Cardiocondyla opaca

This species is known from only a single specimen collected in the Cotigao (Cortigao) Sanctuary, southwestern India at approximately 15.00° N, 74.15° E and 100 m. Nothing is known concerning its biology.

Identification
Seifert (2003) - A member of the Cardiocondyla minutior group. The different head sculpture and the much rougher pubescence of Cardiocondyla opaca, its more closely approximated spine bases, the longer scape, the shorter spines, and the much lower waist measurements justify to separate it from Cardiocondyla carbonaria.

Seifert (2022) - Worker (Table 1, Figure 7, key): Small size, CS 424 µm. Head much elongated, CL/CW 1.253. Scape much longer than in any other species of the C. minutior group, SL/CS 0.836. Postocular distance large, PoOc/CL 0.468. Eye medium-sized, EYE 0.235. Eye setae well-developed, the longest 13 µm. Occipital margin and anterior clypeal margin slightly concave in median third. Frons very narrow, FRS/CS 0.221, frontal carinae immediately behind FRS level almost parallel (FL/FR 1.033). Dorsal profile of mesosoma rather straight, metanotal depression absent. Spines triangular and short (SP/CS 0.092); their bases more approached than in related species (SPBA/CS 0.254). Petiole low (PeH/CS 0.283), with a rather long peduncle, its dorsal profile evenly curved. Postpetiole narrower than in any related species except Cardiocondyla parvinoda and very low (PpW/CS 0.409) PpH/CS 0.251); its sternite very flat, anterolaterally with a short, curved costa on each side; as long as wide, with angulate-convex sides and straight anterior margin. Head and dorsal mesosoma with striking pubescence, standing from body surface at angle of 25–30°. Whole body including gaster with perfectly matt surface, caused by a very dense and fine microsculpture of differing structure. Clypeus densely shagreened, with five longitudinal curved carinulae. Frontal lobes shagreened, in lateral parts with few short longitudinal carinulae. Frontal triangle narrow and smooth. Whole head densely longitudinally shagreened. On paramedian and lateral area of vertex, obscured within dense shagreen, foveolae of 12–13 µm diameter are present, that have an inner corona of 7 µm diameter; foveolar interspaces slightly smaller than foveolar diameter. Dorsal area of promesonotum with few foveolae of 8–9 µm diameter, obscured within dense shagreen. Remaining mesosoma fully and strongly microreticulate. Petiole coarsely microreticulate, its dorsum more shagreened. Postpetiole in dorsal aspect completely shagreened. Exposed surfaces of tergites completely mat, very finely and densely longitudinally shagreened; tergite pubescence long and dense (PLG/CS 7.47%, sqPDG 3.31). Whole body blackish except for light-brown antennae, trochanter, and distal ends of femora, and whitish yellow tibiae and tarsi.

In addition to the most different microsculpture and surface appearance, Cardiocondyla opaca is clearly separate from Cardiocondyla goa, Cardiocondyla minutior and Cardiocondyla tjibodana by much larger SL/CS as well as much smaller PpW/CS and PeH/CS—all these data are outside the range of extremes in the former three species. Cardiocondyla opaca strongly differs from Cardiocondyla schulzi by surface structure and much larger CL/CW and SL/CS and from Cardiocondyla carbonaria by much smaller SPBA/CS, PeW/CS, PpW/CS and PeH/CS.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 * . Cardiocondyla opaca Seifert, 2003a: 290, fig. 68b (w.) INDIA (Goa).
 * Type-material: holotype worker.
 * Type-locality: India: 04, Goa, Canacona Dist., Cortigao Sanctuary, 100 m., 6-10.i.1997, no. 33 (A. Schulz & K. Vock).
 * Type-depository: SMNG.
 * Status as species: Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 34.
 * Distribution: India.

Worker
Type: CS 424, CL/CW 1.253, SL/CS 0.836, PoOc/CL 0.468, EYE 0.235, dFOV 12.6, SP/CS 0.092, FRS/CS 0.221, SPBA/CS 0.254, PEW/CS 0.245, PPW/CS 0.409, PEH/CS 0.283, PPH/CS 0.251, sqrtPDG 3.31, PLG/CS 7.47 %, PigCap 12, PigMes 1 2, MGr/CS 0.0 %.

Head much elongated, CL/CW 1.253. Scape much longer than in any other species of the Cardiocondyla minutior group, SL/CS 0.836. Postocular distance large, PoOc/CL 0.468. Eye medium-sized, EYE 0.235. Eye setae well-developed, the longest 1 3 11m. Occipital margin and anterior clypeal margin slightly concave in median third. Frons very narrow, FRS/CS 0.221, frontal carinae immediately behind FRS level parallel. Whole body including gaster with perfectly mat surface, caused by a very dense and fine microsculpture of differing structure. Clypeus densely shagreened, with five longitudinal curved carinulae. Frontal lobes shagreened, in lateral parts with few short longitudinal carinulae. Frontal triangle narrow and smooth. Whole head densely shagreened. On paramedian and lateral area of vertex, obscured within dense shagreen, foveolae of 12 - 13 mm diameter are present, that have an inner corona of 7 mm diameter; foveolar interspaces slightly smaller than foveolar diameter. Dorsal area of promesonotum with few foveolae of 8 - 9 mm diameter, obscured within dense shagreen. Remaining mesosoma fully and strongly microreticulate. Dorsal profile of mesosoma almost straight, metanotal depression almost absent. Spines triangular and short; their bases more approached than in related species. Waist measurements much lower than in any related species. Petiole low, with a rather long peduncle, its dorsal profile evenly curved. Petiole coarsely microreticulate, its dorsum more shagreened. Postpetiole very low; its sternite very flat, anterolaterally with a short, curved costa on each side; in dorsal aspect completely shagreened, as long as wide, with angulate-convex sides and straight anterior margin. Exposed surfaces of tergites completely mat, very finely and densely shagreened; tergite pubescence long and dense, PLG/CS 7.5 %. Head and dorsal mesosoma with striking pubescence, standing from body surface at angle of25 - 30°. Whole body blackish except for light-brown antennae, trochanter, and distal ends of femora, and whitish yellow tibiae and tarsi.

Type Material
Holotype worker labelled “Indien_04: Goa, distr. Canacona, Cortigao Sanctuary, 100 mH, 06.-10.01.1997, leg. A. Schulz, K. Vock 33”,. The type was morphometrically investigated.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Seifert B. 2003. The ant genus Cardiocondyla (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a taxonomic revision of the C. elegans, C. bulgarica, C. batesii, C. nuda, C. shuckardi, C. stambuloffii, C. wroughtonii, C. emeryi, and C. minutior species groups. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. B, Botanik, Zoologie 104: 203-338.