Paratopula zhengi

The sole representative of this species, a holotype worker, was collected from Mêdog, Tibet on the the south slope of Mt. Himalaya. The forager was walking on the ground in a secondary monsoon forest.

Identification
P. zhengi is close to Paratopula intermedia but differs in the frontal carinae fine and continuous, about as long as scapes; propodeal declivity straight, propodeal lobes short, truncated apically; anterodorsal corner of petiolar node roundly prominent; and the dorsum of alitrunk with abundant hairs.

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

Castes
Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 *  zhengi. Paratopula zhengi Xu & Xu, 2011: 595, figs. 1-7 (w.) CHINA.

Worker
Holotype worker. TL 6.6, HL 1.55, HW 1.25, CI 81, SL 0.98, SI 78, PW 0.90, AL 2.08, ED 0.30. Head rectangular, distinctly longer than broad. Occipital margin evenly concave, occipital corners roundly prominent. Lateral sides nearly parallel, slightly narrowed forward. Mandibles triangular, masticatory margin with 9 teeth which decreased in size from apex to base. Anterior margin of clypeus distinctly notched in the middle, posterior median portion between frontal lobes distinctly wider than the latter. Antennae 12-segmented, antennal club 3-segmented. Apexes of scapes reached to 4/5 of the distance from antennal sockets to occipital corners. Frontal carinae weakly developed and parallel, about as long as antennal scapes. Eyes developed, located slightly before the midpoints of lateral sides of head, with about 13 facets across the maximum diameter.

In profile view, promesonotum weakly convex and formed a weak arch. Promesonotal suture indistinct, metanotal groove distinctly notched. Propodeal dorsum feebly convex, slope down backwards, slightly longer than declivity, the latter straight. Propodeal spines slender and acute, slightly curved upwards apically, about 1/2 as long as propodeal dorsum. Propodeal lobes short and truncated apically. Femora of legs obviously swelled in the middle. In profile view, ventral face of petiole weakly concave, anteroventral corner with a minute prominent. Petiolar node nearly trapezoid, dorsal face weakly convex, anterodorsal and posterodorsal corners roundly prominent. Anterior peduncle shorter than petiolar node. Dorsum of postpetiole roundly convex, anterior 2/3 of sternite roundly strongly convex ventrally. In dorsal view, both petiolar and postpetiolar nodes roughly trapezoid, distinctly narrowed forwards. First gastral tergite large, occupied about 3/5 of the length of gaster. Sting extruding.

Mandibles relatively smooth, with sparse fine punctures. Head, alitrunk, petiole, and postpetiole with similar relatively coarse reticulations. Clypeus with sparse fine longitudinal striations. Dorsum of head with relatively coarse longitudinal striations between frontal carinae. Dorsal surfaces of middle and hind tibiae with longitudinal striations. Gaster smooth, basigastral costulae present on basal 1/3 of the first tergite. Dorsum of the whole body with abundant similar short blunt erect to suberect hairs, sparse depressed pubescence visible on the gaster. Antennal scapes with sparse short blunt erect hairs and dense depressed pubescence. Tibiae with abundant decumbent pubescence, but without erect hairs. Color orange yellow; mandibles, tarsi, and middle gaster brown; eyes black; coxae, femora, and tibiae yellow.

Etymology
The new species is named in honor of Professor Zheng Zhe-Min for his outstanding contribution to the systematic entomology.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Xu Z. H., and G. L. Xu. 2011. A new species of the genus Paratopula Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Tibet. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 36(3): 595-57.