Cardiocondyla caspiense, Seifert, 2023

Seifert, Bernhard, 2023, A revision of the Palaearctic species of the ant genus Cardiocondyla Emery 1869 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 5274 (1), pp. 1-64 : 34-35

Cardiocondyla caspiense n. sp.

Etymology: name given because the of type locality situated near the shore of the Caspian Sea.

Type material:

Holotype plus 1 paratype worker on the same pin labelled “ IRAN: 36.833° N, 53.450° E, Miankaleh , shrubs and grass, Paknia 2004.07.23 -561” and “ Holotype (upper) paratype of Cardiocondyla caspiense ”, depository, SMN Görlitz.

All material examined. Only the type sample from Iran was available. For details see supplementary information SI1, SI2 ..

Geographic range. Only known from the type locality (36.833 °N, 53.450 °E, minus 29 m).

Diagnosis: --Worker ( Tab. 2 , Figs. 30–33 , key). Small, CS 485 µm. Head moderately elongated, CL/CW 1.144. Postocular distance much smaller than in C. littoralis, PoOc /CL 0.418. Scape longer, SL/CS 0.818. Eye rather large, EYE/CS 0.253. Hind margin of vertex in dorsal view suggestively concave. Frons moderately broad (FRS/ CS 0.248), frontal carinae slightly converging immediately caudal of FRS level (FL/FR 1.041). Dorsal profile of promesonotum and of propodeum convex with a well-developed metanotal depression (MGr/CS 3.88 %). Propodeal spines more diverging and slightly longer than in C. littoralis (SP/CS 0.110), triangular but with sharp tips), their axis in profile deviating by about 45° from longitudinal axis of mesosoma, their bases much approached (SPBA/CS 0.220). Petiole extremely narrow and much higher than wide (PeW/CS 0.252, PeH/CS 0.312), its node in dorsal aspect as long as wide, tapering frontad; in lateral aspect its frontodorsal profile steeper than in C. littoralis (about 58° relative to ventral profile). Postpetiole as wide but much lower than in C. littoralis , about twice as wide as high (PpW/CS 0.502, PpH/CS 0.248), in dorsal view heard-shaped, with a concave anterior margin and convex sides; postpetiolar sternite with a shallow anteromedian bulge. Clypeus between the level of the paramedian 1st order setae, smooth, its anteromedian margin straight or weakly concave. Frontal laminae and a small area posterior of them finely and densely longitudinally rugulose. Anteromedian vertex glabrous and whole vertex without longitudinal microsculpture, in overall impression similar to situation in C. ulianini , foveolar interspaces glabrous and on the average as wide as foveolar diameter (dFOV 16.2 µm), the interspaces with scattered very fine stickman-like fragments of a microreticulum, internal foveolar surface often with longitudinal carinulae ( Fig. 33 ). Dorsal mesosoma in overall impression shiny; dorsal promesonotum shiny, slightly microrugulose and with few shallow foveolae; dorsal propodeum shiny but very finely microrugulose-reticulate. Ventrolateral mesonotum, mesopleuron, and propodeum below spiracular level finely reticulate. Lateral metapleuron with 2–4 curved longitudinal carinae. Waist segments almost smooth and shining. First gaster tergite glabrous. Pubescence on whole body moderately long and dilute, PLG/CS 6.47 %, sqPDG 4.80. Color of head, mesosoma, femora, and gaster medium brown with yellowish-reddish color component.

Taxonomic comments and clustering results. Cardiocondyla caspiense n. sp. is most similar to C. littoralis but the strong differences in petiole width and postpetiolar height appear to be outside the usual range of intraspecific variability. The separation from C. littoralis and C. ulianini is supported by a PCA considering the characters PoOc/ CL, Pew/CS, PpH/CS and PLG/CS ( Fig. 136 ).

Biology. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 136. Separation of individual workers of Cardiocondyla caspiense n. sp. (black rhombs, n=2), C. ulianini (white dots, n=44) and C. littoralis (crosses, n=5) by a principal component analysis considering the morphometric characters PoOc/CL, PeW/CS, PpH/CS and PLG/CS.

FIGURES 30–33. Cardiocondyla caspiense n. sp., holotype; Fig. 30: head in dorsal view; Fig. 31: lateral view; Fig. 32: dorsal view; Fig. 33: head surface between inner eye margin and paramedian vertex. Iran: Miankaleh, 2004.07.23