Lasius kabaki, Seifert, 2020

Seifert, Bernhard, 2020, A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the subgenus Lasius s. str. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Soil Organisms 92 (1), pp. 15-86 : 77

4.4.52 Lasius kabaki sp. nov.

Etymology. The name refers to the collector of the type specimens, the Russian naturalist Ilya Igorevitsh Kabak.

Type material. Holotype and 2 paratype workers on one pin labelled ” China, S Sichuan, S Yanyuan, N 27,359, E 101,507, 3035 m asl, 2010-06-29, leg. Belousov & Kabak, Chi 2010 102“; 3 paratype workers labelled ” China, S Sichuan, S Yanyuan, N 27,359, E 101,507, 3035 m asl, 2010-06-29, leg. Belousov & Kabak, Chi 2010 022“; 3 paratype workers labelled ” China, S Sichuan, S Yanyuan, N 27,346 1, E 101,511 7, 3435 m asl, 2010-06- 30, leg. Belousov & Kabak, Chi 2010 159“; 3 paratype workers labelled ” China, S Sichuan, S Yanyuan, N 27,351, E 101,509, 3290 m asl, 2010-06-19, leg. Belousov & Kabak, Chi 2010 275“; depository SMN Görlitz.

All material examined. The 4 type samples with 12 workers were subject to NUMOBAT investigation. For details see supplementary information SI1.

Geographic range. High mountain range about 10 km S of Yanyuan at elevations between 3035 and 3435 m which is clearly higher than in sympatric L. sichuense sp. nov. and L. coloratus .

Biology. Unknown but the coordinates suggest an affinity to woodland.

Diagnosis ( Tab. 10 , Figs. 99 –100; key):

Related to Lasius sichuense sp. nov. and L. coloratus . Smaller (CS 921 µm). Head length comparably large, scape length index smaller than in the other two species (CL/CW 900 1.093, SL/CS 900 0.989). Postocular distance slightly smaller and eye slightly larger (PoOc/CL 900 0.241, EYE/CS 900 0.245). Torulo-clypeal distance comparably large and terminal segment of maxillary palp shorter (dClAn 900 5.04, MP6/CS 900 0.178). Number of mandibular dents larger (MaDe 900 8.67). Pubescence on clypeus much more dilute (sqPDCL 900 5.80); frontal pubescence of medium length (PLF 900 28.9). Setae of large to medium length (PnHL/CS 900 0.160, GuHL/CS 900 0.106) and overall rather numerous; on genae, underside of head and below propodeal spiracle more numerous than in L. sichuense sp. nov. (nGen 900 7.6, nGu 900 5.7, nSt 900 4.9). Overall sculpture in comparison to L. sichuense sp. nov. and L. coloratu s reduced and more shining. On dorsum of head a microreticulum is absent, the only elements of microsculpture are a number of very fine and short longitudinal carinulae and the shallow pits forming the bases of pubescence hairs. Sculpture on mesosoma reduced in comparison to sister species and metapleuron with much finer longitudinal carinulae. Lateral pronotum very shining. Scale in frontal view with more straight, dorsad less converging sides and straight or feebly emarginate dorsal crest. Coloration: homogeneously yellowish to chestnut brown.

Comments. After character reduction to CS, CL/ CW 900, SL/CS 900, EYE/CS 900, sqPDCL 900, nGu 900, nSc 900 and MP6/CS 900, the four nest samples of Lasius kabaki sp. nov. are separated from the Lasius sichuense sp. nov. and L. coloratus cluster by NC-Ward, NC-part.hclust and NC-NMDS-kmeans with an error of 0% whereas NCpart.kmeans recognizes only one cluster. The separation of L. kabaki sp. nov. from the latter two species is supported by the more shining cuticular surface and by living in much higher altitudes. Using the characters sqPDCL,MP6, CW and EYE in a LDA, the 12 individual workers of L. kabaki sp. nov. are fully separated from the 62 workers of L. sichuense sp. nov. and L. coloratus .

Figures

Figs.99 and 100: Lasiuskabaki sp.nov.; holotype