A revision of the Afrotropical species of the Dorylinae ant genus Aenictus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on the worker caste
Author
Gómez, Kiko
Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
netodejulilla@gmail.com
text
Belgian Journal of Entomology
2022
2022-01-21
124
1
86
journal article
http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5898821
6835c7bd-ee52-4d78-9c66-b91ab58b8675
2295-0214
5898821
1D61E1C2-5FF1-4E47-B6C8-74F7E50D6B29
Aenictus ugaduwensis
sp. nov.
Zoobank: E07F494D-921D-4AD5-8831-DF1B1A45D0B6
(
Figs 59 A–D
,
60
)
Holotype
worker:
•
Burkina Faso
,
Ougadougou
06/09/1970
(
Room, P.
) (
1w
) [
NHMUK012849272
]
BMNH
.
Paratype
workers:
•
same series, (
2
pins, 1w each) [
NHMUK012849270
,
NHMUK012849271
]
BMNH
.
DIAGNOSIS. Extrapolating information from only four workers is quite daring, especially in this group with a certain degree of polymorphism, but separation from the other species in the complex is feasible. The erect setae separates it from
A. jacki
sp. nov.
and
A. congolensis
, the lack of propodeal ridge from
A. weissi
and the much shorter scapes from
A. nyuyi
sp. nov.
Table 3. Useful characters to separate
A. guineensis
,
A. rotundatus
and
A. ugaduwensis
sp. nov.
HW~0.7
|
CI
|
SIL
|
WL/PRW (n=3)
|
A. guineensis
|
86–90 |
72–74 |
283–295 |
A. rotundatus
|
85–92 |
66–69 |
273–283 |
A. ugaduwensis
|
96–100 |
63–66 |
237–246 |
Aenictus ugaduwensis
sp. nov.
resembles
A. rotundatus
or
A. guineensis
in its general aspect, but the head is clearly quadrate, the scapes are much shorter for the same size range (HW~0.7) and mesosoma is also stouter with lower values for WL/PRW.
Fig. 59.
Aenictus ugaduwensis
sp. nov.
, holotype (
NHMUK
012849272). A, head, dorsal view. B, habitus, lateral view. C, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole, lateral view. D, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole, dorsal view.
DESCRIPTION (
Fig. 59 A–D
). WORKER HL: 0.68 [0.65-0.69]; HW: 0.66 [0.65-0.67]; SL: 0.43 [0.41-0.45]; WL: 1.01 [0.94-1.05]; PL: 0.28 [0.26-0.28]; PH: 0.21 [0.21-0.22]; PPL: 0.23 [0.22- 0.23]; PPH: 0.20 [0.20-0.21]; CS: 0.67 [0.65-0.68]; CI: 97 [95-100]; SIL: 63 [62-65]; SIW: 65 [62-68]; WL/HW: 152 [143-159]; PI: 128 [122-133]; PPI: 111 [109-114]; CSR: 103; (n=4).
With the characteristics of the
rotundatus
species complex and: scapes short, (SL/HL~62). Funicular segments 1-2 slightly longer than wide, enlarging to the apical, which is twice longer than wide. Head quadrate (CI~95–100), convex laterally and widest at the middle. Occipital line straight. Ventrolateral margin absent. Mandibles triangular with a long, sharp apical tooth followed by 4–5 denticles, sometimes eroded seeming edentate. Clypeus a row of conical teeth, clearly visible and longer than wide, decreasing to the sides, sometimes eroded. Frontal ridges present, not projecting frontally and not fused between the antennal sockets.
Pronotum convex, mesopropodeal suture present, concave and meeting the propodeum at an angle. Transverse mesopleural groove absent; propodeal ridge present as a weak dark line, sometimes incomplete laterally; propodeal declivity concave below that line.
Petiole sessile with anterolateral and anterodorsal ridges present, dorsolateral absent. Petiole anteriorly a quarter of ellipse, rounded, and almost vertical posteriorly. Postpetiole subrectangular with rounded angles and vertical anterior and posteriorly faces, without carinae. Subpetiolar process developed with a bulky quarter of ellipse facing forward and a triangular rounded lamellae facing downwards, from straight to shark-fin shaped.
Head, scapes, pronotum, dorsum of mesonotum, dorsopropodeum, postpetiole and gaster glassy smooth; mandibles finely horizontally rugulose, with its apical tooth smooth; mesopleurae and lateropropodeum finely reticulated, lateral sides of petiole and postpetiole alutaceus to reticulated. Overall colour yellowish brown in the type series, brown in the Senegal sample, darker at mesonotum, petiole and postpetiole.
Medium to long decumbent white setae, oriented backwards, present at head, dorsum of pronotum petiole, postpetiole and gaster. Dorsum of propodeum bare. A few scattered, long, white, erect setae present at pronotum, petiole, postpetiole and gaster, longer than petiole height. Scapes with white unequally long decumbent to semierect setae, clearly longer than scape width. No pubescence noted.
DERIVATIO NOMINIS. The species name
ugaduwensis
is a masculine Latin adjective in the nominative case and refers to the location the ant was collected.
OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED.
SENEGAL
:
•
Kedougou
,
Neménick
,
Niokolo Koba
10 km W
(
Niokolo Koba NP
),
13.0764
,
- 12.78196
01/08-07/11/2018
. Winkler (
Diallo, A.
). Savannah (
1w
) [
KGCOL00581
]
KGPC
.
DISTRIBUTION. West Africa, known from the Sahelian regions in Burkina Faso and Senegal (
Fig. 60
).