Zasphinctus lumumbai 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 lumumbai

description: Zasphinctus lumumbai Hita Garcia & Gómez sp. nov.
Figs 3 D, 4 D, 5 D, 6 D, 7 D, 8 D, 10 D, 11 D, 12 D, 13 D, 14 D, 15 D, 16 D, 17 D, 18 D, 19 D, 20 D, 21 D, 22
Type material examined.
Holotype • Pinned worker, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equateur, Mabali, Tsuhapa River (Bikoro Terr.), Foret Inondée, Humus, collection code ANTC 39356, IX. 1959 (N. Leleup) (MRAC: MRACFOR 0010007). [specimen re-mounted by KGA 2022]
Cybertype • Dataset of the holotype (MRACFOR 0010007) 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/p7M7p).
Differential worker diagnosis.
With characters of the Z. obamai group plus the following: body size significantly much smaller (HL 0.54; WL 0.73); lateral arms of hypostomal carina less diverging, relatively thin, and angulate at widest points (Fig. 8 D); postgenal sulcus restricted to area adjacent to hypostomal carina and only weakly impressed (Fig. 8 D); postoccipital margin in ventral view with anterior outline moderately or weakly and irregularly defined; anterolateral projections angulate (Fig. 8 D); pleural endophragmal pit weakly developed and shallow but visible (Fig. 10 D); subpetiolar process of petiole (AS II) in profile with thickened anterior and ventral margins and weak concavity without differentiated fenestra (Fig. 13 D); posterior end of abdominal segment III in ventral view with thick, deep, sharply and irregularly outlined transverse groove (Fig. 16 D); prora in anteroventral view well-developed with thick, irregularly shaped and rounded lateroventral margins (Fig. 16 D); surface sculpture on cephalic dorsum and genae mostly smooth and shiny with abundant, relatively deep, and large piliferous foveae, except for reticulate – punctate anteromedian area (Figs 4 D, 5 D, 19 D, 20 D); general surface sculpture on mesosoma and metasoma seemingly smooth and shiny with varying degrees of scattered piliferous foveae, hypopygidium reticulate-rugose (Figs 20 D, 21 D). [general surface sculpture difficult to assess since larger areas are covered in glue and dirt]
Measurements and indices.
Morphometric data is based on singleton holotype from the Democratic Republic of Congo and can be seen in Table 2, Suppl. material 3.
Etymology.
The species epithet lumumbai is a Latinised noun in the genitive case, named in honour of Mr. Patrice Lumumba, first elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Distribution and biology.
Zasphinctus lumumbai is so far only known from one specimen in the MRAC collection, so our knowledge is limited to it being found at the type locality in forest soil.
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