Platythyrea janyai

Platythyrea janyai
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ponerinae
Tribe:	Platythyreini
Genus:	Platythyrea
Species group:	clypeata
Species:	P. janyai
Binomial name
	Platythyrea janyai; Phengsi, Jaitrong, Ruangsittichai & Khachonpisitsak, 2018

The type series and all material examined of P. janyai were collected from small dead wood on the forest floor in lowland rainforests.

At a Glance

• Gamergate

Identification

Jaitrong, Xu & Khachonpisitsak (2022) - Platythyrea janyai is similar to Platythyrea clypeata, Platythyrea homasawini and Platythyrea gracillima. However, it can be easily separated from P. gracillima by the following characteristics (characters of P. gracillima in parentheses unless otherwise stated):

body size smaller (TL = 6.63 mm in P. janyai; 9 mm in P. gracillima)
eye relatively smaller (EL = 0.2 mm in P. janyai; 0.3 mm in P. gracillima)
seen from back, propodeal declivity tapering above (propodeal declivity weakly concave above)
petiole laterally convex, seen from above longer than broad (petiole laterally compressed, seen from above a little more than twice as long as broad).

For differentiation of P. janyai and P. clypeata, see Platythyrea clypeata, and of P. janyai and P. homasawini, see Platythyrea homasawini.

Phengsi et al. (2018) - Platythyrea janyai and Platythyrea clypeata are very similar in general appearance as they share the following characteristics: body reddish brown; frontal lobe narrow; frontal carinae closely spaced and strongly narrowed posteriorly; mandible triangular, its masticatory margin with a large apical tooth, followed by 9–10 smaller teeth, large and smaller teeth alternating; propodeal spiracle opening elliptical; in dorsal view posterior margin of petiole convex without spines. However, Platythyrea janyai can be easily separated from Platythyrea clypeata by the following characteristics: head relatively shorter (CI 72–74 in Platythyrea janyai; CI 61–69 in Platythyrea clypeata); eye clearly larger (EL 0.20 mm with eleven ommatidia on longest axis in Platythyrea janyai; EL 0.10 mm with five ommatidia on longest axis in Platythyrea clypeata); eye convex (flat in Platythyrea clypeata); dorsum and lateral face of head finely micropunctate without foveae (finely punctate with dense shallow foveae in Platythyrea clypeata); in profile view petiole clearly longer than high and in dorsal view node of petiole anteriorly as broad as posteriorly (slightly longer than high and in dorsal view node of petiole slightly narrower posteriorly in Platythyrea clypeata); ventral outline of petiole weakly convex (feebly concave in Platythyrea clypeata). No overlap is observed in HW / SL between the species. Platythyrea janyai (Malay Peninsula: S Thailand and W. Malaysia) is distinctly allopatric with Platythyrea clypeata (known from from Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, and east Thailand).

Keys including this Species

Key to Platythyrea of southeast Asia

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 8° to 3.3°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: Jaitrong, Xu & Khachonpisitsak, 2022

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Malaysia.
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

Castes

Worker

Figure 5. SEM images of Platythyrea janyai. B1 Sculpture on lateral face of head B2 Ommatidia of eye B3 Petiole in profile view.

Nomenclature

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

janyai. Platythyrea janyai Phengsi, et al. 2018: 89, figs. 1, 5B1-B3 (w.) THAILAND, WEST MALAYSIA.
- Type-material: holotype worker, 3 paratype workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Thailand: Phatthalung Prov., Si Banphot Dist., Riang Thong Waterfall, Khao Pu Khao Ya Nat. Park, 28.ix.2007, colony no. WJT07-TH-2060 (W. Jaitrong); paratypes with same data.
- Type-depository: TNHM.
- Distribution: Malaysia (Peninsula), Thailand.

Type Material

Holotype. Worker from Southern Thailand, Phatthalung Province, Si Banphot District, Riang Thong Waterfall, Khao Pu Khao Ya National Park, 28.IX.2007, W. Jaitrong leg., Colony no. WJT07-TH-2060 (THNHM-I-02392) deposited in Natural History Museum of the National Science Museum.
Paratypes. Three workers, same data as the holotype (THNHM-I-02393 to THNHM-I-02395).

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Holotype: TL 6.63 mm; HL 1.42 mm; HW 1.06 mm; SL 1.39 mm; EL 0.20 mm; WL 2.21 mm; PL 0.73 mm; PH 0.53 mm; PW 0.40 mm; CI 74, EI 18, SI 131. Paratypes (n = 3). TL 6.67-6.96 mm; HL 1.45 mm; HW 1.06 mm; SL 1.42 mm; EL 0.20 mm; WL 2.31 mm; PL 0.79 mm; PH 0.53 mm; PW 0.40 mm; CI 72, EI 18, SI 134.

Head. Head in full-face view subrectangular, clearly longer than broad, with sides weakly convex, occipital corner round, and posterior margin almost straight; antenna relatively long; scape slender, clearly extending beyond posterolateral corner of head; antennal segment II narrow, 1.6 times as long as segment III; III longer than each of segments IV–XII; clypeus broad, in profile with median portion distinctly convex, in full-face view lateral portion narrow and anterior margin clearly convex; mandible triangular, masticatory margin with a large apical tooth, followed by 9–10 smaller teeth, larger and smaller teeth alternating, but the series as a whole decreasing in size toward basal tooth; basal margin of mandible without denticle; eye slightly convex, located laterally anterior to mid-length of head, relatively large, 0.20 mm in maximum diameter, with eleven ommatidia on longest axis, distance between mandibular base and anterior margin of eye 1.5 times as long as maximum eye length; with head in profile, distance between posterior margin of eye and occipital corner of head 3.4 times as long as distance between mandibular base and anterior margin of eye; frontal lobes relatively close to each other, with roundly convex lateral margins; antennal socket horizontal, in plane of transverse axis of head, and in dorsal view, half concealed by frontal lobe. Mesosoma elongate, in profile with weakly convex dorsal outline; promesonotal suture distinct; metanotal groove absent; mesopleuron not clearly demarcated from mesonotum, but can be separated from metapleuron by a shallow furrow; metapleuron not demarcated from lateral face of propodeum; propodeum with almost straight dorsal outline; propodeal junction rounded; declivity of propodeum shallowly concave; seen from back propodeal declivity tapering above; propodeal spiracle opening elliptical; legs very long.

Petiole cylindrical and sessile, clearly longer than high and broad, its dorsal outline almost straight; with petiole in profile posterodorsal corner with acute angles overhanging declivity of petiole; declivity of petiole shallowly concave; in dorsal view petiole rectangular, its posterior margin concave medially; subpetiolar process weakly developed, subtriangular, located anteroventrally; ventral outline of petiole weakly convex.

Sculpture. Head (including antennal scape), mesosoma, petiole and gaster finely and densely micropunctate; coxae and femora superficially reticulate but shiny. Pubescence white, very short and fine, distributed over whole body and appendages, longer and more oblique on anterior clypeal margin, tip of mandible and hypopygium; setae absent.

Colouration. Dorsum of head dark brown, while lateral face of head reddish brown; mesosoma, petiole and gaster dark brown to reddish brown (tip of gaster yellowish); antenna and legs yellowish brown (funicular segments paler than scape).

Etymology

The specific name is dedicated to Mr Janya Jareanrattawong of the Royal Forest Department, Thailand who kindly helped W. Jaitrong in ant collecting in southern Thailand.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Phengsi N., W. Jaitrong, J. Ruangsittichai, and S. Khachonpisitsak. 2018. A sibling species of Platythyrea clypeata Forel, 1911 in southeast Asia (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae). ZooKeys 729:87-102.