Leptothorax liviae Agosti & Collingwood, 2011

Cedric A. Collingwood, Donat Agosti, Mostafa R. Sharaf & Antonius van Harten, 2011, Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae, Arthropod fauna of the UAE 4, pp. 1-70 : 26

Leptothorax liviae Agosti & Collingwood nov. spec.

Plates 44 –46 , Figures 36–37

Specimens examined: Holotype: ☿, United Arab Emirates, Baynunah sand desert [23°40'N 53°00'E], ii– iii.1995, in pitfall trap. leg. B. Tigar & C.A. Collingwood ( NHMB). Paratypes: 1 ☿, same locality as holotype but 3.xii.1994, coll. B. Tigar. 1 ☿, Buraimi , 16.iii.1995, leg. B. Tigar & CAC. 1 ☿, al-Ain , 13.iii.2005, CAC. Not included in type series: ♀, same data as holotype.

Description: Holotype. Total length 4.2; head length 1.01; head width 0.87; scape length 0.91; cephalic index 86.1; scape index 104.6; eye length/head width 0.46. Mandibles weakly striate, head strongly striate, frontal triangle clear; alitrunk dorsum and petiole strongly striate, postpetiole striae restricted to dorsum; gaster shining. Frontal laminae prominent and expanded anterolaterally; eyes enormous, nearly half head length; scape relatively long, slightly over-reaching occipital border. Alitrunk dorsal outline with distinct metanotal furrow, but impression shallow. Propodeal spines long and pointed; petiole profile with rounded subangulate dorsum and blunt anterolateral tooth. Dorsal hairs rather short, ventral head hairs long and curved but not crowded. Gaster with short oblique hairs over whole surface. Colour evenly light brown with pale legs and antennae.

Remarks: The general appearance is somewhat like Leptothorax cenatus Bolton, 1982, but the species differs in the relatively larger eyes, longer coarser propodeal spines and the less angulate petiole. It is a larger species than the known North African or Iberian large-eyed desert species ( Leptothorax laurae Emery, 1884 species group) and has a wider head, distinct longitudinal sculpture on the dorsum of the head, and fewer erect hairs on head and alitrunk than Leptothorax arenarius Santschi, 1908. The queen has features similar to the worker but the mesonotum is less coarsely sculptured. Worker specimens taken from under stones in the Buraimi area in the vicinity of trees are smaller than the holotype (TL 2.9–3.0) but have similar body structure and colour. Leptothorax liviae nov. spec. is the only Leptothorax taken so far from the UAE. Six species of Leptnothorax were recorded from other countries of the Arabian Peninsula (Collingwood & Agosti, 1996), three of which had not been identified to the species level.

Etymology: This new species is dedicated to Livia Leu Agosti, wife of Donat Agosti.

Figures

Plates 44–45. Leptothorax liviae Agosti & Collingwood nov. spec., holotype from Baynunah sand desert [CASENT0102700]. 44: Habitus, dorsal view; 45: Habitus, lateral view. (Photographs by A. Nobile,© www.antweb.org)

Plates 46. Leptothorax liviae Agosti & Collingwood nov. spec., holotype from Baynunah sand desert [CASENT0102700], head in dorsal view.(Photograph by A.Nobile, © www.antweb.org)

Figures 36–37. Leptothorax liviae Agosti & Collingwood nov. spec. 36: Head in dorsal view; 37: Body inlateral view.