Aenictus hottai

Jaitrong, Weeyawat & Yamane, Seiki, 2011, Synopsis of Aenictus species groups and revision of the A. curra x and A. laeviceps groups in the eastern Oriental, Indo-Australian, and Australasian regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Aenictinae), Zootaxa 3128, pp. 1-46 : 6

Aenictus hottai group

Diagnosis. Antenna long, consisting of 10 segments; scape long, reaching posterolateral corner of head. Anterior clypeal margin roundly convex, lacking denticles. Mandible subtriangular, with very dense punctures; its masticatory margin with a large and sharp apical tooth followed by a medium-sized subapical tooth and 18–20 small inconspicuous denticles. Frontal carina not reaching midlength of head, well developed anteriorly and poorly developed posteriorly; parafrontal ridge present not reaching midlength of head; seen in profile its anteriormost part well developed and raised as a subtriangular process, and poorly developed posteriorly. Occipital margin of head forming a collar or carina. Propodeal junction angular; declivity of propodeum concave, encircled with a rim. Subpetiolar process well developed, posteroventrally produced.

Entire head, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole very densely puncto-recticulate and opaque. Punctoreticulation on antennal scape, coxae, femora, tibiae, and basitarsi similarly dense but weaker. First gastral segment with dense but weak and superficial micropunctation, subopaque and slightly shiny. Body dark brown to reddish brown; typhlatta spot absent.

Remarks. This species group is closely related to the A. pachycerus group and A. philippinensis group in that all have a well-developed frontal carina and parafrontal ridge. The A. hottai group can be separated from other groups by the first gastral segment being densely micropunctate, subopaque and slightly shiny, and by the welldeveloped subpetiolar process which is posteroventrally produced (in the other groups the first gastral segment is smooth and shiny).

Distribution. Malay Peninsula (S. Thailand and W. Malaysia), W. Sumatra, and Borneo ( Sarawak).

Currently valid names for the Oriental, Indo-Australian, and Australasian forms. A. hottai Terayama et Yamane, 1989 ; A. yamanei Wiwatwitaya et Jaitrong, 2011 .