Syscia reticularis

Syscia reticularis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dorylinae
Genus:	Syscia
Species:	S. reticularis
Binomial name
	Syscia reticularis; Jaitrong, Wiwatwitaya & Yamane, 2020

The type series was collected from rotting wood on the forest floor of lowland rainforest.

Identification

Jaitrong, Wiwatwitaya, and Yamane (2020) - Distinguished by the following characteristics: body entirely reticulate, with deep bottoms (body covered with punctures or shallow fovea in other species); petiole slightly smaller than postpetiole; in profile view postpetiole rounded.

Du et al. (2024) - Workers have 11-segmented antennae. Body color dark reddish brown. Head in full-face view elliptical, distinctly longer than broad, lateral margins strongly convex, posterior margin almost straight, with posterolateral corner as blunt. Mesosoma in dorsal view rather robust, subrectangular, with almost parallel-sided lateral sides; in lateral view, dorsal outline slightly convex; propodeal declivity flat, encircled with indistinct rim. Petiole in dorsal view subquadrate, almost as long as broad, lateral margins nearly parallel-sided; in lateral view (excluding sternite) subrectangular, slightly shorter than high, dorsal outline convex, bilateral edge vertical; subpetiolar process in lateral view subrectangular with its ventral outline concave; ventrolateral surface of petiole with two distinct almost parallel carinae just above subpetiolar process. Postpetiole in lateral view rounded, shorter than high, with ventral outline concave; sternite anteroventrally produced as blunt angle directed downward and forward. Entire body finely reticulated with deep bottoms; antennal scape, outer face of mandible and legs punctate.

Keys including this Species

Key to Asian Syscia

Distribution

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.

Biology

Castes

Worker

Du et al. (2024), Fig. 8. Syscia reticularis, holotype, worker (THNHM-I-02624). A. Head in full-face view. B. Label. C. body in dorsal view. D. Body in lateral view (images cited from https://www.antweb.org; imaged by Yudthana Samung).


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Nomenclature

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

reticularis. Syscia reticularis Jaitrong, Wiwatwitaya & Yamane, 2020b: 6, figs. 7-10, 11 (w.) THAILAND.
- Type-material: holotype worker, 10 paratype workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Thailand:Nakhon Si Thammatar Prov., Noppitam Dist., Krung Ching Waterfall, 20.v.2003, colony no. WJT03-TH-332 (W. Jaitrong); paratypes with same data.
- Type-depositories: TNHM (holotype); SKYC, TNHM (paratypes).
- Distribution: 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: HL0.63; HW 0.50; SL 0.30; MW 0.40; ML 0.73; PL 0.30; PH 0.40; PW 0.30; PPL 0.36; PPH 0.43; PPW 0.36; CI 79; SI 60; PI1 75; PI2 100; PPI1 85; PPI2 100; WI 122. Paratypes (n = 7): HL 0.56–0.63; HW 0.46–0.50; SL 0.26–0.33; MW 0.36–0.40; ML 0.73–0.76; PL 0.28–0.30; PH 0.40; PW 0.30–0.33; PPL 0.36–0.38; PPH 0.41–0.43; PPW 0.36; CI 79–82; SI 57–67; PI1 71–75; PI2 100–111; PPI1 85–88; PPI2 96–100; WI 110–122.

Size and color. Medium size (HW 0.46–0.50 mm; ML 0.73–0.76 mm). Body dark reddish brown; legs and antenna paler. Hairs pale brown. Structure. Head in full-face view elliptical, longer than broad; lateral margin convex; posterior margin almost straight. Antenna 11-segmented with enlarged apical segment (XI) which is almost as long as IV–X combined; scape short, when folded back reaching mid-length of head in full-face view; antennal segment II almost as long as broad; III–VI broader than long. Frontal carinae short and narrow, reaching less than half length of head, in profile sharply elevated in anterior half, low and vestigial in posterior half. Parafrontal ridge prominently produced anteriad in dorsal view. Clypeus short, its anterior margin weakly convex. Compound eye and ocelli completely absent. Mandible triangular, its masticatory margin with a series of inconspicuous small denticles. Mesosoma rather robust, subrectangular, seen from above almost parallel-sided; with mesosoma in profile view, dorsal outline weakly convex; promesonotal suture and metanotal groove completely absent; mesopleuron not demarcated from metapleuron. Propodeal declivity flat, encircled with indistinct rim. Petiole in dorsal view almost as long as broad, almost parallel-sided; in profile view, petiole including subpetiolar process clearly shorter than high, subrectangular, convex dorsally, with flattened anterior face. Subpeiolar process in profile subrectangular with its ventral outline concave. Postpetiole in dorsal view slightly larger than petiole, subrectigular, slightly longer than broad; in profile view, postpetiole slightly shorter than high, its dorsal outline weakly convex. Postpetiolar sternite in profile view low, its ventral margin convex; anteroventrally produced as a blunt angle directed downward and forward. Abdominal tergite III (= first gastral tergite) elongateoval; in dorsal view, its anterior margin clearly concave and lateral margins convex.

Sculpture. Entire body finely reticulate with deep bottoms. Antennal scape, outer face of mandible and legs punctate.

Pilosity. Body entirely covered with long decumbent and standing hairs.

Etymology

The species epithet “reticularis” is a Latin word meaning reticulate. This refers to the finely reticulate body of this species.

References