptured (Fig. 18 A View Figure 18 ); surface sculpture on cephalic dorsum and genae completely smooth and very shiny with moderately dense, deep, and moderately sized to large piliferous foveae (Figs 4 A View Figure 4 , 5 A View Figure 5 , 19 A View Figure 19 , 20 A View Figure 20 ); general surface sculpture on mesosoma and metasoma almost completely smooth and very shiny with scattered, piliferous foveae (Figs 20 A View Figure 20 , 21 A View Figure 21 ).

Measurements and indices.

Morphometric data is based on seven workers from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and can be seen in Table 2 View Table 2 , Suppl. material 3.

Etymology.

This species is dedicated to Aprilia Selistiowati, the wonderful wife of the first author. The species epithet is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Distribution and biology.

Based on the current data, it seems that Z. aprilia has the widest distribution range of all its African congeners since it is known from its type locality in western Uganda, as well as from three additional ones in the eastern parts of the D. R. Congo.