Cardiocondyla shagrinata Seifert 2003

Seifert, Bernhard, 2024, A taxonomic revision of the ants of the Cardiocondyla wroughtonii group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with a checklist of the Cardiocondyla species of the world, Soil Organisms (London, England) 96 (2), pp. 113-144 : 132-133

Cardiocondyla shagrinata Seifert 2003

[type investigation]

This taxon has been described from India. Investigated was the holotype worker labelled by Forel ‘ C.Wroughtonii Forel € South Konkan (Wroughton) I/10’, MZ Lausanne; and two 2 paratype workers with the same labelling; SMN Görlitz .

All material examined. Only the type series is known.

Geographic range. The type locality is situated at 16.42°N, 73.390°E and 100 m a.s.l.

Diagnosis: --Worker ( Tab. 1, Figs 23 –27, key). Very small, CS 426 µm. Head very short, CL/CW 1.099. Anteromedian clypeal margin notched, median occipital margin in 2 of 3 specimens gently excavated. Postocular distance large, PoOc/CL 0.427. Frons broad (FRS/CS 0.282), frontal carinae immediately behind the FRS level slightly diverging caudad. Eye small, EYE/CS 0.222. Scape short, SL/CS 0.760. Promesonotal plane in dorsal view with a rather straight frontal margin and more concave lateral margins resulting in pronounced pronotal ‘shoulders’ ( Fig. 23B ) – in wroughtonii and obscurior , no ‘shoulders’ are developed due to a strongly convex frontal margin and rather straight lateral margins. Metanotal groove in lateral view deep (MGr/ CS 3.21 %) and with steep anterior and posterior slopes. Propodeal spines moderately long (SP/CS 0.184) and acute, slightly diverging and incurved in dorsal view and with large basal distance (SPBA/CS 0.292). Petiole rather narrow and moderately high (PeW/CS 0.279, PeH/CS 0.333). Axis of petiolar peduncle in lateral aspect deviating by 30° from the longitudinal axis of the petiole node. Postpetiole moderately wide and high (PpW/CS 0.446, PpH/CS 0.308), with a bilateral pair of anteroventral corners (but weaker than usually seen in wroughtonii and obscurior ); in dorsal view, the strongly convex sides meet with the concave anterior margin in a blunt corner and converge significantly more than in wroughtonii . Sculpture on head and mesosoma compared to wroughtonii and obscurior very irregular and with smaller meshes of reticular sculpture (Fig. 27), without the regularly arranged, large and clearly demarcated foveolae seen in the former species. Lateral mesosoma and waist with dense reticulum the meshes of which have an inner diameter of 4–5 µm. Pubescence on first gaster tergite moderately long and dilute (PLG/CS 6.2 %, sqPDG 4.87). Head, mesosoma, waist, and appendages more dirty yellowish brown compared to wroughtonii and obscurior .

Taxonomic comments. Using the 16 standard morphometric characters shown in Tab. 1, C. shagrinata is almost inseparable from wroughtonii and obscurior and is apparently closely related. An easy separation from these species is given by the strong differences in sculpture of head and mesosoma and the pronounced pronotal shoulders.

Biology. Unknown.

Figures

Figure 23. Mesosoma in dorsal view.(A) Cardiocondyla obscurior, neotype, Nago / Okinawa, 3 June 2003; (B) Cardiocondyla shagrinata, paratype, South Konkan / India. Figure 24–27. Cardiocondyla shagrinata, paratype, South Konkan / India. (24) head in dorsal view; (25) lateral view; (26) dorsal view; (27) head surface between inner eye margin and paramedian vertex. Figure 28. Cardiocondyla wroughtonii, Lundu / Malaysia, 27 May 2007. (28) head in dorsal view.