Temnothorax qiu

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

This species inhabits Pinus yunnanensis forest (Fig. 69I), P. armandi Franch. forest (Fig. 69B), conifer-broadleaf mixed forest (Fig. 69D), semi-evergreen broadleaf forest (Fig. 69H) and subalpine moist evergreen broadleaf forest (Fig. 69C) at an elevation of 2250–2950 m, and forages on the ground and in soil.

Photo Gallery

Qian & Xu (2024), Fig. 32. Temnothorax qiu Qian & Xu, 2024, holotype worker (SWFU C18-561). A. Head in full-face view. B. Body in lateral view. C. Body in dorsal view.
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 shuangjiang (Fig. 34), but differs in having head dorsum parallelly longitudinally rugose on the central area, mesosoma densely reticulate; in T. shuangjiang head dorsum irregualarly longitudinally rugose on the central area, mesosoma coarsely reticulate.

It is also similar to Temnothorax dong (Fig. 15), but differs in having propodeal spines slender in lateral view, petiolar node with narrowly rounded dorsum, pronotal sides finely reticulate; in T. dong propodeal spines stout in lateral view, petiolar node with rightly angled anterodorsal corner, pronotal sides coarsely reticulate.

It is also similar to Temnothorax xiazhi (Fig. 41), but differs in having dorsum of mesonotum and propodeum weakly convex in lateral view, propodeal spines longer than half length of declivity, petiolar node longer than anterior peduncle, body color black; in T. xiazhi dorsum of mesonotum and propodeum straight in lateral view, propodeal spines shorter than half length of declivity, petiolar node as long as anterior peduncle, body color blackish brown.

Qian & Xu (2024), Fig. 34. Temnothorax shuangjiang Qian & Xu, 2024, holotype worker (SWFU A13-198). A. Head in full-face view. B. Body in lateral view. C. Body in dorsal view.
Qian & Xu (2024), Fig. 15. Temnothorax dong Qian & Xu, 2024, holotype worker (SWFU A99-428). A. Head in full-face view. B. Body in lateral view. C. Body in dorsal view.
Qian & Xu (2024), Fig. 41. Temnothorax xiazhi Qian & Xu, 2024, holotype worker (SWFU A04-1198). 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: 30.5° to 26.0°.


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.

qiu. Temnothorax qiu Qian & Xu, 2024: 48, fig. 32 (w.) CHINA (Sichuan).

Type Material

Holotype worker CHINA • Sichuan Province, Yanyuan County, Boda Town, Hebian Village; 27.375331° N, 101.288239° E; 2280 m a.s.l.; 25 Jul. 2018; Zhao Huang leg.; soil sample from Pinus yunnanensis forest; SWFU C18-561.
Paratype workers CHINA – Sichuan Province • 6 workers; same collection data as for holotype; SWFU C18-561 • 2 workers; same collection data as for holotype; SWFU C18-571 • 1 worker; same collection data as for holotype; ground sample from Pinus yunnanensis forest; SWFU C18-577 • 1 worker; Yanbian County, Gaoping Town, Gaoping Pass; 26°46′23.11″ N, 101°31′12.93″ E; 2250 m a.s.l.; 19 Oct. 2018; Chao Chen leg.; ground sample from semi-evergreen broadleaf forest; SWFU C18-2480 • 2 workers; same collection data as for preceding; SWFU C18-2461 • 1 worker; same collection data as for preceding; SWFU C18-2496.

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).