Dilobocondyla gasteroreticulata

This species has been found to be uncommon, and recorded from only two habitats during intensive surveys of Northwest Shivalik. The species has been collected from semi-arid environments, and seems to be arboreal in nature.

Identification
Bharti and Kumar (2013) - Dilobocondyla gasteroreticulata is somewhat similar to Dilobocondyla fouqueti Santschi. However, this new species can be easily distinguished from D. fouqueti on the basis of the following combination of characters. The gaster in D. fouqueti is smooth and shiny but in D. gasteroreticulata the whole of the gaster is reticulate and opaque. Similarly the legs are shiny in D. fouqueti, while in D. gasteroreticulata the legs are sculptured and subopaque. Other significant differences which separate it from D. fouqueti include: head with posterior corners dentate; frontal area distinct; humeral angles blunt, mid-dorsum of pronotum faintly longitudinally rugose; anepisternum and metapleuron rugoreticulate. In contrast in the case of D. fouqueti the posterior corners of the head are blunt; the frontal area is indistinct; the humeral angles are acute, the mid-dorsum of the pronotum is rugoreticulate, and the anepisternum and metapleuron are smooth and shiny. The above-stated distinguishing characters between these two species have been found to be consistent in gynes of both species treated during the present study as well. Some other significant distinguishing characters have been observed in gynes. These include the metapleuron being longitudinally rugose and the scutellum rugoreticulate in D. gasteroreticulata, while in D. fouqueti the metapleuron is rugoreticulate and the scutellum is longitudinally rugose.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 *  gasteroreticulata. Dilobocondyla gasteroreticulatus Bharti & Kumar, 2013: 34, figs. 8-14 (w.q.) INDIA.

Worker
Dimensions (Holotype and paratypes): HL 1.19-1.33; HW 1.19-1.34; ED 0.25-0.31; SL 0.73-0.81; MFC 0.52-0.58; PRNW 0.85-0.92; ML 1.47-1.96; PTL 0.59-0.67; PTW 0.28-0.31; PTH 0.28-0.33; PPTL 0.49-0.55; PPTW 0.39-0.42; PPTH 0.36-0.42; GL 1.44-1.56; CI 100-100.75; SI 60.45-63.2; PTWI 43.08-49.15; PPTWI 76.36-84; TL 5.48-6.03 (8 measured)

Head as long as broad, slightly broader posteriorly than in front, sides slightly convex, posterior head margin broadly and deeply emarginate; posterior corners dentate, at right angles; mandibles with 6 teeth, masticatory margin of mandibles with large apical, preapical and basal tooth; clypeus flat, anterior border emarginate with a clear notch in the middle, sinuate at the corners; frontal area triangular, longer than broad; antennae slender, 12-segmented with distinct 3-segmented club; scape slender, curved at the base, reaching up to 3/4 of head length; eyes large, placed at midlength of the head; mesosoma not broader than head; pro-mesonotal dorsum convex, pro-mesonotal suture indistinct; pronotum broader than long, its anterior lateral angles blunt; metanotal groove broad, not deep; dorsal face of propodeum gradually slanting towards declivity, basal part longer than declivitous part, propodeal lobes rounded; petiole length more than twice the breadth and with parallel sides, arcuate in profile, with a strong antero-ventral tooth; postpetiole longer than broad, posterior part broader than anterior part and forming a node; gaster broadly oval in dorsal view; legs with femora strongly incrassate and tibiae slightly thickened.

Head longitudinally rugose with a few cross-meshes up to vertex, behind which more rugoreticulate, with 12 strong rugae between frontal carinae at the level of eyes; interrugal space punctured, sub-opaque; frontal carinae diverging, long, prominent, continuing to the posterior corners of head; antennal scrobes deep; mandibles longitudinally costulate, rugulose, interrugal space smooth and shiny; clypeus with tiny rugulae posteriorly, opaque, with strong median and a pair of lateral carinae; frontal triangle opaque, finely punctate; sides of the head, mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole strongly rugoreticulate, mid-dorsum of pronotum faintly longitudinally rugose; meso-metapleuron rugoreticulate; propodeal declivity smooth and shiny; whole of the gaster finely and densely reticulate and opaque, with the basal part of the first gastral tergite longitudinally striate; legs opaque, coxae and femora finely punctured, with transverse rugulae on fore coxae, tibiae finely longitudinally striate.

Mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole castaneous; head, gaster and legs blackish except scape, trochanter and terminal four segments of tarsus yellowish brown. Whole body covered with abundant, long, obtuse, whitish pilosity.

Queen
Dimensions: HL 1.35; HW 1.32; ED 0.32; SL 0.82; MFC 0.58 ; PRNW 1.11; ML 2.23; PTL 0.71; PTW 0.35; PTH 0.36; PPTL 0.6; PPTW 0.47; PPTH 0.46; GL 1.76; CI 97.78; SI 62.12; PTWI 49.3; PPTWI 78.33; TL 6.65 (1 measured)

Similar to worker except head slightly longer than broad, with three ocelli; mesonotum, katepisternum and metapleuron longitudinally rugose; scutellum and anepisternum rugoreticulate; postpetiole black in colour.

Etymology
The species is so named due to the presence of fine reticulations on the gaster.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bharti H., B. Guénard, M. Bharti, & E. P. Economo. 2015. An updated checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of India with their specific distributions in Indian states. Zookeys
 * Fontanilla A. M., A. Nakamura, Z. Xu, M. Cao, R. L. Kitching, Y. Tang, and C. J. Burwell. 2019. Taxonomic and functional ant diversity along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in southwest China. Insects 10, 128; doi:10.3390/insects10050128