Myrmoteras agostii Bharti &amp; Akbar 2014, sp.n.
Creators: name: Bharti, Himender
name: Akbar, Shahid Ali
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Myrmoteras
Myrmoteras agostii

description: <i>Myrmoteras agostii</i> sp.n. (Figs. 1 - 3) Type material. Holotype and paratype (worker). INDIA: KERALA: Periyar tiger reserve, Manalar, 9 o 35`N, 77 o 18`E, 1630m a.m.s.l., 24.x.2011, hand picking, Coll. Shahid A. Akbar. Holotype and paratype deposited in PUAC. Measurements (holotype in brackets): TL 4.52-4.62(4.62), HW 1.03-1.05(1.05), HL 0.88-0.90(0.90), CI 116-117(116), ML 1.19-1.20(1.20), MI 133-135(133), SL 1.09-1.12(1.12), SI 105-106(106), EL 0.24-0.27(0.27), HFL 1.25-1.27(1.27), PTL 0.21-0.22(0.22), TWI 14-15(15), WL 1.24-1.27(1.27), EI 23-25(25), GL 1.00-1.01(1.01), PW 0.58-0.60 (0.60) (n=2). <i>Description.</i> Head 0.15 × as broad as long; blunt ridge on temple separates flat anterior from slightly convex posterior face; medial frontal sulcus deeply impressed posteriorly reaching anterior ocellus and anteriorly up to margin of frons; clypeus with anterior margin concave and posteriomedially prominently elevated; mandibles long with 14 teeth consisting of 4 large and 10 small teeth (mandibular teeth count include the preapical and apical denticles); maxillary palp 5- and labial with 3-segmented. Antennal scrobes indistinct; antennae with slender funiculus, each segment about 2x as long as broad. <i>Mesosoma</i>. Pronotum with high convex summit, higher than mesonotum; metanotum groove conspicuously impressed; propodeum highly convex. Legs with middle and hind tibiae slender. <i>Metasoma</i>. Petiole node moderately thick with steep anterior and posterior faces; ventral outline of petiole beneath the node convex. Gaster small and rounded. <i>Sculpture.</i> Head and occiput mostly smooth and shiny; three to four rugae originating posterio-medially of torulus; frons, temples and vertex smooth and shiny; mandibles smooth. Mesonotum dorsally with longitudinal rugae; propodeum with transverse striations. Gaster smooth and shiny. <i>Vestiture.</i> Body pilosity prominent, erect hairs (ca. 0.15mm) distributed evenly throughout its surface; body surface also with short suberect hairs. Apical funicular segments, mandibles and legs with small standing hairs. <i>Colour.</i> Body largely light brown. Legs, antennae, palpi and mandibles yellow; gaster pale yellow. <i>Etymology.</i> The species is named in honor of Donat Agosti for his contributions to the genus <i>Myrmoteras</i> Forel. <i>Differential diagnosis.</i> The new species shares most affinities with <i>M. tonboli</i> Agosti, 1992. The two species can be easily separated from each other by combination of following characters: In <i>M. agostii</i> sp.n., body is light brown coloured, mesonotum without any transverse rugae; propodeum and metanotum dorsally with transverse striations; pilosity prominent throughout the body, and mandibles relatively shorter (ML 1.20, MI 135) whilst <i>M. tonboli</i>, the body dark brown coloured; mesonotum dorsally with transverse rugae; propodeum dorsally smooth and shiny; pilosity reduced, and mandibles relatively longer (ML 1.64, MI 164). The new species is also somewhat close to <i>M. cuneonodum</i> Xu, 1998. The two species can be easily separated from each other by combination of following characters. In <i>M. cuneonodum</i>, head dorsum medially finely rugose, gena with short oblique rugae and petiolar node in lateral view with vertical anterior face and steep posterior slope; ventral outline of petiole beneath the node concave whilst <i>M. agostii</i> sp.n., head dorsum medially smooth, gena smooth and petiole node thick with steep anterior and posterior faces; ventral outline of petiole beneath the node convex.
description: Published as part of <i>Bharti, Himender &amp; Akbar, Shahid Ali, 2014, Taxonomic Studies on the Genus Myrmoteras Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with Description of Two New Species from India, pp. 71-80 in J. Entomol. Res. Soc. 16 (2)</i> on pages 72-73, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3573588
description: {"references": ["Agosti, D., 1992, Revision of the ant genus Myrmoteras of the Malay Archipelago (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 99 (2): 405 - 429.", "Xu, Z., 1998, Two new record genera and three new species of Formicidae (Hymenoptera) from China. Entomologica Sinica, 5: 121 - 127."]}