Carebara panhai

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Carebara panhai
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Carebara
Species group: pygmaea
Species: C. panhai
Binomial name
Carebara panhai
Jaitrong, Pitaktunsakul & Jantarit, 2021

The type series was collected from a cave at twilight zone about 3m from the entrance.

  • Wimolsuthiku et al. (2024), FIGURE 6. Carebara panhai, holotype major worker (THNHM-I-14191). A, Body in profile view; B, head in full-face view; 3C, body in dorsal view.
  • Wimolsuthiku et al. (2024), FIGURE 7. Carebara panhai, paratype minor worker (THNHM-I-14193). A, Body in profile view; B, head in full-face view; C, body in dorsal view.

Identification

New species is most similar to Carebara pygmaea. Both species share the following characteristics of major workers:

  • frons with longitudinal striation, while vertex with transverse striation
  • frontal carinae with 3 pairs of erect hairs
  • masticatory margin with 5 teeth (including large apical tooth)
  • antenna 11-segmented with 2-segmented club
  • promesonotum in profile view distinctly convex to form a dome
  • promesonotal suture indistinct
  • propodeal spine short, usually shorter than its base.

However, C. panhai can be easily distinguished from C. pygmaea by the following characteristics:

  • in major workers, frons, vertex dorsa of petiole and post-petiole and first gastral tergite with dense erect hairs (without erect hairs in C. pygmaea)
  • lateral face of pronotum largely smooth and shiny (punctate and reticulate in C. pygmaea)
  • propodeum in minor workers largely smooth and shiny (entirely punctate in C. pygmaea).

Wimolsuthiku et al. (2024)

Major (Fig. 6): head and gastral tergite I with dense erect hairs mixed with decumbent hairs; promesonotum with sparse short erect hairs; with head in full-face view, posterior one-third with transverse striation, while anterior two-thirds with longitudinal striation; eye small, with ca. 12–13 ommatidia; gastral tergite I somewhat smooth and shiny.

Minor (Fig. 7): propodeal dorsum smooth and shiny; petiole and postpetiole with 2–4 erect hairs; propodeal junction roundly convex; body yellowish.

Carebara panhai is most closely related to Carebara bokorensis and Carebara parva, but can be separated from C. bokorensis by the following characteristics in the major worker:

  1. posterior one-third of head with transverse striation (punctate, without striation in C. bokorensis)
  2. gastral tergite I smooth and shiny (with dense foveae in C. bokorensis, see Fig. 3C and Fig. 6C for comparison)
  3. head and promesonotum with sparse erect and decumbent hairs (dense hairs in C. bokorensis, see Fig. 3 and Fig. 6 for comparison).

For the difference between C. panhai and C. parva, see C. parva.

Minor workers of C. panhai can be separated from other members of the species group by:

  1. dorsa of petiole and postpetiole each with 2–4 erect hairs (without erect hairs in other species)
  2. propodeal junction roundly convex (blunt angle in C. parva and C. adisaki).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

  • Wimolsuthiku et al. (2024), FIGURE 13. Distribution of Carebara pygmaea species group in Thailand.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 14.7° to 14.3°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate
  • Source: Jaitrong et al., 2021

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Thailand (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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.
pChart

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • panhai. Carebara panhai Jaitrong, Pitaktunsakul & Jantarit, 2021: 9, figs. 1, 2 (s.w.) THAILAND.
    • Type-material: holotype major worker, 4 paratype major workers, 60 paratype minor workers..
    • Type-locality: holotype Thailand: Kanchanaburi Prov., Thong Pha Phum Dist., Sahakhom Nikhom Community Forest, 14.76255556°N, 98.80966667°E, 3 m. from cave entrance, 27.xi.2019 (W. Jaitrong); paratypes with same data.
    • Type-depositories: TNHM (holotype); SKYC, TNHM (paratypes).
    • Distribution: Thailand.

Type Material

Description

References