Temnothorax xiaohan

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

This species inhabits subalpine moist evergreen broadleaf forest (Fig. 69C) at an elevation of 2050–2740 m, forages on the ground and on plants, and nests under stones.

Photo Gallery

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.
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 qiufen (Fig. 33), but differs in having sides of mesosoma coarsely reticulate, and body color reddish brown, head and gaster brownish black; in T. qiufen sides of mesosoma finely reticulate, and body color brownish black, head and gaster black.

It is also similar to Temnothorax dashu (Fig. 12), but differs in having propodeal spines weakly longer than their basal width in lateral view, petiolar node asymmetrical with higher anterodorsal corner; in T. dashu propodeal spines shorter than their basal width in lateral view, petiolar node symmetrical with narrowly rounded dorsum.

It is also similar to Temnothorax liqiu (Fig. 27), but differs in having metanotal groove absent in lateral view, petiolar node asymmetrical with higher anterodorsal corner, head dorsum strongly reticulate posteriorly; in T. liqiu metanotal groove weakly impressed in lateral view, petiolar node symmetrical with narrowly rounded dorsum, head dorsum weakly reticulate posteriorly.

Qian & Xu (2024), Fig. 33. Temnothorax qiufen Qian & Xu, 2024, holotype worker (SWFU A18-972). 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. 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: Tibet.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 29.9° to 28.6°.


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.

xiaohan. Temnothorax xiaohan Qian & Xu, 2024: 57, fig. 36 (w.) CHINA (Tibet).

Type Material

Holotype worker CHINA • Tibet, Linzhi County, Pailong Town, Zhaqu Village; 29.928517° N, 95.156467° E; 2740 m a.s.l.; 27 Sep. 2007; Zheng-Hui Xu leg.; foraging on the ground in subalpine moist evergreen broadleaf forest; SWFU A07-543.
Paratype workers CHINA – Tibet • 2 workers; Linzhi County, Pailong Town, Ganglang; 29.885082° N, 95.145677° E; 2050 m a.s.l.; 26 Sep. 2007; Zheng-Hui Xu leg.; nests under stones in subalpine moist evergreen broadleaf forest; SWFU A07-513 • 7 workers; Motuo County, Damu Town, 70K; 29.695050° N, 95.521333° E; 2540 m a.s.l.; 22 Jul. 2011; Cheng-Lin Zhang leg.; canopy sample from subalpine moist evergreen broadleaf forest; SWFU A11-4156 • 1 worker; same collection data as for preceding; SWFU A11-4163; • 1 worker; same collection data as for preceding; SWFU A11-4173.

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).