Zasphinctus sahyadriensis

This species was found in a tropical evergreen forest floor. Five workers were collected from a subterranean tunnel under a small rock, near the buttress of a tree (Image 11). The workers were moving in the narrow tunnel which happened to get opened when the rock was removed. The movement was army ant-like, fast, irregular, and the ants were averse to light. In captivity, workers accepted brood of a Pheidole species as food. The species is restricted to Ponmudi hills in Agasthyamalai region of southern Western Ghats in Kerala state of southern India as far as is known.

Identification
Zasphinctus sahyadriensis is easily differentiated from the sympatric Eusphinctus furcatus Emery, 1893, occurring in the same habitat. Although superficially similar, Z. sahyadriensis has 12-segmented antennae, a shallow pronotomesopleural suture, smaller size (TL 3.04–3.33), and shiny black color, while E. furcatus has 11-segmented antennae, a deep pronotomesopleural suture, larger size (TL 6.85– 6.90 mm), and dark brown integument coloration. Additonally, E. furcatus was recorded above 900 m, while the highest elevation for Z. sahyadriensis was 700 m.

Analysis of AntWeb (2021) images revealed morphological similarities between Zasphinctus sahyadriensis and other shiny black Afrotropical species (Z. sarowiwai Hita Garcia, 2017, Z. obamai Hita Garcia, 2017, and Z. wilsoni Hita Garcia, 2017). The presence of the conspicuous tooth in the median clypeal area distinguishes the new species from Z. obamai and Z. wilsoni Hita Garcia. From Z. sarowiwai, the new species is diagnosed by the irregular occipital margin of the former. With the sole Asian species Z. siamensis, the new taxon Z. sahyadriensis shares the median clypeal tooth and the regular occipital margins; but the new species is easily distinguished by the black integumental coloraton (brown on Z. siamensis) and the sparsely punctate head sculpture (densely foveolate on Z. siamensis).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 * . Zasphinctus sahyadriensis Kripakaran & Sadasivan, 2022: 21376, figs. 7A-C (w.) INDIA (Kerala).

Type Material

 * Holotype: NRC-AA-3760, 15 October 2015, Worker, Ponmudi, Agasthyamalai, Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala State, India, at 600 m, coll. Manoj Kripakaran, collected under a small rock, in the forest floor of a mixed 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-1011, mounted for study and preserved as wet specimen in absolute alcohol, deposited in the research collections facility at the TNHS, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
 * Paratype workers (n = 3) (Images 8,9):
 * NRC-AA-3761, Worker with the same collection data as holotype above. Earlier, the paratype was with number TARG-1012, wet specimen in absolute alcohol, currently deposited in the research collections facility at the TNHS, Trivandrum, Kerala.
 * Two other paratype workers both with the same collection data as paratype above. Of them one worker (TARG-1013), wet specimen in absolute alcohol, will be deposited in the insect collection of ZSI, Kozhikode, Kerala and the other worker (TARG-1014), wet specimen in absolute alcohol, will be retained as voucher specimen in collection facility of TNHS, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.