Myrmoteras arcoelinae, Agosti, D., 1992

Agosti, D., 1992, Revision of the ant genus Myrmoteras in the Malay Archipelago (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)., Revue Suisse de Zoologie 99, pp. 405-429 : 413-414

arcoelinae new species

(Figs 9, 15, 16)

Holotype worker. TL 1.66, HL 1.00, HW 1.04, Cl 104, SL 1.16, SI 112, EL 0.61, El 59. ML 1.64, MI 164, PF 5/3. In full frontal view, head and occiput smooth and shining, with the exception of three to four rugae originating posterio-medially of the torulus. Alitrunk shining, dorsum of pronotum and propodeum with a smooth and spacious curvilinear sculpture; pronotum, anteriorly and posteriorly transversally, and in between convergent rusose.

The sculpture is rather variable in this species, i.e. the sculpture can be reduced but the basic pattern is still visible; on the anterior part of the head, the sculpture can be extended beyond the antennal insertions. The sculpture is not variable on the occiput, the occipital lobe, and on the propodeum.

M. arcoelinae might include two species, as from the same localities two different distinct forms are recognizable. One with smooth lateral parts of the pronotal dorsum, the second with the whole pronotal dorsum spacious and flat rugously sculptured. The colour is variable from dark brown to chestnut. See also below tonboli .

Material examined: Holotype worker, E- Malaysia, Sabah, G. Kinabalu, Liwagu Trail, 1560-1660 m, 27.iv.1987 (D.H. Burckhardt & I. Löbl), #5b, leaf litter; MHNG .

Paratypes: I worker same locality as holotype ; 2 workers, E- Malaysia, Sabah, G. Kinabalu, 1750 m, 24.iv.1987 (D.H. Burckhardt & I. Löbl); #2a, leaf litter ; 3 workers E- Malaysia, Sabah, G. Kinabalu, Liwagu Trail, 22.V.1987 (D.H. Burckhardt & I. Löbl); #3b, lcaflitter; BMNH, DAAC, MCZC, MHNG .

Additional material examined: 2 workers, E- Malaysia, Crocker Range, km 51-52 from Kota Kinabalu to Tambunan, 1600 m, 18.V.1987 (D.H. Burckhardt & I. Löbl), sifting of vegetational debris in a wet gully and in a gap, humide forest of Lithocarpus-Castanopsis with tree ferns .