Myrmecina vidyae

This rare species is only known from a few collections in Kerala, India.

Identification
Tiwari (1994) - This species is close to Myrmecina urbanii in having body pattern, antennae, legs and thorax similar but it differs with the same in having following characters: mandibles with mandibular formula “1 +6" i.e., one apical tooth and 6 small subapical teeth; absence of mesonotal spine; metanotal spines thinner and longer in shape; striae on meso-metanotum outwardly divergent; gaster not truncate anteriorly and having finer granulations all over the dorsum.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 *  vidyae. Myrmecina vidyae Tiwari, 1994: 155, fig. 1 e-g (w.) INDIA.

Worker
Head excluding clypeus, antennae and mandibles, alitrunk, abdomen and post-petiolar node dark chocolate with blackish tint. Antennae, clypeus, mandibles, legs, metanotal spines and Jst petiolar node pale yellow. Hairs almost sparse on alitrunk, whitish in colour, rest of the body without hairs; sparse pilosity on antennae, mandibles and dorsum of the abdomen.

Head excluding mandibles subsquarish, width slightly more than its length; deeply emarginate at posterior margin; postero-lateral angles of bead slightly conical; dorsal surface slightly striated, the striae outwardly divergent behind; antennal carinae enlarged into a flap like structure covering the base of insertion of antennae. Clypeus non-carinate, anteriorly transverse and pressed, posteriorly extended in between the bases of antennae; antennal and clypeal fossa confluent. Eyes small, round to oval, placed more anteriorly on antero-lateral side of the head, placement hardly differentiated from the surrounding portion of the head. Mandibles smooth, hairy, masticatory margin with one acute apical tooth; molar plate with four round crenulations. Antennae 12-segmented, scape shorter than the flagellum; 1st segment of the flagellum equal to 2 following segments put together; club of flagellum formed of 3 apical segments; scape hardly reaching to the top of the head.

Alitrunk convex above, triangular, gradually tapering posteriorly. Pronotum striated transversely; meso and metanotum with slightly anteriorly divergent striae. Anterior margin of pronotum round with narrow triangular collar. Pro-meso and meso-metanotal suture somewhat discernible laterally ; pronotum armed with a small triangular spine on each antero-lateral corner ; mesonotum unarmed; metanotum armed with a pair of long divergent spines, thick at the base, slightly bent outwardly at the apex, wide enough to enclose 1st petiolar node. Pedicel 2-jointed; 1st joint longer than wide, rugose on its outer surface; 2nd joint higher than the 1st, almost round, posterior end wider than the anterior with thick half downwardly divergent striae, the basal portion minutely granulated. Legs long; tibiae of. the fore leg with pectinate spur, pectination visible only under high power, femora and tibia swollen in middle; tarsi 5-jointed with a pair of claws at the top; 1st joint of tarsi smaller than the succeeding joints put together.

Gaster broadly oval with finer granulations on the dorsum, more prominent on the basal portion, distal portion comparatively with lesser granulations in profile rounded beneath.

Type Material
Holotype: 1 worker. India: Kerala: Silent Valley Expedition camp site, 14.i.t980, coli. S. K. Bhattacharyya. Paratypes: 2 workers, same data as of Holotype.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Tiwari R. N. 1994. Two new species of a little known genus Myrmecina Curtis from Kerala, India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India 94: 151-158.