Myrmecina curvispina

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Zhou et al. (2008) - The new species resembles Myrmecina curtisi Donisthorpe, but differs from the latter in its obviously out-curved propodeal spines, smaller eyes, less convex dorsum of the alitrunk, and the acute and rectangular anteroventral pronotal angles.

Distribution
Guangxi Province, China.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Vietnam. Palaearctic Region: China.

Castes
Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 *  curvispina. Myrmecina curvispina Zhou, Huang & Ma, 2008: 286, figs. 1-3 (w.) CHINA.

Worker
Holotype. TL 3.43, HL 0.78, HW 0.80, C I 103, SL 0.63, SI 78, PW 0.59, AL 0.91, EL 0.09, PL 0.24, PH 0.24, PNW 0.24, PPL 0.15, PPH 0.26, PPW 0.28.

Head square, with broadly concave posterior margin, slightly convex sides and developed occipital carina. Mandibles massive triangular, masticatory margin armed with two big apical teeth followed by a row of small blunt teeth. Clypeus with anterior margin slightly concave, bearing a small projection in the middle. Frontal lobes slightly raised, divergent behind, without a narrow oval smooth space between them. Eyes small and long oval, situated laterally a little before the middle of head, consisting of less than ten ommatidia. Antennae 12-segmented; scape slightly curved, almost reaching occipital corner, cylindrical at base and increasing in breadth to apex; club 3-jointed, with apical segment longer than the two preceding ones combined. Alitrunk obviously convex above, gradually tapering posteriorly in dorsal view; anterior margin roundly convex with humeral corners distinctly angular; the anteroventral pronotal angle tooth-like, acute and rectangular in profile. Anterolateral corner of dorsum of propodeum with developed and acute triangular teeth; declivity concave; propodeal spines long, pointing backwards, divergent posteriorly, distinctly curved outwards at apex in dorsal view. Petiole quadrangular, not pedunculate, dorsal node with distinct cross ridge; subpetiolar process small, anteriorly situated and triangular; postpetiole transversely broad, shorter but broader than petiole. Gaster broadly oval.

Mandibles, clypeus, declivity of propodeum, legs, anterior surface of petiole and gaster smooth and shining. Antennal scape opaque, with indistinct longitudinal rugae. Head, alitrunk strongly longitudinally striate, petiole and postpetiole impressed with longitudinal hollows above and at sides. Body with sparse pale suberect hairs, which are a little more abundant on gaster. Pubescence absent except on the flagellum of the antennae. Body black; mandibles, clypeus, genae, antennae, propodeal spines, declivity, petiole and postpetiole (excluding the dorsum), lateral sides of the first gastral segment reddish brown, legs and gaster behind the first segment light reddish brown.

Type Material
Holotype: worker, Maoershan Natural Reserve, Xing'an County, Guangxi Province, P. R. China (25°54' N, 110°30' E), August 22, 1998, Coll. By Shanyi Zhou. The type specimen is deposited in the Insect Collection, College of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China.

Etymology
This new species is named from the Latin words “curvus” and “spina” referring to its curved propodeal spines.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Alcantara M. J., S. Modi, T. C. Ling, J. Monkai, H. Xu, S. Huang, and A. Nakamura. 2019. Differences in geographic distribution of ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) between forests and rubber plantations: a case study in Xishuangbanna, China, and a global meta-analysis. Myrmecological News 29: 135-145.
 * 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
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Liu C, B. Guénard, F Hita Garcia, S. Yamane, B. Blanchard, and E. Economo. New records of ant species from Yunnan, China. Submitted to Zookeys
 * Zhou S., J. Huang, and L. Ma. 2008. Two new species of the ant genus Myrmecina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a key to Chinese species. Sociobiology 52(2): 283-291.
 * Zhou Shanyi, Jianhua Huang, and Libin Ma. 2008. Two new species of the ant genus Myrmecina (Hymenoptera; Formicidae), with a key to chinense species. Sociobiology 52(2): 283-291.