Lioponera neocaledonica Jouault, Ramage & Perrichot, 2019

Ramage, Thibault, Jouault, Corentin, Schmidt, Alexander R., Seyfullah, Leyla J. & Perrichot, Vincent, 2019, Two new ant species (Formicidae: Dorylinae, Ponerinae) from New Caledonia, European Journal of Taxonomy 589, pp. 1-14 : 7-8

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2019.589

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:948DBFCE-382B-4B50-A844-6BB987608E65

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3664195

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7612551C-6C0A-4931-9D06-8FC8062DB5E3

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:7612551C-6C0A-4931-9D06-8FC8062DB5E3

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Lioponera neocaledonica Jouault, Ramage & Perrichot
status

sp. nov.

Lioponera neocaledonica Jouault, Ramage & Perrichot sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7612551C-6C0A-4931-9D06-8FC8062DB5E3

Figs 4 View Fig , 5B View Fig

Diagnosis

Lioponera neocaledonica Jouault, Ramage & Perrichot sp. nov. is mostly characterized by the combination of the following features: mesosoma dorsolaterally conspicuously marginate, propodeal declivity without dorsal margin; posterolateral corners of petiole not projected into spines. The two latter features easily serve to distinguish L. neocaledonica Jouault, Ramage & Perrichot sp. nov. from the other New Caledonian species L. cohici ( Wilson, 1957) ( Fig. 5A View Fig ) and L. dumbletoni ( Wilson, 1957) ( Fig. 5C View Fig ).

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to New Caledonia where the species was discovered.

Type material

Holotype

NEW CALEDONIA • wingless ♀; Grande Terre, Province Sud, Sarraméa, Plateau de Dogny trail; 21°37′31″ S, 165°52′5″ E; 441 m; 16 Nov. 2011; V. Perrichot leg. [VP188]; mixed mountain forest, hand picking on ground; MNHN. GoogleMaps

Paratypes

NEW CALEDONIA • 2 wingless ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; MNHN GoogleMaps 1 wingless ♀; Grande Terre, Province Sud, Montagne des Sources ; 22°09′35.1″ S, 166°35′42.4″ E; 394 m; 23 Oct. 2010; M. Berman leg. [CSIRONC0055]; ANIC 32-146088 About ANIC GoogleMaps .

Description (holotype)

MEASUREMENTS (in mm; holotype in brackets). TL 4.12–4.15 (4.15); HL 0.8–0.85 (0.85); HW 0.7–0.77 (0.77); SL 0.45–0.52 (0.52); ED 0.2–0.25 (0.2); PW 0.65–0.72 (0.7); MH 0.52–0.62 (0.62); MSL 1.025– 1.12 (1.12); PL 0.45–0.55 (0.55); PH 0.4–0.42 (0.42); DPW 0.67–0.7 (0.7); T1W 0.65–0.77 (0.77);

T1L 0.5–0.62 (0.62); T2W 0.75–0.82 (0.82); T2L 0.6–0.65 (0.65). Indices: CI 84–91 (91); SI 64–69 (67); LPI 76–94 (77); DPI 127–150 (127).

HEAD ( Fig. 4C View Fig ). Sub-rectangular, slightly longer than broad, widest above midline of head; lateral sides slightly convex; vertexal margin slightly concave, posterior lateral corners slightly rounded. Parafrontal ridges angular. Compound eyes of medium size, situated below midline of head. Mandible elongate, triangular, masticatory margin with 10 small teeth. Antennae with scape short and clavate, reaching up to two fifth of posterior margin of head.

MESOSOMA ( Fig. 4 View Fig A–B, D). Stout, roughly rectangular in dorsal view, with conspicuous dorsolateral margins, the margins notched around promesonotal junction; mesosomal dorsal surface convex, propodeal declivity without dorsal margin.

METASOMA. Petiole ( Fig. 4 View Fig A–B, E) broader than long, slightly trapezoidal, widest at two thirds of length; anterior petiolar surface concave; dorsal petiolar surface convex, with dorsolateral margins well developed and convex, without anterodorsal and posterodorsal margins; posterior petiolar surface slightly convex; anterodorsal and posterodorsal corners angular. Subpetiolar process small, triangular, with stout acute somewhat hooked apex; fenestra absent. Gaster elongate ( Fig. 4 View Fig A–B), with distinct girdling constriction (cinctus) between abdominal segments III and IV.Abdominal segment II trapezoidal, slightly broader than long, widest at one third of length; dorsal surface slightly convex; dorsolateral margins well developed and strongly convex; anterodorsal margin sinuate; anterodorsal corner broadly rounded; posterolateral corner angular. Sting exerted, upcurved.

INTEGUMENT. Mostly black except last two funicular articles, tarsomeres, and posterior margins of abdominal segments IV to V brown. Body finely and sparsely punctate; reticulation present on sides of the mesosoma, becoming shallower from propleura to propodeum; cinctus, abdominal segment IV, base of abdominal segments V, VI and pygidium transversally, finely and shallowly striate. Body covered with suberect hairs; scape with abundant appressed hairs; tibiae with scattered decumbent hairs; tarsi with abundant decumbent to appressed hairs; declivous face of propodeum with short, dense and appressed hairs.

Remarks

The potential presence of ergatogynes in Lioponera ( Wilson 1957; Borowiec 2016) prevents assignment of the present specimens to workers or ergatogynes.

Key to the species of Lioponera of New Caledonia (modified from Wilson 1957)

1. Large species (HW> 1.1 mm), with long scapes reaching nearly to posterior corners of head; mesosomal dorsolateral margins absent ................................ Lioponera dumbletoni ( Wilson, 1957)

– Small species (HW <1.1 mm), scapes barely surpassing eyes; mesosomal dorsolateral margins present ( Fig. 4A, D View Fig ) .......................................................................................................................... 2

2. Mesosomal posterodorsal margin present; posterolateral corners of petiole projected into spines ( Fig. 5A View Fig ) ........................................................................................ Lioponera cohici ( Wilson, 1957)

– Mesosomal posterodorsal margin absent ( Fig. 4D View Fig ); posterolateral corners of petiole not projected into spines ( Fig. 5B View Fig ) ..................... Lioponera neocaledonica Jouault, Ramage & Perrichot sp. nov.

MNHN

Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Lioponera

GBIF Dataset (for parent article) Darwin Core Archive (for parent article) View in SIBiLS Plain XML RDF