Myopias daia

A single worker of this species was collected from leaf litter extraction (‘Berlese’) in tropical rainforest near Bubeng Village in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, China.

Identification
Xu, Burwell & Nakamura (2014) - This new species is allied to Myopias luoba but differs from the latter by having straight posterior head margin in full-face view. Eye with 3 facets in the maximum diameter. In lateral view petiolar node weakly narrowed dorsally, anterior and posterior margins not parallel. Subpetiolar process ventrally pointed, anterior margin oblique, posterior margin weakly sinuate. In dorsal view posterior margin of petiolar node weakly concave. Head smooth and shining. Body color reddish brown. Total length 4.3 mm. While in M. luoba, posterior head margin slightly concave in full-face view. Eye with 6 facets in the maximum diameter. In lateral view petiolar node not narrowed dorsally, anterior and posterior margins parallel. Subpetiolar process anteroventrally pointed, anterior margin nearly vertical, posterior margin weakly concave. In dorsal view posterior margin of petiolar node straight. Head densely finely punctured. Body color blackish brown. Total length 3.8 mm.

The new species is also allied to Myopias nops and Myopias menba but differs from the latter two species by petiolar node slightly narrowed dorsally in lateral view, posterodorsal corner bluntly angled, with distinct angle. Eyes larger, with nine facets. Head, mesosoma and petiole smooth and shining. Body color reddish brown. While in the latter two species, their petiolar node distinctly narrowed dorsally in lateral view, posterodorsal corner rounded, without distinct angle. Eyes absent or very small, with only two facets. Head, mesosoma and petiole finely reticulate or densely punctured. Body color brownish yellow.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  daia. Myopias daia Xu, Burwell & Nakamura, 2014: 166, figs. 28-34 (w.) CHINA.

Worker
Holotype. TL 4.3, HL 0.93, HW 0.73, CI 79, SL 0.63, SI 86, ED 0.07, ML 0.60, PW 0.59, MSL 1.40, PL 0.40, PH 0.53, DPW 0.40, LPI 133, DPI 100.

In full-face view head roughly rectangular, longer than broad. Posterior margin straight, posterior corners bluntly angled. Sides weakly convex. Mandible elongate triangular, inner margin about 1/3 length of masticatory margin, basal corner bluntly angled; masticatory margin with a large basal tooth, a large middle tooth, a small preapical tooth, and a small apical tooth. Median clypeal lobe trapezoidal and widened forward, broader than long, length : width = 3:4, anterior margin weakly convex. Antenna 12-segmented, apex of scape fails to reach posterior head corner by 1/2 apical scape width. Eye small, with 9 facets, located at anterior 1/4 of the head side.

In lateral view dorsal outline of mesosoma weakly convex and gently descends posteriorly. Pronotum weakly convex. Promesonotal suture slightly impressed. Mesonotum straight. Metanotal groove weakly narrowly impressed. Dorsum of propodeum straight, rounding into declivity; declivity nearly straight, about 1/2 length of dorsum. Petiolar node nearly rectangular, weakly narrowed dorsally, anterior margin slightly concave, posterior margin slightly convex, dorsal margin weakly convex; anterodorsal corner bluntly angled, posterodorsal corner rounded. Subpetiolar process roughly triangular, ventrally pointed, both anterior and posterior margins oblique, anterior margin short and straight, posterior margin weakly sinuate. Constriction between abdominal segments III & IV distinct. Sting extruding.

In dorsal view, pronotum widened posteriorly, sides convex. Sides of propodeum straight and parallel. Petiolar node trapezoidal, narrowed anteriorly, weakly broader than long, length : width = 1:1.3; anterior and lateral margins weakly convex, posterior margin weakly concave; anterolateral corners broadly rounded, posterolateral corners narrowly rounded.

The whole body surface smooth and shining. Mandibles smooth and shining. Head with sparse erect to suberect hairs and abundant erect to suberect pubescence. Mesosoma, petiole, and gaster with sparse erect to suberect hairs and abundant subdecumbent to decumbent pubescence. Scapes and tibiae with sparse suberect hairs and dense decumbent pubescence. Body color reddish brown. Mandibles, antennae, legs, and gastral apex yellowish brown. Eyes blackish brown.

Type Material
Holotype: worker, China: Yunnan Province, Mengla County, Mengla Town, Bubeng Village, QCAS 1000-5, 21.621oN, 101.574oE, 985m, July 2012, collected in rainforest through Berlese method, Chris J. Burwell & Aki Nakamura leg., No. A12-1820. The holotype specimen is deposited in the Insect Collection, Southwest Forestry University (SWFU), Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.

Etymology
The specific epithet has been named after a minority group called “Dai”, residing in the Bubeng village locality, Yunnan Province, China.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Xu Z.-H.; C. J. Burwell., and A. Nakamura. 2014. A new species of the ponerine ant genus Myopias Roger from Yunnan, China, with a key to the known Oriental species. Sociobiology 61(2): 164-170.