Temnothorax wardi, Snelling, Roy R., Borowiec, Marek L. & Prebus, Matthew M., 2014

Snelling, Roy R., Borowiec, Marek L. & Prebus, Matthew M., 2014, Studies on California ants: a review of the genus Temnothorax (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), ZooKeys 372, pp. 27-89 : 51-56

Temnothorax wardi sp. n. Figures 18-19, 24-26

Leptothorax sp. BCA-2; Johnson and Ward 2002: 1023.

Temnothorax sp. CA-02; Ward 2005: 68.

Diagnosis of worker.

Large, gracile species with large eyes; scape extending slightly beyond posterior margin; side of head, behind eyes, without standing setae; propodeal spines short and triangular; postpetiole extremely wide in dorsal view.

Description.

Worker measurements (mm) (3 measured): EL 0.191-0.217 (0.201); HFL 0.725-0.791 (0.761); HFW 0.156-0.182 (0.170); HL 0.792-0.857 (0.827); HW 0.649-0.747 (0.686); IOD 0.538-0.630 (0.578); OMD 0.193-0.224 (0.206); PPW 0.318-0.415 (0.371); PSL 0.068-0.089 (0.079); PTW 0.178-0.210 (0.201); PW 0.441-0.513 (0.472); SL 0.708-0.786 (0.743); WL 1.002-1.124 (1.059). Indices: CI 80.7-87.2 (82.9); FI 106-114 (111); OI 23.9-25.3 (24.3); PI 179-198 (184); PSI 8.59-10.5 (9.57); SI 89.1-91.7 (89.8).

Head longer than broad, margins subparallel, broadly rounded into transverse posterior margin. Antenna 12-segmented and scape extending slightly beyond posterior margin of head; three-segmented apical club poorly defined. Eyes moderately convex and without short setae arising from between ommatidia; IOD 2.77-2.90 × EL; EL 0.96-1.01 × OMD. Medial carina of clypeus sharply defined, as are 2-3 short carinae on either side. Malar area with several well–spaced longitudinal rugae that curve mesad of eye to slightly behind level of upper eye margin; similar rugae curve mesad above antennal fossae. Frons and vertex moderately shiny and reticulate and with scattered poorly defined longitudinal rugae. Dorsum with numerous short, fully erect, slightly flattened setae, but none along margins of head in frontal view; venter with sparse, finer setae about as long as those of frons.

Mesosoma slender, WL 2.19-2.29 × PW; dorsal profile nearly flat from anterior edge of mesonotum to base of propodeal spines. Propodeal spines short and stout, less than half as long as distance between their bases. Pronotal dorsum and side coarsely cor rugated /rugoreticulate; remainder of dorsum with variable degrees of corrugation and/or irregular longitudinal rugae; interspaces moderately shiny and reticulate; mesepisternum and propodeum side with well–spaced, irregular coarse rugae and densely reticulate interspaces. Hind femur 4.31-4.65 times longer than wide in dorsal view. Dorsum with 15-20 fully erect flattened, blunt–tipped setae that are longer than those of frons.

Petiole node high and subacute in profile; subpetiolar process short and blunt; postpetiole node robust, high and broadly rounded in profile, about twice as wide as petiole node; Posterior face of petiole node coarsely areolate, postpetiole node contiguously punctate only.

Gaster in dorsal view 1.83-2.41 times as wide as postpetiole node; first tergum smooth and shiny, with sparse piligerous punctures, the setae suberect, slightly flattened, and blunt-tipped.

Head and body light reddish brown, gaster darker.

Gyne and male unknown.

Material examined.

Holotype worker, U.S.A.: CALIFORNIA: San Bernardino Co.: San Savaine Road, Lytle Creek, 1395 m, 34.1993°, -117.4815°, 3.viii.2004 (J. des Lauriers), ex pitfall trap, burned scrub oak chaparral (CASENT0339315) [UCDC].

Paratypes. Same data as holotype, 1 worker (CASENT0339315) [UCDC].

Non-paratypic material examined. U.S.A.: CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles Co.: Mount Baldy Road, Hogback, 1165 m, 34.220°, -117.668°, 25.i.2006 (J. des Lauriers) Ceanothus chaparral, 1 worker (CASENT0339317) [LACM]; San Diego Co.: Elliot Reserve 1 km E Miramar, 180 m, 32.88°, -117.1°, 2.ix.2000 (P. S. Ward, #PSW14263-5) ex nest middens of Forelius sp., chaparral, 2 workers (CASENT0339318) [UCDC]; San Diego Co.: 3 km S Santa Ysabel, 33.08°, -116.67°, 10.v.1987 (M. Trepanier) ground forager, chaparral/ Quercus virginiana (sic) woodland, 1 worker (CASENT0005691) [UCDC]; MEXICO: BAJA CALIFORNIA: 28 km E Ensenada, 750 m, 31.8833°, -116.3000°, 27.iv.1998 (P. S. Ward, #PSW13576-8) ex nest middens of Forelius sp., chaparral, 1 worker (CASENT0339319) [UCDC].

Etymology.

This species is dedicated to Phil Ward, who provided so much of the material utilized in this paper.

Remarks.

The combination of flat mesosomal dorsum, short and upward-directed propodeal spines with extremely swollen postpetiole will separate this species from all other western Temnothorax . In dorsal view the relatively closely spaced propodeal spines and the postpetiole, which is almost twice as wide as the petiole, are especially conspicuous. (PI 179-198; Figure 18A).

The known specimens have been collected in pitfall traps in chaparral and from nest middens of Forelius ants.