Stenamma kashmirense

Identification
DuBois (1998) - S. kashmirense is most closely related to S. westwoodi, S. debile, an similar species in its surface sculpture and general habitus. It may be closely related to S. westwoodii asiatica which was described from Turkestan. There are a number of Palaearctic and Oriental species which share similar sculpture, eye size, and petiolar node configurations. S. kashmirense can be separated from S. debile and S. westwoodii in that the former species has transverse carinae across the thoracic dorsum. The four Himalayan vicinity species examined (S. kashmirense, S. gurkhalis, S. jeriorum and S. bhutanense) converge in that all have a shining dark brown color. S. kashmirense differs from S. jeriorum in that the petiolar stalk is less than ½ the length of the petiole. S. kashmirense has propodeal plates greater than or equal to the length of propodeal spines while the propodeal plates in S. gurkhalis and S. bhutanense are (at most) 3/4 the length of the propodeal spines.

Bharti et al (2012) - Differs from S. jhitingriense and S. wilsoni as in S. kashmirense the peduncle is less than the half the length of petiole, and the scape reaches the occipital corners distinctly.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India, Pakistan. Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 * . Stenamma kashmirense Baroni Urbani, 1977b: 415, figs. 1, 3 (w.) INDIA (Jammu & Kashmir).
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 6 paratype workers.
 * Type-locality: holotype India: Kashmir, Yusmar, 2300-2400 m., 5.vii.1976 (W. Wittmer); paratypes with same data.
 * Type-depositories: NHMB (holotype); BMNH, NHMB (paratypes).
 * Status as species: Bolton, 1995b: 393; DuBois, 1998b: 246 (redescription); Liu, X. & Xu, 2011: 739 (in key); Bharti, Gul & Sharma, 2012a: 329 (in key); Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 53; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 44; Rasheed, et al. 2019: 434.
 * Distribution: India, Pakistan.

Description
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from DuBois (1998).

Worker

Mandible with 7 teeth (apical 2 prominent); anterior clypeal margin in full face view with median lobe slightly emarginate; apex in lateral view convex, almost flat near mandible. Compound eye with 5 ommatidia in greatest diameter. Propodeal spines of moderate length, approximately 1/4 to 1/3 length of declivitous face of propodeum. Metanotal impression well developed, nearly as deep as propodeal spines, over 2X as wide as deep, depth decreasing anteriorly. Deep pit present at posterior and ventral edge of pronotum, near procoxae. Propodeal plates slightly longer than propodeal spines, directed posteriorly and very slightly upwards. Anterior subpetiolar process reduced. Petiole pedunculate, gradually thickening towards node: stalk less than ½ length of petiole. Anterior and posterior subpostpetiolar processes greatly reduced. Head rugose except as follows: frontal area carinate; carina diverging slightly posteriorly: central % of frontal area between antennal sockets glassy-smooth; clypeal area with 2 carinulae extending from each side of emargination converging towards frontal are Interstices glassy-smooth with scattered piligerous punctures. The racic dorsum rugose-scabrous (with decidedly transverse orientation ridges). Thoracic pleura predominantly glassy-smooth with scattered rugae (approaching punctate near venter). Neck of pronotum rugulos and punctulate. Metanotal impression weakly scrobiculate. Mesopleuro with very weakly scrobiculate median area. Coxae rugulose; remainder of legs glassy-smooth with numerous piligerous punctures (some specimens with numerous carinulae on femora and tibiae): mid- and hind-tibia with minute spines at distal tip. Propodeal dorsum with scabrous basal face (with transverse orientation) and glassy-smoot declivitous face (some with weak transverse carinulae). Alitrunk interstices glassy-smooth with scattered piligerous punctures, Petiolar node dorsum heavily punctulate with traces of longitudinal rugae; remaining surfaces densely punctulate with some traces of longitudinal ruga along sides. Postpetiolar node dorsum glassy-smooth (with traces longitudinal rugae along sides); remaining surfaces densely punctulate First gastral tergite base carinate with carinae diverging toward posterior(longest carinae located near midline of tergite, between 0.2 and 0.25 length of postpetiole). First gastral sternite base glassy smooth (or with several extremely short carinulae at the extreme base. Remainder of gaster glassy-smooth (even at high magnifications), with some piligerous punctures. Setae of head numerous, short subdecumbent (except long, erect setae at anterior clypeal margin Setae on alitrunk longer, suberect. Setae on petiole suberect. Setae o postpetiole subdecumbent (erect on venter). Setae of gaster suberecti subdecumbent. Setae of legs subdecumbent to appressed. Entire body shining dark brown, appendages and gaster lighter brown. Seta yellow.

Measurements (mean ± standard error of mean, n): TL (3.42 ± 0.013, 46), HL (0.77 ± 0.003, 46). HW (0.66 0.003, 46), CI (84.89 0.321, 46), SL (0.57 ± 0.002, 46), SI (87.03 0.368, 46), AL (1.02 ± 0.005, 46), PRW (0.45 ± 0.003, 46), PL (0.41 0.003, 46), PH (0.18 ± 0.002, 46).

Holotype Worker. TL 3.59, HL 0.80, HW 0.69, EL 0.10, SL 0.56, CI 86, SI 81, AL 1.08, PRW 0.48, PL 0.39, PH 0.19.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Baroni Urbani C. 1977. Ergebnisse der Bhutan-Expedition 1972 des Naturhistorischen Museums in Basel. Hymenoptera: Fam. Formicidae Genus Stenamma, con una nuova specie del Kashmir. Entomologica Basiliensia 2: 415-422.
 * Branstetter M. G. 2012. Origin and diversification of the cryptic ant genus Stenamma Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), inferred from multilocus molecular data, biogeography and natural history. Systematic Entomology 37: 478-496.
 * DuBois, M. B. "A revision of the ant genus Stenamma in the Palaeartic and Oriental regions." Sociobiology 32 (1998): 193-403.
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Liu X. 2012. Taxonomy, diversity and spatial distribution characters of the ant family Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) in southeastern Tibet. PhD Thesis 139 pages
 * Liu X., Z. Xu, C. Zhang, N. Yu, and G. Xu. 2012. Distribution patterns of ants from West slope of Mount Demula and Bomi Valley in Southeastern Tibet. Journal of Northwest Forestry University 27(4): 77-82.
 * Liu X., Z.-H. Xu, C.-L. Zhang, N.-N., and G.-L. 2011. Distribution patterns of ants from West Slope of Mount Demula and Bomi Valley in southeastern Tibet. Journal of Northwest Forestry University 27(4): 77-82.
 * Liu X., and Z. H. Xu. 2011. Three New Species of the Ant Genus Stenamma (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Himalaya and the Hengduan Mountains With a Revised Key to the Known Species of the Palaearctic and Oriental Regions. Sociobiology 58: 733-748.
 * Rasheed M. T., I. Bodlah, A. G. Fareen, A. A. Wachkoo, X. Huang, and S. A. Akbar. 2019. A checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Pakistan. Sociobiology 66(3): 426-439.