Parasyscia tibetana, Chen & Liang & Du, 2022

Chen, Zhilin, Liang, Cuijun & Du, Congcong, 2022, Revision of Chinese species of the ant genus Parasyscia Emery, 1882 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylinae), Zootaxa 5196 (3), pp. 301-330 : 323-325

Parasyscia tibetana sp. nov.

( Fig. 30 )

Holotype worker: CHINA: Tibet: Motuo County, Motuo Village , 1230 m, 29.3021° N, 95.3400° E, 27.VIII.2016, Zhilin Chen leg., No. G 160428 [ GXNU] ; Paratypes: same data as holotype [1 worker, GXNU; 1 worker, SWFU, 1 worker, IZCAS] .

Diagnosis. Bicolored species, mesosoma, petiole and first gastral segment yellow brown to dark yellow brown, head and the rest of abdominal segments dark brown to black. Head distinct longer than broad, posterior margin concave, posterolateral corners angular. Subpetiolar process subrectangular, anteroventral corner sharply angular and posteroventral corner rounded. Head with deeply puncta, dorsum of mesosoma smooth and shiny, except shallow piligerous punctures.

Holotype worker. HL 0.90, HW 0.72, CI 80, SL 0.45, SI 62.5, ED 0.15, MSL 1.15, PW 0.56, PL 0.45, PH 0.55, DPW 0.45, LPI 122, DPI 100 TL 4.25.

Paratype workers. HL 0.81–0.93, HW 0.70–0.76, CI 78–83, SL 0.41–0.47, SI 58–63, ED 0.15–0.16, MSL 1.10–1.18, PW 0.51–0.58, PL 0.43–0.46, PH 0.54–0.57, DPW 0.0.43–0.48, LPI 120–1.25, DPI 100–103, TL 4.00– 4.37 (n=3) .

Head. In full-face view subrectangular, longer than broad, lateral margins convergent from eye-level to anterior and posterior head, and posterior margin concave, posterolateral corners angular. Anteromedial portion of clypeus concave, lateral portion of clypeus forming angular lobe. Frontal carina short, separate and nearly parallel. Antennae with12 segments.Eyes large, maximum diameter as wide as apical funiculus, ommatidia with a clear edge. Mesosoma. In lateral view, dorsal outline of mesosoma general convex, posterodorsal corner obtuse-angulate, posterior edge of propodeum carinate, declivity of propodeum slightly concave. In dorsal view, propodeum slightly broader than pronotum and mesonotum. Metasoma. Petiole in lateral view, appears trapezoidal, with steep anterior margin and convex posterior margin, dorsum strong convex; subpetiolar process subrectangular, anteroventral tooth sharp and posteroventral corner rounded, ventral margin concave. In dorsal view, petiole lateral margins convex, anterior margin straight, anterolateral corner angular and posterodorsal corner rounded. Abdominall segment III in lateral view rounded, higher than long. In dorsal view, abdominal segment III subtrapezoidal, broader posteriorly, almost as long as wide; lateral margins convex. Sculpture. Head with deeply puncta, upper half of pronotum sparsely shallow puncta, lower half of pronotum smooth and shiny, lateral margins of propodeum with deeply puncta, petiole and lateral margins of abdominal segment III deeply punctate-reticulate, dorsum of mesosoma smooth and shiny, except shallow piligerous punctures. Pilosity. Body entirely densely covered with suberect long hairs. Color. Petiole and first gastral segment yellow brown, mesosoma dark yellow brown, head and the rest of gaster dark brown to black.

Notes. This species is very similar to P. rufithorax , but can be separated from the latter by a combination of the following characteristics: posterior margin of head obviously concave and posterolateral corner clearly angular in full-face view; head with coarse punctures; eyes smaller (ED 0.15–0.16); posterodorsal margin of propodeum with carina.

Distribution. China (Tibet).

Etymology. The specific epithet is given after the type locality (Tibet).

Figures

FIGURE 30. Parasyscia tibetana sp. nov. Holotype worker. Head in full-face view (A), distribution map (B), body in dorsal view (C), body in lateral view (D).