Zasphinctus aprilia 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 aprilia

description: Zasphinctus aprilia Hita Garcia & Gómez sp. nov.
Figs 2, 3 A, 4 A, 5 A, 6 A, 7 A, 8 A, 10 A, 11 A, 12 A, 13 A, 14 A, 15 A, 16 A, 17 A, 18 A, 19 A, 20 A, 21 A, 25
Type material examined.
Holotype • Pinned worker, Uganda, Kabarole, Kibale National Park, Kanyawara Biological Station, rainforest, ex leaf litter, 0.56437, 30.36059, 1510 m, collection code FHG 01047, 6. – 16. VIII. 2012 (F. Hita Garcia) (ZMHB: CASENT 0764763). Paratypes • Three pinned workers from Uganda, Kabarole, Kibale National Park, Kanyawara Biological Station, rainforest opening, field station clearing, hand collected, 0.55838, 30.35992, 1510 m, collection code PGH 00079, 6. – 16. VIII. 2012 (P. G. Hawkes) (NHMUK: CASENT 0790015; AFRC: CASENT 0254676; SAMC: CASENT 0254677) and • 2 pinned workers from Uganda, Kabarole, Kibale National Park, Kanyawara Biological Station, moist evergreen forest, ground forager (s), 0.56437, 30.36059, 1520 m, collection codes BLF 29378 and BLF 29365, 8. VIII. 2012 (B. L. Fisher; F. A. Esteves; Malagasy Arthropod Team) (CASC: CASENT 0352810, CASENT 0352813).
Cybertype • Dataset of the holotype (CASENT 0764763) consists of the volumetric raw data (in DICOM format), a 3 D surface model (in PLY format), still images of multiple body parts from surface volume renderings of 3 D models, 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. In addition to the data at Zenodo, we also provide a freely accessible 3 D surface model at Sketchfab (https://skfb.ly/p7MpJ).
Non-type material examined.
• Twenty workers from: Democratic Republic of Congo: Ituri, Matenda, Label F. 98, - 1.15653, 27.41793, ca 600 m, 22. IX. 1929 (A. Collart) (MRAC: MRACFOR 000101, MRACFOR 000102, MRACFOR 000103, MRACFOR 000104, MRACFOR 000105, MRACFOR 000106, MRACFOR 000107, MRACFOR 000108, MRACFOR 000109, MRACFOR 000110, MRACFOR 000111, MRACFOR 000112, MRACFOR 000113, MRACFOR 000114, MRACFOR 000115, MRACFOR 000116); Ituri, Madyu (La Moto), 1.77076, 30.29094, ca 1400 m (L. Burgeon) (MRAC: MRACFOR 001000) • Haut Huelé, Abimva, 3.6452, 29.4306, ca 700 m, 19. – 22. VI. 1925 (H. Schouteden) (MRAC: MRACFOR 001144) • Uganda: Kabarole, Kibale National Park, Kanyawara Biological Station, moist evergreen forest, ground forager (s), 0.56437, 30.36059, 1520 m, collection code BLF 29365, 8. VIII. 2012 (B. L. Fisher; F. A. Esteves; Malagasy Arthropod Team) (CASC: CASENT 0352811, CASENT 0352812).
Differential worker diagnosis.
With characters of the Z. sarowiwai group plus the following: body size significantly much larger (HL 0.84–0.86; WL 1.18–1.26); torular – posttorular complex in profile comparatively lower and funnel – shaped (Fig. 5 A); vertexal margin very weak and dorsum smoothly rounding onto posterior face of head (Figs 6 A, 7 A); lateral arms of hypostomal carina strongly diverging anteriorly, relatively thick, and strongly angulate at widest points (Fig. 8 A); postgenal sulcus weakly impressed and running less than halfway to occipital margin (Fig. 8 A); posterodorsal margin of mesosoma interrupted medially (Figs 11 A, 12 A); subpetiolar process of petiole (AS II) in profile with thickened anterior and ventral margins and well developed concavity with differentiated fenestra (Fig. 13 A); petiolar tergum in dorsal view relatively thicker: ~ 1.0–1.1 × broader than long (DPI 102–114) (Fig. 14 A); abdominal sternum III in ventral view campaniform, comparatively broad and short, sides strongly rounded (Fig. 16 A); posterior end of abdominal segment III in ventral view with thinner, deep, sharply and relatively regularly outlined transverse groove (Fig. 16 A); prora in anteroventral view well-developed with sharply and very regularly shaped lateroventral margins (Fig. 16 A); abdominal segment VI in dorsal view distinctly shorter: ~ 1.8–1.9 × broader than long (DA 6 I 178–193) (Fig. 17 A); girdling constrictions between abdominal segments IV, V, VI unsculptured (Fig. 18 A); 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 A, 5 A, 19 A, 20 A); general surface sculpture on mesosoma and metasoma almost completely smooth and very shiny with scattered, piliferous foveae (Figs 20 A, 21 A).
Measurements and indices.
Morphometric data is based on seven workers from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and can be seen in Table 2, Suppl. material 3.
Etymology.
This species is dedicated to Aprilia Selistiowati, the wonderful wife of the first author. The species epithet is to be treated as a noun in apposition.
Distribution and biology.
Based on the current data, it seems that Z. aprilia has the widest distribution range of all its African congeners since it is known from its type locality in western Uganda, as well as from three additional ones in the eastern parts of the D. R. Congo.
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