Agraulomyrmex Prins, 1983

Harshana, Anand & Dey, Debjani, 2021, First record of the ant genus Agraulomyrmex Prins, 1983 (Formicidae: Formicinae) from India, with description of a new species, Oriental Insects 56 (3), pp. 428-436 : 3-5

Agraulomyrmex Prins

Agraulomyrmex Prins (1983, p. 2) .

Type species: A. meridionalis, by original description.

Agraulomyrmex in tribe Plagiolepidini: Prins (1983, p. 2); Bolton (1994, p. 51); Bolton (1995, p. 14); Bolton (2003, p. 101); Ward et al. (2016, p. 346).

Agraulomyrmex combination of nine antennal segment species: Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019, p. 452).

Diagnosis of genus: Agraulomyrmex are small ants, differing from other formicine genera by structure of mesosoma (i.e. absence of mesometanotal suture and metanotal groove), presence of 9–10 antennal segment without distinct club, and absence of ocelli ( Prins 1983; Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. 2019). A closely related genus Brachymyrmex Mayr has nine segmented antennae without a distinct club but mesometanotal suture is present in this genus while it is absent in Agraulomyrmex ( Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. 2019) . Workers of two other formicine monotypic genera Aphomomyrmex Emery and Petalomyrmex Snelling have nine segmented antennae without a distinct club, but Agraulomyrmex can be differentiated from Aphomomyrmex by the absence of ocelli and metanotal groove while Petalomyrmex have cordate shaped head, ocelli, and convex metanotum in profile view ( Snelling 1979), which are all absent in Agraulomyrmex . Another formicine genus Tapinolepis Emery is characterised by metanotum not forming a distinct isolated sclerite (meso-metanotum suture absent) ( Bolton 2003) but it differs from Agraulomyrmex by having 11 segmented antennae and presence of ocelli.

Description (worker): Head. Head subquadrate in full face view, little longer than broad, sides slightly convex to almost straight, posterior margin almost straight with rounded posterolateral corners; mandible triangular, shiny with four to six teeth on masticatory margin; palp formula 6,4 or 5,3; antennae 9–10 segmented, antennal funiculus incrassate towards apices without distinct club, second segment of antennal funiculus shorter than first segment and length of last segment of funiculus more than twice of its width, antennal scape just reaching or little short of reaching posterior margin of head; compound eyes moderate in size, broadly oval, positioned below the cephalic midline; ocelli absent; toruli surpassing the posterior clypeal margin; frontal carinae short; clypeus convex and its anterior margin arcuate with long median seta.

Mesosoma. Promesonotal suture present and extending through thoracic pleuron to sternum; mesonotum flat dorsally, not bulging above the pronotum in profile view; mesometanotal suture and metanotal groove absent while propodeal suture well developed; metathoracic spiracles dorsolateral in position, not tumuliform and positioned near propodeal suture or touching it; propodeum unarmed, dorsum of propodeum flat and shorter than propodeal declivity; propodeal spiracles circular and positioned dorsolaterally on propodeal declivity or just beside of declivity; legs moderately long.

Metasoma. Petiole short, inclined forward, about as high as long to slightly higher than long, almost overhung by gaster, with or without pubescence; gaster oval in dorsal view, five to six segmented; acidopore present and surrounded by fringe of hairs.

Pubescence and pilosity. Body pubescent all over except petiole and propodeal declivity. Long yellowish setae present on clypeus and apical margins of gastral segments.

Sculpture and colour. Body shiny and sculpture smooth to fine reticulate or reticulate-punctate. Body colour ranges from yellow to dark brown, compound eyes black.

Annotated checklist of Agraulomyrmex Prins (undescribed species on the AntWeb from Africa are not considered)

(1) A. meridionalis Prins, 1983 South Africa

(2) A. wilsoni Prins, 1983 Zimbabwe

(3) A. damohensis sp. nov. India: Madhya Pradesh

Key to Agraulomyrmex Prins species based on worker caste

1. Antennae 10 segmented....................................... 2

-. Antennae 9 segmented..................... A. damohensis sp. nov.

2. Palp formula 6,4; masticatory margin of mandible with 5–6 teeth; HL 0.48–0.52 mm ................. ....... A. meridionalis Prins, 1983

-. Palp formula 5,3; masticatory margin of mandible with 4 teeth; HL 0.34 mm .................................... A. wilsoni Prins, 1983