Myrmica nefaria

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 *  nefaria. Myrmica nefaria Bharti, 2012: 150, figs. 1-17 (w.q.m.) INDIA.

Queen
Head: Head much longer than broad, little broader posteriorly than anteriorly, occipital margin straight, sides convex; mandibles with 7 teeth (apical tooth largest, preapical larger than 3rd one, remaining teeth small), mandibles finely longitudinally rugulose and with punctures; surface of head densely and quite coarsely rugoso-reticulate, with very fine diverging sculpture, which diverges from frontal triangle and at the level of anterior margin of eyes the sculpture ruptures into reticulations with shallow punctures between them, the reticulations become wider, irregular on rest of the head; clypeus convex, shiny, longitudinally rugulose, rugulae absent on the posterior region, spaces between them minutely punctured but shiny, median portion of clypeus raised; anterior clypeal margin slightly prominent medially, without notch; frontal triangle deep, smooth and shiny; longitudinal groove from tip of triangle to the anterior ocellus with a deep pit in the midlength; frontal carinae short, curving outwards, merge with rugae that surround antennal sockets; antennae 12-segmented, densely punctated except for scape and first funicular segment, which is minutely punctated; scape slender, narrow, weakly curved at base without any trace of angle or carina, widening towards apex, just extending beyond the posterior margin of head, antennae with oblique short hairs and with pubescence on apical 5 segments; eyes large, situated almost at the midlength of head; dorsal surface of head covered by long, barbulate hairs, interspersed with short subdecumbent hairs, similar pattern observed on ventral surface of head; thick and long setae present on the anterior clypeal margin; both outer and inner surfaces of mandibles with dense pilosity, some of hairs them are also barbulate.

Alitrunk, petiole and post-petiole: Pronotum transversally rugulose, its sides densely longitudinally rugulose, with a few faint cross-meshes; scutum anteriorly convex, posteriorily depressed, finely longitudinally striate including V- shaped patch; scutellum dorsally irregularly rugulose, posteriorly transversally rugulose; propodeal dorsum with divergent rugosity, declivity smooth and highly polished; propodeal spines thick, elongate-triangular, not pointed, narrowly rounded at tip, diverging outward when seen from above; sides of alitrunk coarsely rugose including anepisternum; metapleural glands moderately large, with a conspicuous orifice dorsally on the bulla; tibiae of hind and middle leg with well-developed pectinate spur; petiole and post-petiole much wider than long, transversally striate dorsally, petiole very shallowly concave dorsally, post-petiole short, evenly convex dorsally, in profile petiole high and narrow, with short anterior peduncle and large keel-like sub-petiolar process, anterior face of petiole smooth, opaque, and that of post-petiole opaque and shagreenate; alitrunk, petiole and post-petiole furnished with numerous short and long suberect to subdecumbent hairs directed posteriorly, thick tuft of such hairs on post-petiole, few of the hairs barbulate apically. Gaster: Smooth, highly polished and shiny; tergites and sternites with short, suberect pubescence between the longer suberect hairs, few barbulate hairs on last tergite of gaster like those on head and alitrunk, petiole and post-petiole. Head, alitrunk, petiole and post-petiole dark brown, scape, mandibles (except masticatory margin, which is black) and legs reddish yellow.

Right and left forewing venation (Figs. 4, 5 and 6): The cells (1+2r) + rm and m-cu are closed, the free floating proximal abscissa of Rs shows an upward tilt in right wing.