Myrmecina eowilsoni Liu, 2022

Liu, Cong, Fischer, Georg, Liu, Qing, Peng, Yan-Qiong, Economo, Evan P. & Guénard, Benoit, 2022, Updating the taxonomy of the ant genus Myrmecina (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in China with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 5182 (2), pp. 152-164 : 156-158

Myrmecina eowilsoni Liu , sp. nov.

Figure 3 .

Type material. Holotype, pinned worker, China, Yunnan, Gaoligong Shan Mountains, Baihua Lin , 25.30865N, 098.79369E, 1505 m, secondary forest, leaf litter, 05.VII.2019 (C. Liu & G. Fischer) ( ISAS: MCZENT00763515 ).

Diagnosis. The identification of M. eowilsoni in China can be easily performed with the updated identification key provided above. The new species is morphologically most similar to M. guangxiensis Zhou, 2001 . However, M. eowilsoni can be immediately separated from it by the extremely broad postpetiole (PPI = 300), the shape of the anterior portion of the first gastral tergite, and the dense punctation on head and gaster.

Worker measurements. (N=1). TL 2.02; HL 0.56; HW 0.5; MaL 0.23; SL 0.43; EL 0.05; WL 0.65; PNW 0.38; PNH 0.25; MW 0.23; PSL 0.10; PTL 0.18; PTW 0.13; PTH 0.18; PPL 0.10; PPW 0.30; PPH 0.15; CI 105, SI 81, MaI 43, PI 125, PPI 300.

Worker description. Head. In full-face view, head subrectangular, as long as broad (CI 105); median portion of occipital margin concave; occipital corners rounded, not projected posteriorly. Mandible triangular; masticatory margin with large apical tooth and strong third tooth, followed by 6 denticles; anterior margin of clypeus almost straight, with a small median tooth; lateral portion raised into a sharp ridge of shield wall on each side, in front of antennal insertions. Anterior dorsal surface of the labrum with very small paired denticles. Frontal carinae virtually absent, indistinguishable from rugae on the dorsum of the head. Eyes relatively small with 6 ommatidia and maximum diameter 0.05 mm; antennae 12-segementd, with 3-segmented club; antennal scape reaching the posterolateral corner of head.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma convex in profile view; pronotum without denticles; propleuron angular and forming a small tooth; eumetanotal spine (the spines in front of the propodeal ones, see Okido et al. 2020) reduced or vestigial, visible only as a small denticle; propodeal spines triangular, shorter than broad at their bases and pointing posteriorly; propodeal declivity strongly concave; propodeal lobes with distinct lateral projection. Propodeal spiracle large, situated near the base of propodeal spine, separated from margin of the propodeal declivity by a distance of its diameter. Metapleural bulla well developed and covering most of the propodeal lobe.

Metasoma. Petiole in dorsal view rectangular, broader than long; anterodorsal slope of petiole in profile view almost straight with posterodorsal face weakly concave, both faces separated by a sharp little peak and ridge; sternopetiolar process with a convex lobe medially and small point anteriorly; postpetiole in dorsal view much broader than long, broader than petiole; sternopostpetiolar process weakly present. Anterior margin of first gastral tergite strongly concave, with anterolateral corner angled.

Sculpture. Head densely punctured with weak and irregular rugae, Occipital corners reticulate; clypeus and lateroventral area posterior of eyes smooth and shiny; mesosoma with deep longitudinal rugae; forecoxae smooth and shiny; petiole and postpetiole smooth with weak punctation; first gastral tergite and sternum shiny with weak punctation in the middle.

Pilosity and pubescence. Body covered with abundant erect hairs. Antenna with abundant suberect and erect hairs. Mandible with numerous thin and long hairs, basal masticatory margin with few spatulate hairs. Head and Mesosoma with dense and short erect pilosity on dorsum. Petiole and Postpetiole without hairs on ventral surface. All legs with numerous suberect to erect hairs. Gaster with dense and short erect pilosity on both dorsum and ventral.

Coloration. Body black with reddish brown mandibles, antennae, and legs.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Prof. Edward O. Wilson and his invaluable contributions to biodiversity science and conservation. We thank him for setting up the E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship which enabled the discovery of this and many other new species from China’s Hengduan Mountains.

Distribution and ecology. At present, this species is only known from the Gaoligong Shan Mountains in Yunnan, China. The type locality is a montane secondary forest on Baihua Lin, situated at an elevation of 1500 m. Only one single worker of the new species was collected through leaf litter extraction. There is no additional information about its ecology due to the limited available material.

Figures

FIGURE 3. M. eowilsoni sp. nov. (MCZ-ENT00763515). (A) Body in profile view. (B) Body in dorsal view. (C) Head in fullface view. (D) Distribution map in SE Asia.