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Vombisidris satunensis
| Vombisidris satunensis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Vombisidris |
| Species: | V. satunensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Vombisidris satunensis Jeenthong, Jaitrong & Tasen, 2023
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This species, known only from Thailand, was found nesting in dead twigs hanging on shrub trees. Alate queens were found in two colonies (TH22-WJT-188 and TH22-WJT-214) collected in May 2022, thus mating season of the species might be in the dry season. Both colonies were found in lowland (ca. 100 m a.s.l.) at forest edge.
Identification
Vombisidris satunensis is most similar to Vombisidris harpeza in having yellow body and weakly convex mesosomal outline but it can be separated from V. harpeza by:
- hairs on head relatively long, simple, sharp at tip (short and blunt at tip in V. harpeza)
- frontal carina well-defined (indistinct in V. harpeza)
- in dorsal view, metanotal groove indistinct (broad and shallow groove in V. harpeza)
- propodeal spine short and straight (relatively long and downcurved in V. harpeza)
- ratio of petiolar length and height greater (1.94 in V. satunensis; 1.5 in V. harpeza)
- smaller species (TL 2.64–3.07, HW 0.56–0.63 in V. satunensis; TL 3.50, HW 0.75 in V. harpeza).
This species is quite similar to Vombisidris nahet and Vombisidris renateae in having the long petiole and the yellow body but the new species is distinguished from the latter by short and straight propodeal spine (long and distinctly downcurved in the latter two) and clearly smaller body in average (TL 2.64–3.07 mm, HW 0.56–0.63 mm in V. satunensis; TL 3.4–4.1 mm, HW 0.63–0.71 mm in the latter two).
Vombisidris satunensis is also similar to Vombisidris dryas in having slightly straight propodeal spines. However, V. satunensis is separated from V. dryas by the following characteristics:
- metanotal groove indistinct (broad and shallow groove in V. dryas)
- part of subocular groove touching anteroventral margin of eye (not touching in V. dryas)
- frontal carina long and well defined (short and indistinct in V. dryas).
It is also closely related to Vombisidris xylochos in having the yellow body and the straight propodeal spine. It can be easily separated from V. xylochos by:
- in profile, petiolar node dome-like or roughly triangular, dorsum roundly convex, without distinctly differentiated dorsal face (petiolar node roughly trapezoidal, with distinctly differentiated dorsal face in V. xylochos)
- propodeal spine relatively short, about 2 times as long as its width at base (long, 4 times as long as its width at base in V. xylochos)
- metanotal grove absent (present in V. xylochos)
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 7.16° to 7°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: Jeenthong et al., 2023
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Thailand (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
Queen
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- satunensis. Vombisidris satunensis Jeenthong et al., 2023: 106, figs. 1, 2, 4C, 4E (w.q.) THAILAND.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Holotype– TL 2.64, HL 0.66, HW 0.56, ED 0.17, SL 0.43, ML 0.79, CI 85, SI 76. Paratypes– (n = 11): TL 2.64–3.07, HL 0.66–0.76, HW 0.56–0.63, ED 0.17–0.20, SL 0.43–0.53, ML 0.79–0.86, CI 81–86, SI 76–88.
Head in full-face view subrectangular, distinctly longer than broad, almost parallel sided, with posterior margin broadly convex. Mandible subtriangular, masticatory margin with large apical tooth followed by 2 smaller teeth (second larger than third), long diastema, small prebasal tooth, and blunt basal tooth; basal margin of mandible straight, lacking denticles. Clypeus in full-face view subtrapezoidal, its anterior margin convex without denticles; in profile clypeus with distinctly convex median portion. Eye relatively large, convex, with 9–10 ommatidia in longest diameter, located laterally at middle length of head. Antenna 12-segmented; antennal scape slender, relatively long (0.81–0.86 times as long as head width), down-curved. Frontal lobes narrow, each lobe distinctly narrower than posterior portion of clypeus which is inserted between them. Torulus concealed by frontal lobe in full face view. Frontal carina present, extending beyond posterior margin of eye. Subocular groove complete, running from mandibular insertion to anteroventral margin of eye, then continuing along lateral face of head to posterolateral corner of head (partly touching anteroventral margin of eye).
Mesosoma in profile slender with weakly convex dorsal outline; in dorsal view pronotum slightly shorter than broad and broader than mesonotum and propodeum; promesonotal suture absent; metanotal groove indistinct, a very shallow furrow; with mesosoma in profile mesopleuron broad and clearly demarcated from metapleuron by shallow suture; metapleuron not demarcated from lateral face of propodeum. Propodeal spine relatively short and straight, about 2 times as long as its width at base, sharp, pointed backward. Legs relatively long, femora and tibiae swollen medially.
Petiole in profile view pedunculate, clearly longer than high, petiolar node low with weakly convex dorsal outline. Postpetiole globular, about 0.5 times as long as petiole. Fist gastral tergite largest and extensively overlapping sternite.
Head, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole reticulate, the reticulation on petiole and postpetiole finer than that on head; gaster smooth and shiny; mandible, antennal scape, legs smooth and shiny. Entire dorsum of body with dense erect hairs; scape covered with dense suberect hairs, sparsely with long erect hairs; flagellum of antenna with dense suberect hairs; anterior clypeal margin with 4–5 long erect hairs; mandible with sparse decumbent hairs; legs with sparser suberect hairs. Head, mesosoma, petiole, and postpetiole yellowish-brown; gaster darker than elsewhere; legs paler than mesosoma.
Queen
Paratypes– (n = 1 dealate queen, 5 alate queens): TL 2.90–3.30, HL 0.69–0.79, HW 0.56–0.63, ED 0.17–0.20, SL 0.46–0.50, ML 0.92–0.99, CI 77–81, SI 79–83.
Similar to the worker in structure, sculpture and pilosity, with the following conditions that should be noted: body slightly larger; eye large, 0.17–0.20 mm, with 11–12 ommatidia in longest diameter; ocelli present (absent in worker), located on vertex, distance between median ocellus and lateral ocellus as long as distance between lateral ocelli; in dorsal view pronotum ‘narrow’, distinctly shorter than broad, its posterior margin strongly concave; mesoscutum almost as long as broad, anterior margin distinctly convex, while posterior margin weakly convex; parapsidal lines invisible; scutellum shorter than broad; metanotum very short; metanotal-propodeal sulcus deeply impressed; in profile lateral face of pronotum large, much broader than dorsal median portion; mesopleuron broad, anepisternum small and clearly demarcated from katepisternum by distinct groove; metapleuron clearly demarcated from mesopleuron but not demarcated from lateral face of propodeum; propodeal dorsum longer than scutellar dorsum; propodeal spine relatively shorter than in worker.
Type Material
- Holotype worker (THNHM-I-00000246, deposited in Natural History Museum of the National Science Museum), S Thailand, Satun Province, La-ngu District, Kamphaeng Subdistrict, Urai Thong Cave, 7°10'40"N, 99°49'25"E, 21 May 2022, W. Jaitrong leg., TH22-WJT-188.
- Paratypes, 13 workers (THNHM-I-00000247 to THNHM-I-00000259, Natural History Museum of the National Science Museum), 1 dealate queen (THNHM-I-00000260), and 5 alate queens (THNHM-I-00000261 to THNHM-I-00000265), same data as holotype; 12 workers (THNHM-I-00000266 to THNHM-I-00000277, Natural History Museum of the National Science Museum) and 5 alate queens (TH-NHM-I-00000278 to THNHM-I-00000279, THNHM-I-00000295 to THNHM-I-00000297, Natural History Museum of the National Science Museum), S Thailand, Satun Province, La-ngu District, Khlong Huai Ba near Khao Kluai Mountain, 6°58'29"N, 99°46'22"E, 22 May 2022, W. Jaitrong leg., TH22-WJT-214.
Etymology
The new species is named after Satun Province, where it was collected.