Vollenhovia keralensis

This species is currently only known from Agasthyamalais and Periyar Tiger Reserve in the southern Western Ghats of Peninsular India. It was collected in tropical evergreen forests and mixed forests, ranging from 500–1,200 m. In the west coast tropical evergreen forest, habitat was characterized by Myristica (Myristicaceae) swamp forests and southern sub-tropical hill forests in the southern Western Ghats. Ants were observed moving on fallen tree trunks in shaded regions (Image 16A). On further investigation, the colonies were located inside crevices and under the bark of dead tree trunks. Upon disturbance, workers would disappear into tiny holes and crevices in the dead wood. One full colony was found at 800 m in Agasthyamalai had 52 workers, 20 males, 10 alate gynes, larvae and pupae in various stages of development. Occasionally, solitary gynes were observed under tree bark. No evidence of parasitic behaviour was noticed during our observation, although this needs detailed investigation. Workers were observed preying on beetle larvae and small arthropods nesting on tree bark, dead wood, and bracket fungi (Image 16B).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 * . Vollenhovia keralensis Kripakaran & Sadasivan, 2022: 21381, figs. 12A-C (w.q.m.) INDIA (Kerala).

Type Material

 * Holotype: NRC-AA-3762, 23 March 2011, Worker, Bonaccord, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Trivandrum District, Kerala State, India, at 900 m, coll. Manoj Kripakaran, from under the bark of a dead and fallen tree in a primary evergreen forest, deposited in the insect collection facility of the NCBS (National Centre for Biological Sciences), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK, Bellary Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560065, India. Earlier, the holotype was with number TARG-1015, mounted for study and preserved in absolute ethanol, currently deposited in the research collections facility at the TNHS, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
 * Paratype workers (n = 3) (Images 13–15):
 * NRCAA-3763, 28 March 2021, Worker, Vallakadavu, Periyar Tiger Reserve, Idukky District, Kerala State, India, at 935 m, coll. Kalesh Sadasivan under the bark of a dead and fallen tree in a primary evergreen forest, deposited in the insect collection facility of the NCBS (National Centre for Biological Sciences), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK, Bellary Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560065, India. Earlier the paratype was with number TARG-1016, in absolute ethanol, currently deposited in the research collections facility at the TNHS, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
 * Two other paratype workers both with same data as paratype above. TARG-1017 and TARG-1018 to be deposited in the insect collection of the ZSI, Kozhikode, Kerala.