Anomalomyrma boltoni, Borowiec, Marek L., Schulz, Andreas, Alpert, Gary D. & Baňař, Petr, 2011

Borowiec, Marek L., Schulz, Andreas, Alpert, Gary D. & Baňař, Petr, 2011, Discovery of the worker caste and descriptions of two new species of Anomalomyrma (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Leptanillinae) with unique abdominal morphology, Zootaxa 2810, pp. 1-14 : 3-5

Anomalomyrma boltoni n. sp.

Figs. 1–4 .

Holotype worker. MALAYSIA: Perak, Cameron Highlands, Batu [=Mile] 19 village environment, 04°22.2' N 101°20.0' E, 590 m, sifting leaf litter & rotten wood (P. Ba ň a ř) 30 IV-7 V 2009, CASENT0217035. The specimens were sifted from the trunk of a dead tree at a late stage of decomposition, very close to a stream and extracted using Winkler apparatus. The sifted material was wet.

Paratype worker. Same data as the holotype, CASENT0217032. Holotype worker will be deposited at California Academy of Sciences Collection, San Francisco, CA, USA and the paratype will be deposited in Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. After performing measurements and taking color digital images, the paratype was sputter coated with gold in order to examine external abdominal morphology using SEM.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to Barry Bolton.

Description of worker. Measurements and ratios of holotype worker. HW 0.67, HL 0.75, MaL 0.51, SL 0.85, ML 1.30, PrW 0.58, PW 0.32, PL 0.20, AIIIW 0.42, AIIIL 0.22, AIVW 0.55, AIVL 0.51, FCoW 0.41, FCoL 0.67, CS 0.71, BS 0.91, HW/HL 0.89, SL/HW 1.27, PL/PW 0.63, PL/AIIIL 0.91, PW/AIIIW 0.76, AIIIL/AIIIW 0.52, PW/ML: 0.25, AIIIW/ML: 0.32. Measurements and ratios of paratype worker. HW 0.73, HL 0.83, MaL 0.56, SL 0.93, ML 1.52, PrW 0.65, PW 0.36, PL 0.23, AIIIW 0.47, AIVL 0.29, AIVW 0.64, AIVL 0.58, FCoW 0.40, FCoL 0.70, CS 0.78, BS 1.03, HW/HL 0.88, SL/HW 1.27, PL/PW 0.64, PL/AIIIL 0.79, PW/AIIIW 0.77, AIIIL/AIIIW 0.61, PW/ML: 0.24, AIIIW/ML: 0.31. Head longer than wide, with vertex margin straight and posterior corners broadly, evenly rounded. Occipital carina visible in frontal view. Head sides rounded, with tooth-like prominence lateral to antennal sockets and a notch below. Eyes absent. Mandible elongate, sabre- to sickle-like and downcurved, with one row of about 15 cuticular teeth at masticatory margin. In lateral view mandible thin, without vertical lamella on dorsal surface and without any processes on lateroventral margin. Modified peg-like setae absent from ventral surface of mandibles. Dorsolateral surface of mandible with a broad longitudinal groove which runs forward from a laterobasal pit. Surface of labrum with six pairs of very long (almost equal in length to mandibular blade) and two pairs of shorter hairs. Medial part of labrum surface with two small setae modified into peg-like teeth and with irregular row of about eight minute, peg-like teeth basally near articulation with clypeus. Palp formula unknown. Clypeus broad, concave medially with sharply keeled ridges laterally and posteriorly separated from frons by transverse impression; anterior margin shallowly concave. Antennae with 12 segments, not clavate, all segments longer than broad. Scape very long, distinctly longer then head width. Promesonotal connection flexible. In dorsal and lateral views mesosoma constricted at mesonotum, metanotal groove distinct. Deep pits in anepisternal area. Katepisternum bordered on anterior, dorsal and posterior sides by keeled edge. Propodeal dorsum rounded, shorter than declivity. Metapleural gland bulla separated from propodeal spiracle by less than spiracle diameter. Bulla of metapleural gland visible through semi-translucent cuticle, extending below propodeal spiracle. Metapleural trench present below bulla. Forelegs enlarged, coxa and femur broadened, mid- and hind legs much more slender. Middle tibiae without spurs and hind tibiae each with one pectinate spur. Abdominal segment II (petiole) with narrow anterior peduncle and evenly rounded dorsal surface without differentiated posterior surface. Both abdominal segments II and III (petiole and postpetiole) wider than long in dorsal view. Subpetiolar process a blunt tooth in lateral view, in ventral view composed of two cuticular ridges converging anteriorly. Semitranslucent fenestra absent. Abdominal segment III (postpetiole) with sharp anteroventral edge and differentiated anterior surface. Ventral surface short, shallowly concave, dorsal surface long, evenly rounded, without differentiated anterior and posterior faces, broadly attached to segment IV (first gastral). The tergite of abdominal segment II is fused to the tergite of abdominal segment III, and the same is true for the sternites of the two segments. Abdominal segment II with complete tergosternal fusion and without trace of suture.

Tergosternal fusion of abdominal segment III was not determined through dissections due to scarcity of material. The suture runs the length of the segment. Abdominal segments III and IV with deep girdling constrictions between pre- and postsclerites. Abdominal segments IV–VII (gaster) oval in dorsal view, gastral shoulders not surrounding abdominal segment III, and no notch between tergite and sternite IV in lateral view. Mandibles smooth with small punctures (ca. 0.01 mm). Head with similar punctation and strip of irregular roughness of cuticle in middle of frons, posterior portion of head capsule with roughness and small tubercles. Pronotum mostly smooth with scattered small punctures, only pronotal flange and margins with irregular roughness, meso- and metanotum also very irregularly sculptured. Propodeum with the same type of roughness, except sides, where smooth. Body pilosity of suberect to erect hairs on all surfaces. Color orange brown to reddish brown, appendages lighter.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Anomalomyrma boltoni n. sp., paratype worker. FIGURE 1. Body in dorsal view; FIGURE 2. Body in lateral view.

FIGURES 3 – 4. Anomalomyrma boltoni n. sp., paratype worker. FIGURE 3. Waist in dorso-posterior view; FIGURE 4. Head in dorsal view.