Lepisiota chutimae

Lepisiota chutimae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Plagiolepidini
Genus:	Lepisiota
Species:	L. chutimae
Binomial name
	Lepisiota chutimae; Jaitrong, Waengsothorn & Buddhakala, 2022

This is an arboreal species which lives on shrub trees in lowland dry evergreen forests. The type series was found nesting under a leaf of Memecylon ovatum at about 3 meters above the forest floor (arrow on Fig. 3A). The nest was covered with a dead leaf and no silk was seen. A spider was found within this nest.

Identification

Jaitrong, Waengsothorn and Buddhakala (2022) - Lepisiota chutimae is most similar to Lepisiota emmelii from Indonesia (Java) and Lepisiota chapmani from the Philippines (Negros Oriental) in having a slightly smooth, shiny, and yellowish body. However, L. chutimae can be separated from L. chapmani by gaster dark brown (yellowish brown in L. chapmani); mesopleuron weakly sculptured (sharply longitudinally rugulose in L. chapmani); posterior peduncle of petiole smooth and shiny (finely punctate in L. chapmani); head and pronotum clearly smooth and shiny (very finely and superficially reticulate or shagreened with smooth and shining interspaces in L. chapmani).

Lepisiota chutimae can be distinguished from L. emmelii by tip of petiolar spine directed sideward (upward in L. emmelii, see figure on page 209 in Kutter, 1932 for comparison); gaster dark brown (yellowish brown in L. emmelii); anterior face of petiolar node feebly concave (weakly convex in L. emmelii); found in lowland (highland in L. emmelii).

Keys including this Species

Key to Lepisiota species from Thailand

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 14.5° to 13.3°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: Jaitrong et al., 2022

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.

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

Jaitrong, Waengsothorn and Buddhakala 2022. Figure 3. Nesting site and nest structure of Lepisiota chutimae. A – nesting habitat on Memecylon ovatum Sm., a shrub tree (arrow points to nesting site); B – nest under a leaf and covered with a dead leaf; C – nest structure.

Castes

Queen

Jaitrong, Waengsothorn and Buddhakala 2022. Figure 2. Lepisiota chutimae paratype queen (THNHM-I-24890). A – body in profile view; B – head in full-face view; C – body in dorsal view.

Nomenclature

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

chutimae. Lepisiota chutimae Jaitrong et al., 2022: 3, figs. 1-3 (w.q.) THAILAND.

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 0.56, HW 0.46, EL 0.17, SL 0.66, ML 0.76, FeL 0.63, PL 0.30, PH 0.33, CI 82, SI 143, EI 36, FeI 71. Paratypes (n = 10): HL 0.53–0.56, HW 0.46, EL 0.13–0.17, SL 0.63–0.66, ML 0.76, PL 0.30, PH 0.33–0.35, FeL 0.63–0.66, CI 82–88, SI 136–143, EI 29–36, FeI 71–75.

Head: In full-face view, slightly longer than broad, lateral and posterior margins convex. Mandible subtriangular; masticatory margin with five teeth, including largest apical tooth followed by 2 small teeth, medium-sized prebasal tooth, and small basal tooth; basal margin without denticles. Clypeus broad and convex medially, subrectangular, shorter than broad, its anterior margin roundly convex. Eye relatively large, convex, with 17–18 ommatidia along the longest axis, located at mid-length of head laterally; lateral margin of eye reaching lateral margin of head. Ocelli present; lateral ocelli relatively larger than median ocellus; distance between lateral ocelli equal to distance between median ocellus to lateral ocellus. Antennal scape slender, clavate, 1/3 of its length, extending beyond posterior margin of head; antennal segment II longer than broad and longer than each of segments III and IV; segments V–X each thin and longer than broad; apical segment (XI) forming a club. Frontal lobe narrow and frontal carina short barely attaining level of anterior margin of eye. Mesosoma: Stout, in profile pronotum with almost straight dorsal outline, while mesonotum sloping gradually to metanotal groove; mesothorax reduced and slender, mesonotal spiracles raised slightly higher than mesonotal dorsal outline; promesonotal suture and metanotal groove distinct; mesopleuron clearly demarcated from metapleuron by deep groove; metapleuron not demarcated from lateral face of propodeum; in dorsal view pronotum clearly broader than mesonotum but slightly broader than propodeum; propodeum about 2/3 length of mesonotum in dorsal view. Propodeum in dorsal view with almost straight dorsal outline, sloping gradually to tip of propodeal spine; propodeal spine large pointed up- and backward; declivity of propodeum more or less flat.

Petiole in profile subtriangular and sessile, elevated anteriorly, longer than high, its anterior face vertical, dorsal and posterior faces long and weakly concave; dorsum of petiole with a pair of sharp spines; in dorsal view petiolar node subrectangular, slightly broader than long (DPI 100–105), narrower posteriorly; subpetiolar process almost absent. Gaster elongate, in dorsal view, first gastral segment slightly narrower than II. Acidopore present.

Entire body (head, mandible, antennal scape, mesosoma, legs, petiole, and gaster) smooth and shiny, except mesopleuron wrinkled. Pilosity comparatively sparse; dorsa of head, mesosoma, and metasoma with sparse standing hairs mixed with sparse shorter hairs; tip of metasoma with dense standing hairs; tibiae with dense decumbent hairs. Head, mesosoma, and petiole yellowish brown; gaster dark brown.

Queen

Paratype: HL 0.73, HW 0.83, EL 0.30, SL 0.76, ML 1.49, PL 0.36, PH 0.33, FeL 0.89, CI 114, SI 92, EI 36, FeI 108.

Head: In full-face view, slightly shorter than broad, lateral margins convex and posterior margin (between lateral ocelli) roundly concave. Mandible and clypeus with the same condition as in worker. Eye relatively large, convex, with over 25 ommatidia along the longest axis, located at mid-length of head laterally; outer margin of eye breaking lateral margin of head. Ocelli present, large; distance between lateral ocelli longer than that between lateral ocellus to median ocellus. Antennal scapes slender, clavate, 1/3 of its length extending beyond posterior margin of head; antennal segment II longer than broad and as long as segments III and IV combined; segments V–X each thin and longer than broad; apical segment (XI) forming a club. Mandible, clypeus, frontal lobe, and frontal carina the same condition as in worker.

Mesosoma enlarged and high; pronotum in profile distinctly lower than mesoscutum, in dorsal view narrow and subrectangular; promesonotal suture distinct; anterior half of mesoscutum in profile convex but straight in posterior half; mesonotum in dorsal view large, almost 3 times as long as mesoscutellum; mesoscutellum clearly shorter than broad and demarcated from mesoscutum by deep groove; mesopleuron broad, anepisternum clearly demarcated from katepisternum by oblique mesopleural suture; metanotum very narrow. Propodeum low with convex dorsal outline; declivity of propodeum more or less flat.

Petiole in profile sessile, longer than high, elevated anteriorly and covered with gastral tergite I. Gaster enlarged and elongate, in dorsal view, gastral segment I broader and longer than segments II–V.

Entire body (head, mandible, antennal scape, mesosoma, legs, petiole, and gaster) smooth. Body covered with dense short pubescence with sparse setae; setae on gastral segments I–IV located along posterior edges. Antennae and legs without setae. Head, mesosoma and petiole reddish brown; gaster dark brown.

Type Material

Holotype – worker (THNHM-I-24840, THNHM), NE Thailand: Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Wang Nam Khiao District, Sakaerat Environmental Research Station, DEF (dry evergreen forest) 22.III 2021, W. Jaitrong leg., TH21-WJT-002.
Paratypes: 50 workers (THNHM-I-24841 to THNHM-I-24889, THNHM) and a queen (THNHM-I-24890, THNHM), same data as holotype.

Etymology

The specific name is dedicated to Professor Dr. Chutima Eamchotchawalit, the governor of Thailand Institute of the Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR), who is in charge of the Sakaerat Environmental Research Station, the type locality of the species and strongly supported conducting biodiversity research including our research project.

References