Zasphinctus lolae Hita Garcia & Gomez 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Hita Garcia, Francisco
name: Gómez, Kiko
name: Keller, Roberto A.
name: Schurian, Bernhard
name: Economo, Evan P.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Zasphinctus
Zasphinctus lolae

description: Zasphinctus lolae Hita Garcia & Gómez sp. nov.
Figs 3 C, 4 C, 5 C, 6 C, 7 C, 8 C, 9 C, 9 D, 10 C, 11 C, 12 C, 13 C, 14 C, 15 C, 16 C, 17 C, 18 C, 19 C, 20 C, 21 C, 27
Type material examined.
Holotype • Pinned worker, Ghana, Bobiri Forest Reserve, primary unlogged forest, hand collected, ex soil, 6.69048, - 1.33828, ca 260 m, collection code KG 03946, 10. I. 2019 (K. Gómez) (RBINS: KGCOL 02270). Paratypes • Three pinned workers with same data as holotype (KGAC: KGCOL 02269; MNHNC: KGCOL 00163; RBINS: CASENT 0881885) • two pinned workers from Ghana, Wiawso, ant ecology sample, 6.915525, - 2.03919, ca 300 m, collection code ANTC 39479, 25. IV. 1969 (D. Leston) (NHMUK: CASENT 0764652; ZMHB: CASENT 0764651).
Cybertype • Dataset includes data from the holotype (KGCOL 02270) and one paratype (CASENT 0764651), and consists of the volumetric raw data (in DICOM format), 3 D surface model (in PLY format), still images of multiple body parts from surface volume renderings of 3 D models, and stacked digital colour images illustrating head in full-face view, profile and dorsal views of the body. The data is deposited at Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12593275) and can be freely accessed as virtual representation of the physical holotype and paratype. In addition to the data at Zenodo, we also provide two freely accessible 3 D surface models at Sketchfab (https://skfb.ly/p7MpV and https://skfb.ly/p7MpW).
Differential worker diagnosis.
With characters of the Z. sarowiwai group plus the following: body size significantly much larger (HL 0.90–0.98; WL 1.29–1.40); torular-posttorular complex in profile comparatively lower and funnel-shaped (Fig. 5 C); vertexal margin and posterior face of head weakly developed (Figs 6 C, 7 C); lateral arms of hypostomal carina strongly diverging anteriorly, relatively thick, and strongly angulate at widest points (Fig. 8 C); postgenal sulcus deeply and conspicuously impressed and running almost to occipital margin (Fig. 8 C); posterodorsal margin of mesosoma continuous across its entire length (Figs 11 C, 12 C); subpetiolar process of petiole (AS II) in profile with thickened anterior and ventral margins and well developed concavity with differentiated fenestra (Fig. 13 C); petiolar tergum in dorsal view relatively thicker: ~ 1.2–1.3 × broader than long (DPI 120–131) (Fig. 14 C); abdominal sternum III in ventral view campaniform, very broad and short, sides strongly rounded (Fig. 16 C); posterior end of abdominal segment III in ventral view with transverse groove weak to absent, instead with irregular groves and rugosity (Fig. 16 C); prora in anteroventral view well-developed with sharply and very regularly shaped lateroventral margins (Fig. 16 C); abdominal segment VI in dorsal view distinctly shorter: ~ 1.9–2 × broader than long (DA 6 I 189–200) (Fig. 17 C); girdling constrictions between abdominal segments IV, V, VI cross-ribbed (Fig. 18 C); surface sculpture on cephalic dorsum and genae completely smooth and very shiny with moderately dense, deep, and moderately sized to large piliferous foveae (Figs 4 C, 5 C, 19 C, 20 C); general surface sculpture on mesosoma and metasoma almost completely smooth and very shiny with scattered, piliferous foveae (Figs 20 C, 21 C).
Measurements and indices.
Morphometric data is based on six workers from Ghana and can be seen in Table 2, Suppl. material 3.
Etymology.
The species name lolae is a Latinised noun in the genitive case, dedicated to the mother of the second author Kiko Gomez. Thanks for everything.
Distribution and biology.
Presently, Z. lolae is only known from two collection events from Ghana, from Wiawso and Bobiri Forest Reserve, both of which are / were rainforest habitats.
[Note: the 3 D model of the mouthparts presented in Hita Garcia et al. (2017 a) is not Z. sarowiwai, but instead Z. lolae (CASENT 0764652)]
description: Published as part of Hita Garcia, Francisco, Gómez, Kiko, Keller, Roberto A., Schurian, Bernhard & Economo, Evan P., 2025, A never-ending story: updated 3 D cyber-taxonomic revision of the ant genus Zasphinctus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) for the Afrotropical region, pp. 1-55 in ZooKeys 1223 on pages 1-55, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1223.131238