Carebara curvispina

The type material was collected from warm conifer forest.

Identification
Xu (2003) - This new species is close to Carebara capreola, but mandible with 6 teeth, occipital horns not connected by a transverse ridge, propodeum protrudingly dentate.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  curvispina. Oligomyrmex curvispinus Xu, 2003: 313, figs. 9-12 (s.w.) CHINA. Combination in Carebara: new combination (unpublished).

Worker
Holotype soldier. TL 3.0, HL 0.93, HW 0.73, CI 78, SL 0.38, SI 52, PW 0.48, AL 0.85, PL 0.23, PH 0.23, DPW 0.23. Head distinctly longer than broad, in full face view nearly rectangular, slightly narrowed forward. Occipital margin moderately concave. Occipital corners rounded. Lateral sides nearly straight. Mandible with 6 teeth. Median portion of clypeus depressed longitudinally, bicarinate and divergent forward, anterior margin weakly concave. Antenna 11 segments with a 2-segmented club, apex of scape reached to 3/7 of the distance from antennal socket to occipital corner. Eyes absent. In profile view, occiput with a pair of small dent-like horns. Dorsum of head straight. Promesonotum roundly convex. Promesonotal suture obsolete on the dorsum. Dorsum of mesonotum straight. Metanotum present, triangular and convex. Mesometanotal suture and metapropodeal suture present. Propodeum with a pair of laterally compressed stout dents which curve down at apex, dorsum weakly concave and down-sloping backward, declivity straight. Petiole pedunculate anteriorly, ventral face straight, anteroventral corner with an acute tooth. Petiolar node triangular, anterior face weakly concave, posterior face weakly convex, the top rightly angled. Postpetiolar node roundly convex and slightly lower than petiolar node. In dorsal view petiolar node as broad as postpetiolar node.

Mandibles and median portion of clypeus smooth and shiny. Head with anterior portion longitudinally striate, posterior portion finely reticulated. Alitrunk, petiole, postpetiole and gaster densely and finely punctate. Head and body with abundant suberect short hairs and dense decumbent pubescences. Scapes and tibiae with dense decumbent pubescences. Body color yellow, masticatory margin of mandible black.

Paratype soldiers. TL 3.3-3.6, HL 0.90-0.98, HW 0.70-0.75, CI 76-78, SL 0.35-0.38, SI 50-52, PW 0.48-0.50, AL 0.85-0.90, PL 0.23-0.25, PH 0. 23, DPW 0. 23-0.25 (5 individuals measured). As holotype.

Paratype workers. TL 1.3-1.4, HL 0.43, HW 0.30-0.33, CI 71-76, SL 0.25-0.28, Sl 77-85, PW 0.20, AL 0.40-0.43, PL 0.13, PH 0.10, DPW 0.08 (5 workers measured). As holotype but much smaller, head normal. Occipital margin nearly straight, slightly concave in the middle. Mandible with 5 teeth. Apex of scape reaching 2/3 of the distance from socket to occipital corner. Promesonotum slightly convex, nearly straight. Metanotum absent. Metanotal groove shallowly impressed. Propodeum with a pair of acute straight teeth, dorsum weakly convex. Petiolar node thicker, with the top bluntly prominent. Anteroventral corner of petiole with a rightly angled tooth.

Type Material
Holotype, soldier, No. A98-39, 1270m, Songshanling, Puwen Town, Jinghong County, Yunnan Province, collected in the warm conifer forest by Mr. He Yun-Feng on 4 Mar 1998. Paratypes: 13 soldiers and 14 workers, with same data as holotype.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Xu Z. H. 2003. A systematic study on Chinese species of the ant genus Oligomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 28: 310-322.
 * Xu Z. 2003. A systematic study on Chinese species of the ant genus Oligomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 28(2): 310-322.