Carebara panhai

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.

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).

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Thailand (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.

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

• Holotype, major worker, Kanchanaburi Province, Thong Pha Phum District, Sahakhon Nikhom Community Forest, Thailand, 14.76255556°N 98.80966667°E / 14.76255556; 98.80966667, 27 Nov 2019, W. Jaitrong, Natural History Museum of the National Science Museum; 3m from a cave entrance.
• Paratype, 4 major workers, 60 minor workers, Kanchanaburi Province, Thong Pha Phum District, Sahakhon Nikhom Community Forest, Thailand, 14.76255556°N 98.80966667°E / 14.76255556; 98.80966667, 27 Nov 2019, W. Jaitrong, THNHM-I-14192, THNHM-I-19032 to THNHM-I-19034 (major workers); THNHM-I-14193, THNHM-I-19035 to THNHM-I-19093 (minor workers), SKY Collection, Natural History Museum of the National Science Museum; 3m from a cave entrance.

References

• Jaitrong, W., Pitaktunsakul, P., Jantarit, S. 2021. A new species of the genus Carebara Westwood, 1840 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmecinae) inhabits a cave in Thailand. Far Eastern Entomologist 425, 7–20 (doi:10.25221/fee.425.2).
• Matsuura, K., Hosoishi, S., Sokh, H. 2024. A remarkable new species from the pygmaea species group of the genus Carebara Westwood, 1840 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) from Cambodia. Far Eastern Entomologist, 496 1–9 (doi:10.25221/fee.496.1).