Syllophopsis peetersi

Specimens of this species were collected by Winkler sampling carried out at Silent Valley National Park, a primary tropical rainforest in Kerala. Located in the Nilgiri hills of Western Ghats of India, the park represents one of the last undisturbed tracts of tropical moist evergreen forest in India. The region has a mean annual rainfall of 6,066 mm and a mean annual temperature of 20.2C. The litter samples were taken from thick leaf litter and moisture laden soil near tree trunks, from two sites along the banks of the river Kunthi (Kunthipuzha). One site was in the buffer zone (Mukkali) and one in the core region (Sairandhri). The Sairandhri region forms the gateway of Silent Valley. The type locality of this species is known for its ancient history and relict ant taxa (Bharti & Akbar 2013a, b, c, 2015; Dad et al. 2019).

The majority of the species in the genus have been collected via Winkler sampling, inhabiting leaf litter from the tropical rainforests (AntWeb 2021), and same holds true for Syllophopsis peetersi. The species appears rare, with a restricted distribution. However, it is quite possible that the species occurs elsewhere in southern India and Sri Lanka, in areas with similar habitat.

Identification
This species is distinct from all congeners in having striate mandibles, a character shared with members of the closely related genus Trichomyrmex. It is quite similar in appearance to members of the radiation in Madagascar, but not to the species that occur elsewhere. The Syllophopsis that occur outside of Madagascar are more-or-less uniform in appearance. They are all characterized by a single faceted eye (more than five ommatidia in S. peetersi), a relatively narrower head and closely approximated frontal lobes (frontal lobes well-separated in S. peetersi). Most of the bulkier and larger-eyed species in Madagascar have ventral rugae on the petiolar peduncle, but these are lacking in S. peetersi. It is somewhat similar to Syllophopsis hildebrandti. The two species can be differentiated based on following characters. In S. peetersi the eyes consist of more than five ommatidia, there is dense body pilosity, the metanotal groove is strongly impressed and in profile view the promesonotum is higher than the propodeum. In contrast, S. hildebrandti has eyes consisting of a single ommatidium, the body pilosity is less distinct, the metanotal groove is indistinct and, in profile, the promesonotum forms a continuous arch that includes and is not raised above the propodeum. Syllophopsis sechellensis differs from S. peetersi in smaller eyes, and the entire mesopleuron is matte and reticulate punctate. Likewise, Syllophopsis australica, reported from Sri Lanka, has reduced eyes and closely approximated antennal insertions.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 * . Syllophosis peetersi Akbar et al., 2021: 405, figs. 1–6 (w) INDIA.

Type Material

 * Holotype worker: India, Kerala, Silent Valley National Park, 11.0939N, 76.4462E, Kerala, India, 900 m.a.s.l., 25.ix.2011, Winkler extraction method, leg. S.A. Akbar (unique specimen identifier PUAC5001).
 * Paratypes: 6 workers with same data as holotype (PUAC5002–PUAC5007).