Axinidris lignicola, Snelling, 2007

Snelling, R. R., 2007, A review of the arboreal Afrotropical ant genus Axinidris., Advances in ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Homage to E. O. Wilson - 50 years of contributions. (Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80), pp. 551-579 : 563-564

Axinidris lignicola , new species

Figures 5, 15, 25

Worker diagnosis. Antennal scape shaft without erect hairs and pronotum with 12 + short suberect hairs and 4 - 6 longer erect hairs; propodeal spines short, dentiform; propodeal dorsum obliquely elevated distad; medial carina strongly elevated, obtuse in profile; first gastral tergum with erect discal hairs and marginal row of suberect hairs.

Worker measurements (mm) (n = 12). HW 0.76 - 0.92; HL 0.83 - 0.99; SL 0.73 - 0.81; EL 0.19 - 0.28; OVD 0.29 - 0.33; PNW 0.49 - 0.58; PPW 0.32 - 0.37; WL 0.95 - 1.09. Indices. CI 88 - 96; CNI 100 - 170; OI 24 - 30; SI 86 - 100.

Worker description. Front of head smooth to weakly coriarious between fine subcontiguous punctures; gena and malar area distinctly coriarious between well-spaced punctures, many of which are smaller than on frons. Frons with 4 - 5 pairs of erect hairs, uppermost pair longest; vertex with 1 pair of suberect hairs subequal in length to longest frontal pair. Pubescence short, mostly appressed but some on side of head, especially on malar area, subappressed to reclinate. Shaft of antennal scape with appressed pubescence only.

Pronotum moderately shiny and coriarious between well-separated fine piligerous punctures. Mesonotum irregularly rugulose and moderately shiny. Mesepisternum moderately shiny between short, weak, more or less longitudinal rugae anteriorly, becoming duller and colliculate posteriorly and ventrad. Propodeal dorsum so coarsely rugulose that medial carina is obscured; medial carina at summit of declivity a short, strongly elevated obtuse lobe; spiracle on well developed prominence, opening directed posterolaterad; propodeal spines short and nearly right-angular in dorsal view, distance between their outer apices less than distance between spiracles. Pronotum (Fig. 15) with 4 - 5 pairs of short erect hairs; mesonotum and dorsum of propodeum with variable number of suberect to erect hairs of variable length.

Gastral tergum 1 moderately shiny and weakly coriarious, following segments less shiny and more distinctly sculptured. Terga 1 - 2 with marginal band of suberect hairs; terga 2 - 4 with short suberect discal hairs and all segments with abundant coarse subappressed pubescence.

Head and body dark brown; lateral lobes of clypeus and transverse stripe at base of mandibular teeth yellowish.

Queen and male unknown.

TYPE MATERIAL

Holotype worker and numerous worker paratypes, SOUTH AFRICA, Western Cape, Grootvadersbosch (38 ° 59 ' S 20 ° 49 ' E), 16 September 1995 (H. G. Robertson), " in centre of dead tree trunk c 2.5 cm dia., 1 m above ground ", in indigenous forest. Holotype and most paratypes in SAMC; paratypes also in BMNH, CASC, LACM and MCZC.

ETYMOLOGY

Wood-dweller, from L., lignum (wood) + L., colo (inhabit).

DISCUSSION

In addition to the type series I have seen one worker, also in SAMC, collected by A. J. Prins at the same locality, October 1985 and provided with an unpublished name by Prins and Roux.

The strongly elevated medial carina at the summit of the propodeal declivity, as well as the abundance of suberect to erect pilosity in combination with the lack of erect hairs on the scape shaft, will serve to distinguish this species from all others known to me.