Temnothorax dashu

Temnothorax dashu
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Temnothorax
Species:	Temnothorax dashu
Binomial name
	Temnothorax dashu; Qian & Xu, 2024

This species inhabits alpine Rhododendron L. forest (Fig. 68F), Quercus semecarpifolia Sm. (Fig. 68D) forest and Pinus densata Masters forest (Fig. 69A) at an elevation of 2510–3250 m, forages on the ground and nests under stones.

Photo Gallery

Qian & Xu (2024), Fig. 12. Temnothorax dashu Qian & Xu, 2024, holotype worker (SWFU A13-479). A. Head in full-face view. B. Body in lateral view. C. Body in dorsal view.
Qian & Xu (2024), Fig. 68. Higher elevational vegetations. A. Alpine shrubland (3815 m, Yushu, Qinghai). B. Pinus wallichiana A.B.Jacks. forest (3550 m, Bomi, Tibet). C. Betula albosinensis Burkill forest (3480 m, Ganzi, Sichuan). D. Quercus semecarpifolia Sm. forest (3250 m, Bomi, Tibet). E. Alpine conifer forest (3250 m, Yanyuan, Sichuan). F. Alpine Rhododendron L. forest (3250 m, Luquan, Yunnan). Photos by Zheng-Hui Xu.
Qian & Xu (2024), Fig. 69. Middle elevational vegetations. A. Pinus densata Masters forest (2750 m, Bomi, Tibet). B. Pinus armandi Franch. forest (2557 m, Qiaojia, Yunnan). C. Subalpine moist evergreen broadleaf forest (2500 m, Lushui, Yunnan). D. Conifer-broadleaf mixed forest (2500 m, Huaping, Yunnan). E. Moss evergreen broadleaf forest (2450 m. Cangyuan, Yunnan). F. Warm conifer forest (2230 m, Huili, Sichuan). G. Dry-warm valley shrubland (2230 m, Muli, Sichuan). H. Semi-evergreen broadleaf forest (2050 m, Danba, Sichuan). I. Pinus yunnanensis forest (2030 m, Huaping, Yunnan). Photos by Zheng-Hui Xu.

Identification

This species is similar to Temnothorax yushui (Fig. 43), but differs in having head dorsum coarsely reticulate on the central area, sides of mesosoma coarsely reticulate, posterodorsal corner of propodeum rightly angled, and body color reddish brown, head blackish brown; in T. yushui head dorsum densely reticulate with loose longitudinal rugae on the central area, sides of mesosoma finely reticulate, posterodorsal corner of propodeum bluntly angled, and body color light yellow.

It is also similar to Temnothorax liqiu (Fig. 27), but differs in having posterodorsal corner of propodeum bluntly angled, obviously shorter than their basal width, head dorsum strongly reticulate posteriorly, pronotal sides loosely reticulate; in T. liqiu posterodorsal corner of propodeum toothed, weakly longer than their basal width, head dorsum weakly reticulate posteriorly, pronotal sides densely reticulate.

Qian & Xu (2024), Fig. 43. Temnothorax yushui Qian & Xu, 2024, holotype worker (SWFU C18-1446). A. Head in full-face view. B. Body in lateral view. C. Body in dorsal view.
Qian & Xu (2024), Fig. 27. Temnothorax liqiu Qian & Xu, 2024, holotype worker (SWFU C18-795). A. Head in full-face view. B. Body in lateral view. C. Body in dorsal view.

Keys including this Species

Key to Leptothorax and Temnothorax of China

Distribution

China: Yunnan, Tibet.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 29.9° to 26.1°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: Qian & Xu, 2024

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

Castes

Nomenclature

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

dashu. Temnothorax dashu Qian & Xu, 2024: 19, fig. 12 (w.) CHINA (Yunnan).

Type Material

Holotype worker CHINA • Yunnan Province, Luquan County, Wumeng Town, Jiaozi Snow Mountain; 26.059833° N, 102.824917° E; 3250 m a.s.l.; 22 Mar. 2013; Xin Chen leg.; ground sample from alpine Rhododendron forest; SWFU A13-479.
Paratype workers CHINA • 1 worker; same collection data as for holotype; SWFU A13-479 • 8 workers; same collection data as for holotype; SWFU A13-482.

Description

References

Qian, Y.-H., Xu, Z.-H. 2024. Taxonomy of the ant genera Leptothorax Mayr, 1855 and Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of China with descriptions of twenty-eight new species and a key to the known Chinese species. European Journal of Taxonomy 936, 1-97 (doi:10.5852/ejt.2024.936.2569).