Temnothorax liqiu

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

This species inhabits alpine conifer forest (Fig. 68E), Pinus yunnanensis forest (Fig. 69I) and conifer-broadleaf mixed forest (Fig. 69D) at an elevation of 2240–3280 m, forages on the ground and in soil, and nests in soil.

Photo Gallery

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.
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 xiaoshu (Fig. 38), but differs in having head dorsum and mesosoma finely reticulate, in lateral view petiolar node roughly trapezoidal with broadly rounded dorsum, and body color reddish brown, head blackish brown; in T. xiaoshu head dorsum and mesosoma coarsely reticulate, in lateral view petiolar node roughly conical with narrowly rounded dorsum, and body color orange, gaster blackish brown.

It is also similar to Temnothorax dashu (Fig. 12), but differs in having propodeal spines shortly toothed and weakly longer than their basal width in lateral view, metanotal groove obviously impressed, head dorsum weakly reticulate posteriorly; in T. dashu propodeal spines acutely angled and shorter than their basal width in lateral view, metanotal groove slightly impressed, head dorsum strongly reticulate posteriorly.

It is also similar to Temnothorax xiaohan (Fig. 36), but differs in having metanotal groove obviously impressed in lateral view, petiolar node symmetrical and nearly trapezoidal, pronotal sides reticulate, head dorsum weakly reticulate posteriorly; in T. xiaohan metanotal groove absent in lateral view, petiolar node asymmetrical and nearly triangular, pronotal sides longitudinally rugose, head dorsum strongly reticulate posteriorly.

Qian & Xu (2024), Fig. 38. Temnothorax xiaoshu Qian & Xu, 2024, holotype worker (SWFU A99-24). A. Head in full-face view. B. Body in lateral view. C. Body in dorsal view.
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. 36. Temnothorax xiaohan Qian & Xu, 2024, holotype worker (SWFU A07-543). 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, Sichuan.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 28.1° to 26.7°.


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.

liqiu. Temnothorax liqiu Qian & Xu, 2024: 40, fig. 27 (w.) CHINA (Sichuan).

Type Material

Holotype worker CHINA • Sichuan Province, Muli County, Xiamaidi Town, Mianbu Pass; 27.687339° N, 101.221072° E; 3280 m a.s.l.; 26 Jul. 2018; Zhao Huang leg.; soil sample from alpine conifer forest; SWFU C18-795.
Paratype workers CHINA – Sichuan Province • 3 workers; same collection data as for holotype; SWFU C18-795 • 1 worker; Muli County, Xiamaidi Town, Mianbu Pass; 27.687339° N, 101.221072° E; 3280 m a.s.l.; 26 Jul. 2018; Zhao Huang leg.; soil sample from alpine conifer forest; SWFU C18-794 • 9 workers; Muli County, Liziping Town, Mahuanggou; 28.087486° N, 101.172733° E; 3040 m a.s.l.; 30 Jul. 2018; Yu-Cheng He leg.; soil sample from Pinus yunnanensis forest; SWFU C18-1407.

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).