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Vollenhovia yasmeenae
| Vollenhovia yasmeenae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Vollenhovia |
| Species: | V. yasmeenae |
| Binomial name | |
| Vollenhovia yasmeenae Akbar, Bharti, Schifani & Wachkoo, 2023 | |
Specimens of Vollenhovia yasmeenae are only known from the Silent Valley National Park, a primary tropical rainforest in Kerala, India, collected using the Winkler extraction method. Leaf litter samples of approximately 2 cm thickness were taken near tree trunks at two different locations in the National Park, one in the buffer zone (Mukkali) and one in the core region (Sairandhri). The species appears to be locally rare and may have a restricted distribution, although further research extending to other areas is required. This is the fourth species of the genus to be described from the Western Ghats region, further stressing its importance as a biodiversity hotspot for ants.
Photo Gallery
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Identification
Akbar et al. (2023) - Among the species of the region, V. yasmeenae can be separated based on some unique qualitative morphological features. It can be immediately distinguished from Vollenhovia escherichi by its dark brown to blackish pigmentation as opposed to pale yellow, and from Vollenhovia oblonga laevithorax by its sculptured as opposed to smooth mesosoma, and from Vollenhovia pfeifferi by the absence of dentiform propodeal spines. Unlike Vollenhovia keralensis and Vollenhovia karimalaensis, its anterior clypeal margin is emarginate and has no median tooth, while the presence of a smooth area on the dorsum of the mesosoma separates it from Vollenhovia gastropunctata, Vollenhovia mawrapensis, and Vollenhovia taylori. Finally, it differs from Vollenhovia terayamai in having a much reduced smooth median area on the head and lacking the fine punctate sculpture on the sides of the petiole that characterizes the latter. The dorsal promesonotal sculpture appears relatively well-distinct and with a clear longitudinal orientation.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
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Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 11.1° to 11.1°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: Akbar et al., 2023
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India (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. |
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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. |
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Biology
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- yasmeenae. Vollenhovia yasmeenae Akbar et al., 2023: 96, figs. 1, 12 (w.) INDIA (Kerala).
Vollenhovia yasmeenae Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
(7 specimens, 2 colonies, 2 localities) CL 0.61–0.65 (0.63), CW 0.54–0.57 (0.55), CS 0.57–0.6 (0.59), EL 0.14–0.16 (0.15), ML 0.80–0.82 (0.81), PEH 0.34–0.36 (0.35), PEL 0.16–0.19 (0.18), PEW 0.19–0.20 (0.19), PPH 0.20–0.23 (0.22), PPL 0.17–0.19 (0.18), PPW 0.23–0.24 (0.24), PW 0.38–0.41 (0.39), SL 0.38–0.39 (0.38). Indices: CL/CW 1.09–1.21 (1.14), EL/CS 0.23–0.27 (0.25), ML/CS 1.34–1.39 (1.37), PEH/CS 0.57–0.61 (0.59), PEL/CS 0.28–0.32 (0.30), PEW/CS 0.32–0.35 (0.33), PPH/CS 0.35–0.39 (0.37), PPL/CS 0.28–0.32 (0.30), PPW/CS 0.39–0.42 (0.40), PW/CS 0.64–0.71 (0.67), SL/CS 0.63–066 (0.65).
Head in full-face view, subrectangular or subquadrate (CL/CW 1.09–1.21), posterior margin with a median concavity; posterolateral corner of head roundly convex, lateral margin broadly convex; clypeus emarginate; anterior clypeal margin laminate; mandible broad, masticatory margin consisting of 5–6 well-defined teeth, apical tooth strongly falcate; antenna 12-segmented; antennal scape short reaches about two-thirds the head length (SL/CS 0.63–0.66); eye prominent, protruding, placed well below midline of head (EL/CS 0.23–0.27).
In lateral view, dorsal outline of mesosoma flat; mesopleuron demarcated from lateral face of pronotum and propodeum by distinct sutures; posterior face of propodeum rounded and smooth; viewed dorsally, pronotal humeri rounded and smooth, and wider than the rest of the mesosoma; posterior propodeal margin convex; promesonotal suture absent; metanotal groove visible as a slight disruption in the surface sculpture, mesonotum and propodeum completely fused and lateral margins converging evenly to the propodeal declivity, no propodeal spines.
Petiole in lateral view, subquadrate with longer anterior face and shorter posterior face, dorsum concave; subpetiolar process well developed, subquadrate in shape (almost as long and as high, 0.09 mm); postpetiole dorsally rounded, much wider than long; sub-postpetiolar process pointed, peg-like, leaning anteriorly; gaster elliptical.
Surface sculpture throughout the body punctate-reticulate; punctures on head coarse; middle area of the head with a small smooth and unsculptured band in the middle of the head with few longitudinal striations running posteriorly, almost reaching the posterior margin; mandible smooth and shiny, with a few punctures present along masticatory margin; clypeus colliculate; mesosoma punctate-reticulate with longitudinally striations on dorsum; propodeal declivity colliculate; petiole and postpetiole sides minutely colliculate, dorsum mostly smooth with few punctures; gaster mostly smooth and shiny with fine punctures on first segment.
Whole body covered with abundant long, sub-erect, whitish pilosity.
Body black, appendages ferruginous to dark brownish.
Type Material
- Holotype: INDIA • worker; Kerala, Silent Valley National Park; 11°09′ N, 76°44′ E; alt. 900 m; 25 Sep. 2011; Winkler extraction method; S.A. Akbar leg.; PUAC0038.
- Paratypes: INDIA • 3 workers; same collection data as for holotype: PUAC0039 to PUAC0041 • 3 workers; Kerala, Silent Valley National Park, near Badriya Juma Masjid, Mukkali; 11°06′ N, 76°53′ E; alt. 700 m; 20 Dec. 2013; Winkler extraction method; S.A. Akbar leg.; PUAC0042 to PUAC0044.
Etymology
The specific epithet is a Latinized noun in genitive, derived from the first name of Jammu and Kashmir’s first female Director of Colleges, Dr Yasmeen Ashai, for her service to higher education in the region.