Simopone yunnanensis

Simopone yunnanensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dorylinae
Genus:	Simopone
Species group:	grandidieri
Species:	S. yunnanensis
Binomial name
	Simopone yunnanensis; Chen, Zhou & Liang, 2015

Nothing is known about the biology of Simopone yunnanensis.

Identification

Chen et al. (2015) - S. yunnanensis belongs to the grandidieri species group. So far this group covers seven species, four of them from the Oriental and Malesian region. The new species is most allied to Simopone oculata but distinctly differs from the latter. In Simopone yunnanensis anterior margin of clypeus bluntly angled; metanotal groove absent; in dorsal view petiole weakly widening posteriorly, posterior margin almost straight; in lateral view petiole distinctly marginate laterally; sides of petiole and postpetiole with very sparse hairs. But in S. oculata, anterior margin of clypeus weakly convex; metanotal groove weakly impressed and visible; in dorsal view petiole distinctly widening posteriorly, posterior margin obviously concave; in lateral view petiole not marginate laterally; sides of petiole and postpetiole with rich hairs. The new species is also allied to Simopone chapmani but differs from the latter by posterior margin of head distinctly and widely concave in full-face view, head nearly rectangle, dorsolateral borders of pronotum and mesonotum approximately right-angled, marginated laterally.

Keys including this Species

Key to Simopone grandidieri group workers

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: China (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

Explore Overview of Simopone biology

Little is known about the biology of most species of Simopone. Specimens are rarely collected, and the number of species known only from workers is telling in regards to a lack of nest samples. Species are almost entirely arboreal but on occasion foraging workers are found on the ground or in rotten logs. Prey records are extremely sparse. They consist only of Crematogaster brood by Simopone vepres, and the brood of Terataner by Simopone sicaria. Nevertheless, these two records support the general supposition by Brown (1975) that most or all members of tribe Cerapachyini prey on other ants, or more probably the brood of other ants, but actual records are extremely rare. (Bolton and Fisher 2012)

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Castes

Nomenclature

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

yunnanensis. Simopone yunnanensis Chen, Zhou & Liang, 2015: 8, figs. 1-4 (w.) CHINA (Yunnan).
- Type-material: holotype worker.
- Type-locality: China: Yunnan, Yingjiang County, Jiemao, 31.vii.2005, no. 7005 (Zhao Tan).
- Type-depository: GNUC.
- Status as species: Chen, Chen & Zhou, 2019: 30 (in key).
- Distribution: China.

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 5.27, HL 0.93, HW 0.65, SL 0.20, EW 0.21, ES 0.23, SW 0.12, FCW 0.34, EL 0.26, PW 0.50, AIIW 0.52, AIIL 0.63, AIIIW 0.57, AIIIL 0.58, WL 1.27, PL 0.65, PH 0.41, DPW 0.50, MFL 0.50, CI 70, SI 31, EL/HW 0.40, EP 1.17, AIIW/ AIIL 0.83, AIIIW/AIIIL 0.98.

In full-face view head nearly rectangular, longer than broad, sides weakly convex behind eyes, and shallowly concave in front of eyes; posterior margin distinctly concave, posterior corners angular. Mandibles subtriangular, masticatory margin finely dentate. Anterior margin of clypeus bluntly angled, dorsum without median carina. Frontal carinae not elevated, widely separated and weakly divergent posteriorly, extending beyond anterior margins of eyes, frontal area broad. Antennae 11-segmented, scapes short, but quite broad apically, not beyond anterior margin of eye. Head with short, narrow and deep scrobes extending from the antennal socket to the anterior margin of the eye. Eyes large, occupying about 1/3 length of head side, located about at midlength of head side, outer margin of eye almost reaching to head sides. Ocelli present, minute and closely approximated.

Dorsum of mesosoma weakly convex, weakly and narrowly depressed at promesonotal suture. Posterodorsal corner of propodeum bluntly angled, lateral borders of declivity lowly carinate. Dorsum of petiole moderately convex, anteroventral process a distinct recurved hook or spur. Postpetiole longer and higher than petiole, dorsum moderately convex. Constriction behind postpetiole distinct.

In dorsal view lateral margins of mesosoma weakly marginate, narrowest across mesonotum (maximum width 0.46), and broadest across propodeum (maximum width 0.50). Pronotum with sharp anterior carina and acute humeral corners, sides weakly convergent posteriorly. Promesonotal suture slightly anteriorly curved, represented by short longitudinal rugae. Metanotal groove absent. Petiole (AII) longer than broad (AIIW/AIIL 0.83), with a strong an-terior carina, sides almost straight, distinctly marginate and weakly widening posteriorly. Postpetiole (AIII) almost square, as broad as long, sides almost straight and parallel.

Body surface smooth and shining. Mandibles, head and mesosoma with scattered minute piligerous punctures. Body dorsum with very sparse suberect short hairs. Scapes and tibiae with very sparse suberect hairs, flagella with abundant suberect hairs and decumbent pubescence. Gastral apex with abundant long hairs. Body color black. Mandibles and clypeus reddish brown. Antennae and legs yellowish brown.

Type Material

Holotype worker. China: Yunnan Province, Yingjiang County, Jiemao, July 31, 2005, Zhao Tan leg., No. 7005. The type specimen is deposited in the Insect Collection, College of Life Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi Region, China.

Etymology

The new species is named after its type-locality, Yunnan.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Chen Z., S. Zhou, and L. Liang. 2015. Simopone yunnanensis sp. nov. – the fist record of Simopone Forel, 1891 from China (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Cerapachyinae). Asian Myrmecology 7: .