Bothroponera montivaga Arnold

Ama JOma & Wp MacKay, 2015, Revision of the African Ants of the Bothroponera pumicosa Species Complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae), Sociobiology 62 (4), pp. 538-563 : 554-556

Bothroponera montivaga Arnold , stat. nov. Figures 16, 17 and Plate 7 ; Map 8

Bothroponera cavernosa var. montivaga Arnold, 1947: 132 (w) South Africa, Steenberg Mountains, Cape Peninsula; Joma and Mackay: 2013: 3; Schmidt and Shattuck 2014: 76; Pachycondyla cavernosa var. montivaga: Brown , in Bolton, 1995: 307.

Diagnosis: The worker is large, total length 12.20 - 12.65 mm. The 2nd gastral segment of the B. montivaga worker is smooth and moderately shiny with a few shallow scattered punctures. The anterior border of the clypeus is convex, “v” shaped with a smooth anterior medial raised area and with a carina on the posterior half.

Worker Description: (n=2), HL 2.80 - 2.90, HW 2.40 - 2.45, ML 1.50, EW 0.35 - 0.40, EL 0.45, SL 1.95, FL 2.90, WL 3.80 - 3.75, WPL 4.50 - 4.55, PL 1.00, PW 1.30, PH 1.55 - 1.50, CI 84.48 - 85.71, OI 18.36 - 18.75, MandI 51.72 - 53.57, SI 79.59 - 81.25, PetI 130. Head subquadrate; maximum clypeal length 2.00 - 2.05 mm; mandibles weakly striate with few scattered punctures, 7 teeth; scape nearly reaching posterior border of head; anterior margins of frontal lobes smooth, posterior part punctate; maximum width of frontal lobes 0.95 - 1.00 mm; length of malar space (0.50 mm), length from upper edge of eye to edge of posterior lobe 1.25 mm; propodeal spiracle sloping vertically; antennae, legs, mandibles shiny; petiole rounded and slightly narrowed anteriorly (top view), slightly concave posteriorly; sternopetiolar process developed with one tooth pointed ventrally; head covered with short (0.10 mm) erect silver hairs; pronotum, mesonotum, propodeum covered with short (0.10 - 0.15 mm) erect silver hairs; petiole and postpetiole covered with similar hairs (0.15 mm); head, pronotum, mesonotum, propodeum, mesopleuron, lateropropodeum, metapleuron, petiole and postpetiole coarsely foveolate. Metapleuron and lateropropodeum covered with vertical striae with upper part of posteropropodeal margin with coarse vertical nearly parallel grooves with posteropropodeal margin on lower part;second segment of the gaster smooth, slightly shiny and with tiny scattered punctures; mandibles, antennae and legs shiny; petiole rounded and slightly narrowed anteriorly, slightly concave posteriorly; head, pronotum, mesonotum, mesopleuron, propodeum, petiole, postpetiole, entire gaster black; legs, antennae, mandibles brownish black; clypeus dark-brown.

Comparison: The workers of B. montivaga are nearly identical to those of B. cavernosa and B. umgodikulula . They differ from B. cavernosa and B. umgodikulula in the following ways: the surface of the 4th abdominal segment is smooth, but slightly less shiny, with tiny scattered punctures in B. montivaga while it is somewhat rough and shiny in B. umgodikulula and B. cavernosa . The anterior medial area of the clypeus is raised, but does not form a complete clypeal carina in B. montivaga , B. umgodikulula and B. cavernosa . The lower medial margin of the clypeus is “v” shaped without a carina in B. montivaga similar to that in B. umgodikulula , B. cavernosa and B. aspera , but this shape is with a longitudinal sharp carina in B. granosa . This character separates B. montivaga from the other B. pumicosa species complex members in that all species including B. berthoudi , B. cariosa , B. laevissima , B. pumicosa and B. strigulosa have an “u” shaped anterior medial margin of the clypeus. The propodeal spiracle is nearly vertical, leaning slightly anteriorly in B. montivaga resembling that in B. cavernosa and the other species in this complex, but not horizontal as in B. umgodikulula . The scape nearly reaches the posterior lateral corner of the head in B. montivaga similar to that in B. berthoudi , B. cariosa , B. granosa , B. laevissima , B. pumicosa and B. strigulosa . Conversely, the scape slightly exceeds the posterior lateral border of head in B. cavernosa and B. aspera , but just reaches or slightly exceeds it in B. umgodikulula . The sculpture of B. montivaga is foveolate identical to that of B. berthoudi , B. cavernosa , B. pumicosa , B. strigulosa , B. cariosa and B. umgodikulula while it is mostly smooth in both B. laevissima and B. aspera with few punctures in B. aspera . The sculpture is somewhat less foveolate in B. granosa . The head is subrectangular of B. montivaga , but it is suborbicular in both B. laevissima and B. aspera .

Material examined

Type material: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Province, Steenberg Mountains, Cape Peninsula, 34°4’0’’ S; 18°28’0’’ E, ii-1946, C. Pearson B. cavernosa v. montivaga ( Arnold, 1947) , 1 lectotype worker [here designated, marked with red dot] and 1 paralectotype worker without dot (# 11516), Collection South Africa museum ex. National Museum Bulawayo 1981 SAM/ENT (Iziko).

Non-type material: None.

Distribution: Only known from South Africa, Cape

Province.

Biology and habitat: Bothroponera montivaga specimens were collected from the Steenberg Mountains of the Cape Peninsula of South Africa. This area is located in Southern Cape Town City opposite the region with B. cavernosa , which is the Northern Cape Town. The habitat is similar in both areas; they are covered mostly with Fynbos and Thicket biomes ( Picker & Samways, 1996). The Cape Peninsula is rich with very high percentage of endemic fauna and flora, especially for species that inhabit caves and mountains. The area is considered as a distinct hotspot that provides relictual habitats for organisms. Human activities, disturbances, introduction of alien species and fragmentation increase the importance of conservation priority for species in the Cape Peninsula ( Picker & Samways, 1996).

Figures

Plate 7: Bothroponera montivaga, lectotype worker.

Map 8. The distribution of B. montivaga.