Syscia guizhouensis

Syscia guizhouensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dorylinae
Genus:	Syscia
Species:	S. guizhouensis
Binomial name
	Syscia guizhouensis; (Zhou, 2006)

A nest of Syscia guizhouensis was found in the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, Guizhou, China. The sampled site is located in an evergreen broad-leaf forest, on the soil surface under the falling leaves (Du et al., 2024).

Photo Gallery

Du et al. (2024), Fig. 6. Syscia guizhouensis, holotype, worker (No. G160363). A. Head in fullface view. B. Body in dorsal view. C. Body in lateral view (imaged by Zhilin Chen).
Du et al. (2024), Fig. 7. Syscia guizhouensis, worker (No. G160363). A. Head in full-face view. B. Petiole and postpetiole in dorsal view. C. Body in dorsal view. D. Body in lateral view (imaged by Zhilin Chen).

Identification

Zhou (2006) - Close to Ooceraea fragosa and Ooceraea besucheti but differs in: surface of mandibles with coarse pilose punctures, petiolar node distinctly longer than broad. Ooceraea guizhouensis has no eyes and readily differs from other congeners with 11 antennal segments.

Du et al. (2024) - Workers have 11-segmented antennae, body color brown with antennae and legs yellowish brown. Head in full-face view subrectangular, distinctly longer than broad. Mesosoma in dorsal view subrectangular with almost parallel lateral sides; in lateral view, dorsal outline slightly convex. Petiole in dorsal view elliptical, longer than broad, with lateral margins convex; in lateral view, petiolar node (excluding sternite) subtrapezoid with slightly convex dorsal outline, bilateral edge slop, and slightly concave; subpetiolar process in lateral view subtrapezoid, with posterior outline strongly concave, and ventral margin very short and almost straight. Postpetiole in lateral view slightly higher than long, sternite anteroventrally produced as nearly orthogonal directed downward and forward.

Syscia guizhouensis is similar to Syscia humicola, but can be distinguished from S. humicola by the following characteristics:

subpetiolar process in lateral view subrectangular in S. guizhouensis (subpetiolar process in lateral view subtriangular in S. humicola)
in full-face view posterior half of the head trapezoidal, narrower posteriorly in S. guizhouensi (in full-face view posterior half of the head rectangular in S. humicola)
in lateral view anterior margin of petiole concave in S. guizhouensis (in lateral view anterior margin of petiole sloped and slightly convex in S. humicola)

Syscia guizhouensis is also similar to a species from Thailand, Syscia chaladthanyakiji, in the general appearance of workers with 11-segmented antennae. However, S. guizhouensis can be distinguished from S. chaladthanyakiji by the following characteristics:

dorsal outline of mesosoma in lateral view slightly convex in S. guizhouensis (nearly straight in dorsal view in S. chaladthanyakiji)
petiole in dorsal view obviously elliptical, longer than broad; in lateral view trapezoidal with slightly convex dorsal outline, bilateral edge slop and anterior edge slightly concave in S. guizhouensi (obviously rectangular in dorsal view, broader than long; in lateral view rectangular with convex dorsal outline, bilateral edge vertical in S. chaladthanyakiji)
subpetiolar process in lateral view subtrapezoid, with posterior outline strongly concave, and ventral margin very short and almost straight in S. guizhouensis (subrectangular with ventral outline concave in S. chaladthanyakiji)
postpetiolar sternite in lateral view anteroventrally produced as nearly orthogonal directed downward and forward in S. guizhouensi (reduced into blunt angle directed downward and forward in S. chaladthanyakiji)
body color darker, reddish brown in S. guizhouensis (brown in S. chaladthanyakiji)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Du et al. (2024), Fig. 1. The sampled sites of Syscia guizhouensis, Syscia arcodorsa and Syscia zhoui in China (Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 29.3° to 27.9°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: Du et al., 2024

Distribution based on type material

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

Castes

Nomenclature

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

guizhouensis. Cerapachys guizhouensis Zhou, 2006: 581, fig. 76 (w.) CHINA (Guizhou).
- Type-material: holotype worker.
- Type-locality: China: Guizhou, Fanjingshan Landscape (S. Zhou).
- Type-depository: unknown (GNUC?).
- Combination in Ooceraea: Bharti et al., 2021: 181.
- Combination in Syscia: Du et al., 2024: 168.
- Distribution: China.

Type Material

Holotype (worker): CHINA • Guizhou, Tongren City, in the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve; 27.911945° N, 108.696634° E; 2195.00 m a.s.l.; 3 Jun. 2002; Shanyi Zhou leg; No. GXNU 060127; GXNU: GXNU060127.
Paratypes (workers): CHINA • 1 worker; same collection data as for holotype; GXNU: SWFU 060127-1 • 1 worker; same collection data as for holotype; SWFU: GXNU 060127-2 • 1 worker; same collection data as for holotype; IZCAS: GXNU 060127-3.

Description

References