Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi

Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Plagiolepidini
Genus:	Plagiolepis
Species:	P. chomphuphuangi
Binomial name
Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi Phosrithong & Jaitrong, 2024

Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi inhabits highland (ca. 1000 m a.s.l.). The type series was collected on the ground in a coffee plantation (Fig. 9).

Photo Gallery

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  Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 1–2. Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi, holotype worker (THNHM-I-00018330). 1 – body in profile view; 2 – body in dorsal view.
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  Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 3–4. Plagiolepis workers, head in full-face view. 3 – P. chomphuphuangi (holotype, THNHM-I-00018330); 4 – P. silpaarchai (holotype, THNHM-I-27222).
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  Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 5–6. Plagiolepis workers, Mesosoma in dorsal view. 5 – P. chomphuphuangi (holotype, THNHM-I-00018330); 6 – P. silpaarchai (holotype, THNHM-I-27222).
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  Phosrithong et al. (2024), Figs 9–10. Type localities. 9 – Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi; 10 – Plagiolepis silpaarchai.

Identification

Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi can be easily distinguished from other congeners by the following characteristics:

1. body large and dark brown
2. dorsum of head, pronotum, and gastral tergites with dense short suberect setae
3. dorsum of head finely and densely striate
4. mesosomal dorsum entirely smooth and shiny
5. setae on dorsum of pronotum and gastral tergites relatively short, usually shorter than maximum width of antennal scape

Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi is most similar to Plagiolepis silpaarchai in having striation on dorsum of head; the differences of both species are discussed below. Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi is also similar to Plagiolepis rogeri and Plagiolepis jerdonii from India; Plagiolepis adynata and Plagiolepis demangei from Vietnam; and Plagiolepis nitida from Cambodia in having a dark body colour. However, P. chomphuphuangi can be easily separated from them by the head being finely striated (in other species smooth and shiny). Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi is similar to Plagiolepis demangei in having dense erect setae on the body dorsum but differs from latter by 1) head slightly longer than broad (clearly shorter than broad in P. demangei); 2) head striate (smooth and shiny in P. demangei); 3) setae on pronotun clearly shorter than those on pronotum and gastral tergite II (distinctly longer in P. demangei). Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi can be separated from Plagiolepis jerdonii by the follow: 1) head relatively shorter (CI 95 in new species; CI 88 in P. jerdonii); 2) mesothorax distinctly reduced, metanotum deep (mesothorax broad and metanotum shallow in P. jerdonii); 3) pronotum with suberect setae (setae appressed in P. jerdonii).

Keys including this Species

• Key to Southeast Asian Plagiolepis species

Distribution

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  Phosrithong et al. (2024), Fig 21. Distributions of the new species of Plagiolepis in Indochina.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 10.2° to 10.2°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: Phosrithong et al., 2024

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Laos (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.

Nomenclature

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

• chomphuphuangi. Plagiolepis chomphuphuangi Phosrithong & Jaitrong, in Phosrithong et al., 2024: 3, figs. 1-3, 5 (w.) LAOS.

Type Material

• Holotype: worker THNHM-I-00018330, THNHM), Laos: Champasak Province, Paksong District, Tad Fane Waterfall, coffee plantation, 15º10'57.96N, 106º7'37.10E, 25.VIII.2023, P. Sriranan leg., LAO23-WJT-046.
• Paratypes: 2 workers (THNHM-I-00018331 to THNHM-I-00018332, THNHM), same data as holotype.

References

• Phosrithong, N., Rattanachan, K., Satakoune, L., Jaitrong, W. 2024. Two new species of the ant genus Plagiolepis Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Fomicinae) from Indochina. Far Eastern Entomologist 492, 1–14 (doi:10.25221/fee.492.1).