Echinopla lineata Mayr, 1862

Zettel, Herbert & Laciny, Alice, 2015, Contributions to the taxonomy of the ant genus Echinopla Smith, 1857 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 62 (1), pp. 101-121 : 114-115

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Formicidae

Echinopla lineata Mayr, 1862 Figs 35-38, 43

Type material examined.

Lectotype (worker, present designation, NHMW) from "Batavia (Novara)" ( Mayr 1862); labels see Figure 26. Paralectotypes (2 workers, NHMW), from the same locality.

Additional material examined.

1 worker (NHMW) of unknown origin, leg. Ida Pfeiffer, det. G. Mayr; 1 worker (NHMW) from Java, leg. Vollenhoven, det. G. Mayr; 5 workers (ZCW) from Singapore, Singapore Zoo, 2.XI.2003, leg. H. Zettel; 8 workers (SCV, ZCW) from Borneo, Sarawak, Mulu National Park, Kerangas Forest behind Mulu Airport, 21.VII.2010, leg. D.M. Sorger; 1 worker (WCD) from Borneo, Sabah, Danum Valley Field Centre, 4.96462°N; 117.804000°E ± 70 m, 180 m a.s.l., 24.VIII.2010, leg. P.S. Ward (#16476); 5 workers (CAS), from same locality, 525 m a.s.l., 4.965611°N; 117.799806°E, 16-26.VIII.2010, rainforest, Ant Course 2010, various collectors; 1 workers (CAS), from same area, Danum Valley, West Trail, 225 m a.s.l., 4.963056°N; 117.802806°E, 16-26.VIII.2010, rainforest, Ant Course 2010, unknown collector.

Measurements of the lectotype.

TL 6.3; HW1 1.66; HW2 1.58; HL 1.57; EL 0.36; SL 1.39; SW 0.18; HaL 0.48; PML 1.17; PMW 1.50; PpL 1.04; PpW 1.20; PH 0.47; PL 0.51; PW 1.23; GL 1.65; GW 1.80. Indices: CI 106; SI 84; MI 148.

Notes.

Echinopla lineata has some similarities with Echinopla striata , especially in sculpture, but can be recognized by the combination of black colour (without metallic lustre), coarse longitudinal striation on head and mesosoma, fine longitudinal striation on gaster, long white setae, and relatively abundant short appressed hair that gives the specimens a dull appearance. See also notes on the similar Echinopla senilis .

The collection of NHMW contains five historical specimens of Echinopla lineata , one of which was erroneously labelled as Echinopla senilis . Three specimens are considered as types, whereas one gyne from Java (see Mayr 1872) and one worker collected by Ida Pfeiffer from an unknown locality are non-type specimens. The worker (paralectotype) labelled “Batavia” (now Jakarta, Java, Indonesia) is missing its head. One worker (paralectotype) bears the same locality code label Q and the same Novara expedition label as the lectotype (see Fig. 38), but a determination label " Echinopla senilis det. G. Mayr" (in Anton Handlirsch’s handwriting!) which is probably a curatorial error (see notes for Echinopla senilis ). This slightly damaged specimen clearly belongs to Echinopla lineata . The third type specimen, which is in a very good condition (see Figs 35-37), was selected as the lectotype.

The species was originally described from Java ( Mayr 1862). This first description is very short, but Mayr (1865) presents illustrations (Fig. 43) and a much more detailed description. Emery (1900) recorded Echinopla lineata from Sumatra. Echinopla sucki was described by Forel (1901) from Sarawak, Borneo, and synonymised by Emery (1925). After having studied the pictures of a syntype of Echinopla sucki in Antweb (2015) and non-type specimens from Sarawak, we affirm this synonymy. We also confirm the presence of Echinopla lineata in Sabah, northern Borneo, based on examined worker specimens in the P.S. Ward Collection and in the California Academy of Sciences. Antweb (2015) records two specimens from Sabah (not examined), but the illustrated one from the Maliau Basin is not Echinopla lineata , because it differs strongly by a fine sculpture of head and thoracic nota, by long black pilosity and the almost absent short hair on the thoracic nota; except for its non-metallic colour it resembles Echinopla striata . Also the Antweb (2015) record of Echinopla lineata in Singapore can be confirmed after having studied the illustrations of this specimen and additionally collected specimens. Antbase (2015) illustrates a correctly identified worker from Kuala Lumpur, West Malaysia, in the Natural History Museum in London.