Gaoligongidris

Gaoligongidris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Gaoligongidris; Xu, Z., 2012
Type species
	Gaoligongidris planodorsa;
Diversity
	1 species; (Species Checklist, Species by Country)

A monotypic genus, Gaoligongidris planodorsa nests in the soil.

At a Glance

• Monotypic

Identification

Xu (2012) - At first glance, the new genus is somewhat similar to Lophomyrmex Emery of the tribe Pheidolini by the following characters: 11-segmented antennae, long propodeal spines, large propodeal spiracles, and long petiolar peduncle. However, the genus obviously belongs to the tribe Stenammini by the following characters: median portion of clypeus longitudinally bicarinate, anterior clypeal margin nearly straight in the middle portion; masticatory margins of mandibles with only 6 teeth; antennae short, apices of the scapes failed to reach occipital corners, the third segment of antennal club counting from apex distinctly reduced in volume and much shorter than the second one; pronotum without teeth, prominences, or lateral margins; head and alitrunk strongly sculptured.

The new genus is close to the Indo-Australian genus Lasiomyrma Terayama & Yamane in the tribe Stenammini, but with anterior clypeal margin not angled, metanotal groove deeply impressed, propodeal spiracles large, propodeal spines long and slender, petiolar peduncle longer than the node.

See images of species within this genus

Distribution

Known only from the Yunnan Province, China.

Distribution and Richness based on AntMaps

Species by Region

Number of species within biogeographic regions, along with the total number of species for each region.

	Afrotropical Region	Australasian Region	Indo-Australian Region	Malagasy Region	Nearctic Region	Neotropical Region	Oriental Region	Palaearctic Region
Species	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
Total Species	2841	1736	3045	932	835	4379	1741	2862

Biology

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

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

GAOLIGONGIDRIS [Myrmicinae: Stenammini]
- Gaoligongidris Xu, 2012: 335. Type-species: Gaoligongidris planodorsa, by original designation.

Description

Xu (2012):

Monomorphic terrestrial myrmicine ants with the following combination of characters.

Head square, occipital margin nearly straight.

Palp formula 2, 2 (2 individuals dissected).

Mandible triangular, with 6 sharp teeth which decrease in size from apex to base.

Median portion of clypeus longitudinally bicarinate, the posterior portion broadly inserted between the frontal lobes. Anterior clypeal margin extruding, nearly straight in the middle portion.

Anterior clypeal margin with a row of long setae, but lacking an isolated median seta.

Frontal lobes as broad as the posterior portion of clypeus which is inserted between them.

Frontal carinae and antennal scrobes absent.

Antennae 11-segmented; scapes short, apices failed to reach occipital corners; antennal clubs 3-segmented, the third segment of the club counting from apex reduced in volume and much shorter than the second one.

Eyes moderately large, drawn out anteroventrally, located before the midpoints of lateral sides of the head.

Promesonotum forming a high plateau, without teeth or prominences.

Promesonotal suture absent, metanotal groove deeply impressed.

Propodeum low, with a pair of long slender spines.

Propodeal spiracles large and circular, well before the declivity margin and high up on the sides.

Propodeal lobes small and bluntly angled at apex.

Metapleural gland bullae large and close to the propodeal spiracles.

Tibial spurs absent from middle and hind legs.

Petiole with long anterior peduncle, the spiracles located about at the midlength of the peduncle, subpetiolar process absent.

Postpetiolar dorsum roundly convex, subpostpetiolar process absent.

Cuticle thick, sculptures strongly developed on the head, alitrunk, petiole, and postpetiole.

Pilosity abundant.

Etymology

The new genus is named after the type locality “Gaoligong” plus the common suffix “-idris”.

References

Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
Xu, Z.-H. 2012. Gaoligongidris planodorsa, a new genus and species of the ant subfamily Myrmicinae from China with a key to the genera of Stenammini of the world (Hymenoptera Formicidae). Sociobiology 59, 331-342.