Vollenhovia karimalaensis

Vollenhovia karimalaensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Vollenhovia
Species:	V. karimalaensis
Binomial name
	Vollenhovia karimalaensis; Dhadwal, Rilta & Bharti, 2023

Vollenhovia karimalaensis is known from a single collection of 6 workers made in Kerala, India.

Photo Gallery

Akbar et al. (2023), Fig. 4. Vollenhovia karimalaensis, holotype worker from India (PUAC T701, photographer: Himender Bharti). A. Head, full face view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Habitus, dorsal view. D. Type locality.

Identification

Dhadwal, Rilta and Bharti (2023) - This species resembles Vollenhovia keralensis, but can be easily distinguished by the following characteristics: in Vollenhovia karimalaensis head distinctly longer than broad, mandibles with 7-teeth, subpetiolar process, elongate and sickle-shaped, whole body finely punctate. While in V. keralensis head is as long as broad, the mandibles with 8-teeth, the subpetiolar process lamellar wall is distinctly longer than high, and the whole body is foveolate.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Akbar et al. (2023), Fig. 1. Distribution map of the species of Vollenhovia from India.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 9.5° to 9.5°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: Dhadwal et al., 2023

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: India (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

karimalaensis. Vollenhovia karimalaensis Dhadwal, Rilta & Bharti, in Dhadwal et al., 2023: 2, figs. 1-3 (w.) INDIA (Kerala).

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Holotype: HL 0.80; HW 0.72; SL 0.48; EL 0.14; ML 1.04; PRNW 0.55; PTL 0.32; PPTL 0.30; PTW 0.24; PPTW 0.27; PTH 0.28; PPTH 0.27; GL 1.02; TL 3.48 mm; CI 90.00; SI 66.66. Paratypes: HL 0.76-0.82; HW 0.69-0.78; SL 0.45-0.48; EL 0.12-0.14; ML 0.99-1.12; PRNW 0.50-0.58; PTL 0.30-0.33; PPTL 0.30-0.45; PTW 0.24-0.26; PPTW 0.27-0.32; PTH 0.26-0.30; PPTH 0.24-0.28; GL 1.02-1.05; TL 3.37-3.77 mm; CI 90.78-95.12; SI 61.53-65.21 (n = 5).

In full-face view, head longer than broad (CI 90-95.12), posterior head margin concave in the middle, occipital corners rounded, lateral margins convex anteriorly; head posteriorly broader than the front; clypeus broad and convex, anterior margin convex and pointed in the middle; mandibles triangular, masticatory margin with 7-teeth; antennae 12-segmented, with a club of apical 3-larger segments, scape short and falling short of reaching posterior head; eyes small and placed laterally below the mid-length of the head.

In dorsal view, mesosoma is broad anteriorly; promesonotal suture indistinct; metanotal groove present; propodeal declivity weakly concave medially and laterally emarginated; petiolar node as long as broad; postpetiole broader than long; gaster subglobose. In lateral view, the dorsal outline of the mesosoma is convex; posterodorsal corners of the propodeum rounded;

propodeal lobe subtriangular; petiolar node subrectangular with the anterior margin straight and the posterior margin slightly concave; subpetiolar process elongate and sickle-shaped; postpetiole node longer than high.

Head and mesosoma finely reticulate punctate; a narrow, smooth band extended up to the middle of eyes; clypeus smooth and with divergent carinae; mandibles smooth; propodeal declivity with coarsely small punctures; petiole and postpetiole reticulate rugose; dorsal surface of gastral tergite with piligerous punctures.

Body covered with long erect and sub-erect hairs, except head with short hairs; appressed pubescence sparse on the body but dense on antennae and appendages.

Head, mesosoma, and gaster black in color; mandibles, antennae, and appendages reddish brown.

Type Material

Holotype worker: India: Kerala, Parambikulum Tiger Reserve, Karimala, 1100 m, 9.5517°N, 77.0639°E, 2.vii.17 (Holotype - PUAC T701; Paratypes - PUAC T703-T707).
Paratype, 5 workers, same data as holotype. Handpicking method. Tarun Dhadwal leg.

Etymology

The species is named after the type locality.

References