The Species of the Ant Genus Recurvidris Bolton, 1992 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) in Thailand
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ISSN 0973-1555(Print) ISSN 2348-7372(Online) HALTERES, Volume 6, 104-112, 2015 © WEEYAWAT JAITRONG AND DECHA WIWATWITAYA The species of the ant genus Recurvidris Bolton, 1992 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) in Thailand Weeyawat Jaitrong1 and Decha Wiwatwitaya2* 1 Thailand Natural History Museum, National Science Museum, Technopolis, Khlong 5, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand. 2Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Foresty, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900 Thailand. (email: *[email protected]) Abstract The Thai ant species of the genus Recurvidris Bolton, 1992 is revised to include three species: Recurvidris browni Bolton, 1992, R. chanapaithooni sp. n., and R. recurvispinosa Forel, 1890. R. browni is newly recorded as found in Thailand and R. chanapaithooni is new to science. A key to the Thai species of the genus is presented, based on the worker caste. All species were collected from the forest floor. Keywords: ant, Recurvidris, Thailand, new species, distribution, Myrmicinae. Received: 3 August 2015; Revised: 17 September 2015; Online: 13 October 2015. Introduction Recurvidris Bolton, 1992 is a small and provides a key to species identification, myrmicine genus of the tribe Crematogastrini based on the worker caste. (Bolton, 2003; Ward et al., 2015). The genus was first described from India by Forel (1890) Materials and Methods as Trigonogaster, with Trigonogaster This study is mainly based on the recurvispinosus as the type species. materials deposited in the Ant Museum of Unfortunately, this name was preoccupied by a Kasetsart University (Thailand) and The chalcid genus, Trigonogaster Guérin- Natural History Museum of the National Meneville, 1844 (Hymenoptera: Science Museum, Thailand. Most Pteromalidae). Bolton (1992) proposed morphological observations were made with Recurvidris to replace Trigonogaster, treated an Olympus SZX12 stereoscope. Materials seven species and classified them into two used in this study were compared with the species groups (R. kemneri and R. images of paratypes of Recurvidris browni recurvispinosa groups). Bolton, 1992, R. pickburni Bolton, 1992, R. Until now, ten species have been proles Bolton, 1992, and R. recurvispinosa described in the Recurvidris genus from the (Forel, 1890), (Antweb, 2015). Oriental and Indo-Australian regions (Bolton, Multi-focused montage images were 1992; Xu and Zheng, 1995; Zhou, 2000; produced using Axio Vision SE64 [IP- Zettel, 2008). Jaitrong and Nabhitabhata ExtendedFocusImage-10 (locked:1)*] from a (2005) recorded only one species, Recurvidris series of source images taken by a Digital recurvispinosa (Forel, 1890), from Thailand. AxioCam ICc 5 camera attached to a ZEISS Having further examined specimens of this Discovery.V12 stereoscope. Worker genus from Thailand, three species were measurements were made using an ocular recognized; one of which is new to science and micrometer, recorded to the nearest 0.01 mm. one is newly recorded as found in Thailand. In The abbreviations used for the this paper the Recurvidris species from measurements and indices are as follows Thailand is revised, describing a new species (edited from Bolton, 1987): 104 The species of the ant genus Recurvidris Bolton, 1992 in Thailand TL Total length. Roughly measured from Worker diagnosis: for a more the anterior margin of head to the tip extensive description of the worker caste of of gaster in stretched specimens. the genus, see Bolton (1992). Some of the HL Head length. Length of head proper, important characteristics described by Bolton excluding mandibles, measured in (1992) are reproduced here. Clypeus broad straight line from anterior clypeal from front to back; antenna 11-segmented, margin to the mid-point of a line with a conspicuous apical club of three drawn across the posterior margin of segments; mandible with 4-5 teeth on head. masticatory margin; palp formula 4, 3; frontal HW Head width. Maximum width of head, carinae and antennal scrobes absent; propodeal in full-face view measured behind spine present, curving upwards and forwards eyes (excluding eyes). from its base; petiole pedunculate, with CI Cephalic index. HW/HL × 100. spiracle at about midlength of the peduncle, SL Scape length. Maximum straight line and node low and weakly conical in profile; length of antennal scape excluding the first gastral segment in profile almost flat basal constriction and condylar bulb. dorsally and strongly convex ventrally, with SI Scape index. SL/HW × 100. tergite strongly overlapping sternite laterally. PW Pronotal width. Maximum width of pronotum in dorsal view. Key to Thai species, based on worker caste ML Mesosoma length. Diagonal length of 1. Head entirely smooth and shiny; basal mesosoma in profile, from the point at margin of mandible with a small tooth which the pronotum meets the cervical which is widely separated from basal shield to the posterior margin of (fourth) tooth (Fig. 2B); basal tooth acute metapleuron. apically; propodeal declivity lacking infradental lamella or ridge linking The abbreviations used for institutions propodeal spine to metapleural lobe; are as follows: dorsum of propodeum with 2 pairs of AMK Ant Museum, Faculty of Forestry, standing hairs (Fig. 2A).............…...…. Kasetsart University, Thailand. ...........................R. chanapaithooni sp. n. BMNH The Natural History Museum, - Head largely sculptured (reticulate, London, U.K. reticulate-punctate to reticulate-granular); MCZC Museum of Comparative Zoology, basal margin of mandible unarmed (Fig. Cambridge, MA, U.S.A. 3B); basal (fourth or fifth) mandibular SKYC SKY Collection at Kitakyushu tooth blunt or bidenticulate apically; Museum of Natural History and propodeal declivity with narrow Human History, Japan. infradental lamella or ridge linking THNHM Natural History Museum of the propodeal spine to metapleural lobe; National Science Museum, dorsum of propodeum without standing Thailand. hairs (figs. 1A and 3A)............................2 2. Masticatory margin of mandible with four Systematics teeth, basal tooth bidenticulate; much Recurvidris Bolton, 1992 smaller species (HW 0.36-0.41 mm); Recurvidris Bolton, 1992: 36, figs. 1-11. head in full-face view narrow, rectangular [Replacement name for Trigonogaster and slightly longer than broad................... Forel, 1890: cix; junior homonym of .........................R. recurvispinosa (Forel) Trigonogaster Guérin-Méneville, 1844: - Masticatory margin of mandible with five 1149 (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae).] teeth, basal tooth blunt or truncate at Trigonogaster Forel, 1890: cviii. Type species: apex; larger species (HW 0.53-0.56 mm); Trigonogaster recuvispinosus Forel, head in full-face view round and almost 1890: cix. [Junior homonym of as long as broad...................................... Trigonogaster Guérin-Méneville, 1844: .......................................R. browni Bolton 1149 (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae).] 105 Weeyawat Jaitrong and Decha Wiwatwitaya Recurvidris browni Bolton, 1992 Non-type material examined. S. Thailand, (Fig. 1) Nakhon Si Thammarat Prov., Thasala, Recurvidris browni Bolton, 1992: 43, figs. 1, 5°78⁄971⁄⁄N / 99°53⁄378⁄⁄E, 765 m alt., 3. Holotype and 32 paratype workers 17.iv.2007, W. Jaitrong leg., WJT07-TH675 from E. Malaysia, Sarawak, 4th Div. G. (THNHM: THNHM-I2013-03922 THNHM- Mulu Nat. Pk., RGS Expd., Long Pala, I2013-03923, THNHM-I2013-03924, lowl. Rainfor., forest floor, 5.x.1977, B. THNHM-I2013-03925, THNHM-I2013- Bolton leg. (BMNH, MCZC). 03926, THNHM-I2013-03927, THNHM- I2013-03929. AMK: THNHM-I2013-03928); Measurements. Non-type workers (n = 12): S. Thailand, Narathiwat Prov., Wang Dist., TL 2.50-2.60 mm, HW 0.53-0.56 mm, HL 24.ii.2002, S. Hasin leg. (AMK). 0.56-0.58 mm, SL 0.50-0.51 mm, PW 0.28- 0.30 mm, ML 0.73-0.76 mm, CI 91-97, SI 91- Distribution. Indonesia (Kalimantan), 97. Malaysia (Sarawak and W. Malaysia) (Bolton, 1992), and Thailand (new record, fig. 4). Description. Head in full-face view round and almost as long as broad, with posterior margin Remarks. Recurvidris browni belongs to the strongly convex. Eye 0.12 mm in maximum R. recurvispinosa species group (sensu Bolton, diameter, with seven ommatidia along the 1992) that has the following characteristics: longest axis. Antennal scape extending basal tooth on masticatory margin of mandible posteriorly, reaching posterolateral corner of is enlarged and usually blunt, truncated or head. Masticatory margin of mandible with bidenticulate apically; basal margin of five teeth, fifth (basal) tooth much larger than mandible unarmed; propodeal declivity with fourth, blunt or truncate apically; basal margin infradental lamella that links the spine to of mandible unarmed. Clypeus with metapleural lobe. This species is closely indistinctly paired carinae. Mesosoma slender; related to Recurvidris williami Bolton, 1992, promesonotum in profile weakly convex sharing the same form of mandibular dentition. dorsally and sloping gradually to metanotal R. browni is notably larger, has more slender groove. Propodeum in profile with weakly propodeal spines. Furthermore, R. williami has convex dorsal outline; recurved propodeal a strongly reticulate-punctate sculpture, which spine long and narrow. Propodeal declivity is absent in R. browni. In Thailand R. browni with a fine but distinct infradental lamella or is restricted to the primary evergreen rainforest ridge linking propodeal spine to metapleural in the south. The single colony from Nakhon lobe. Peduncle of petiole relatively long, with Si Thammarat Province (WJT07-TH675) was its