Carebara villiersi

Individuals and nest series were collected from leaf-litter using Winkler sifting.

Identification
Fischer et al. (2014) - Antenna with eleven segments. Only known from minor workers. Head shape rounded, sides strongly convex and posterior margin straight to faintly convex medially, face smooth and shiny, frontal carinae short to inconspicuous, dorsal face of propodeum nearly straight or weakly convex, anepisternum and katepisternum areolate, propodeal spines long and spinose, in dorsal view longer than distance between them, gaster with sparse hairs, some hairs moderately long and suberect.

Minor workers of Carebara villiersi can be confused with Carebara nicotianae and Carebara polita, but can be easily separated from them, because the mesopleuron and metapleuron are areolate in C. nicotianae and smooth and shiny in C. polita, but the mesopleuron is areolate and the metapleuron smooth and shiny in C. villiersi. Major workers either not existing or not yet collected or identified as such.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Cameroun, Central African Republic, Gabon, Guinea.

Habitat
Collected from rainforest at elevations ranging from 20–1470 m.

Nomenclature

 *  villiersi. Nimbamyrma villiersi Bernard, 1953b: 241, fig. 12 (w.) GUINEA. Combination in Oligomyrmex: Ettershank, 1966: 124; in Carebara: Fernández, 2004a: 235. See also: Fernández, 2010: 201.

Worker
Fischer et al. (2014) – Minor (n=5): HW 0.44–0.49 (0.47), HL 0.50–0.54 (0.52), SL 0.37–0.38 (0.38), MDL 0.27–0.29 (0.28), EL 0.02–0.03 (0.03), WL 0.52–0.54 (0.53), PNH 0.20–0.21 (0.21), PNW 0.26–0.28 (0.27), MNH 0.29–0.31 (0.30), PDH 0.20–0.22 (0.21), PTL 0.21–0.23 (0.22), PPL 0.13–0.14 (0.14), PTH 0.14–0.15 (0.14), PPH 0.10–0.11 (0.10), PTW 0.08–0.09 (0.08), PPW 0.10–0.11 (0.10), PSL 0.10–0.11 (0.10), MFL 0.40–0.42 (0.41), MTL 0.30–0.34 (0.31), CI 87–90 (89), SI 78–86 (81), MDI 58–62 (60), EI 5–7 (6), FI 85–93 (88), PSLI 21–23 (22), LPpI 131–146 (138), DPpI 68–81 (75), PpWI 113–130 (123), PpLI 59–68 (63), PpHI 68–72 (70).

Head longer than wide (CI 87–90), in full-face view rounded oval to subcircular, narrowed anteriorly and posteriorly, posterior margin weakly concave. Sides strongly convex, smoothly rounding into posterolateral corners. Mandible triangular with five teeth apical and preapical tooth larger than the others. Anterior margin of clypeus concave, bicarinate and divergent forward, sides with short triangular teeth. Antennae with eleven segments, scape almost reaching posterior margin of head (SI 78–86). Eyes consisting of one ommatidium, situated comparatively close to anterolateral margin of head (EI 5–7).

In profile, promesonotum convex, metanotal groove moderately impressed. Dorsum of propodeum short in profile and slightly convex, posteriorly with long, acute, blade-like, and posteriorly pointing spines, in dorsal view distinctly longer than distance between their bases, declivity of propodeum faintly concave to straight and oblique, with straight lamella. Propodeal spiracle rounded and situated near the base of the spines.

Petiole in profile with peduncle slightly longer than petiole node, ventrally almost straight with straight and shallowly lamellate anterior process and rounded posterior corner, petiole node low, anterodorsally and posterodorsally with short, weakly concave faces, dorsal face almost straight and subangulate anteriorly and posteriorly. Postpetiole in profile on average 1.4 times longer than high (LPpI 131–146), lower than petiole (PpHI 68–72), anteroventrally weakly convex. In dorsal view, petiole node narrow, distinctly longer than wide, anteriorly tapering, posteriorly almost straight, postpetiole distinctly longer than wide (DPpI 68–81), slightly wider than petiole (PpWI 113–130), anteriorly tapering, almost pedunculate, and posterior face convex. Gaster anterolaterally with acute shoulders around posterior base of postpetiole.

Mandibles and head smooth and shiny with some punctures, except on frons, malar region anterior of eye level with short rugulae. Mesosoma and metasoma mostly smooth and shiny, except for weak areolae on mesopleuron and metapleuron, comparatively long cross-ribs at dorsal metanotal groove, superficial areolae on anterolateral border of propodeum and on posterolateral lamella. Anterodorsal and ventral surface of petiole weakly to superficially areolate, ventral face of postpetiole weakly punctate.

Standing hairs relatively short and stout, not abundant, evenly distributed, and mostly arrayed in pairs from head to gaster. Scapes and metatibiae with appressed to weakly decumbent pilosity. Color yellowish orange.

Type Material
Fischer et al. (2014) - Syntypes (2 minor workers): GUINEA: Mt Nimba, forest, moss, ix.1946 (Villiers). [1 syntype examined, : EY0000000330/CASENT0913610].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fischer G., F. Azorsa, F. Fernandez, and B. L. Fisher. 2014. The ant genus Carebara Westwood (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): synonymisation of Pheidologeton Mayr under Carebara, establishment and revision of the C. polita species group. Zookeys doi: 10.3897/zookeys.@@.7922