Vombisidris tibeta

The 3 workers that make up the type material, the only known samples, were collected from separate canopy samples in tropical rainforest.

Identification
Xu & Yu (2012) - This new species is close to Vombisidris umbrabdomina, but in full face view, occipital margin weakly concave in the middle; anterior clypeal margin strongly convex; in profile view, propodeal spines weakly curved down backward, and distinctly longer than propodeal dorsum; postpetiolar node evenly convex.

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

Castes
Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 *  tibeta. Vombisidris tibeta Xu & Yu, 2012: 1500, figs. 10-13 (w.) CHINA.

Worker
Holotype. TL 3.9, HL 0.83, HW 0.68, CI 82, SL 0.65, SI 96, ED 0.23, PW 0.53, AL 1.13.

In full face view, head roughly rectangular, longer than broad. Occipital margin weakly concave in the middle, occipital corners rounded. Lateral sides weakly convex. Mandibles triangular, masticatory margin with 3 apical teeth, a long deastema, and 2 blunt basal teeth. Anterior clypeal margin strongly convex, posteriorly exten ed portion very broad, a out 2.5 times as broad as frontal lobes. Antennae 12-segmented, apices of scapes just reached to occipital corners, antennal clubs 3-segmented. Frontal carinae fine and long, extended backward and close to the occipital corners. Eyes large, situated slightly before the midpoints of the lateral sides.

In profile view, subocular groove complete, running from mandibular insertion to the lateroccipital margin. Promesonotum weakly convex, promesonotal suture vestigial on the dorsum. Metanotal groove shallowly notched. Propodeal dorsum straight and weakly slope down backward. Propodeal spines strong and long, slightly curved down backward, about 1.8 times as long as propodeal dorsum. Declivity weakly concave, about as long as propodeal dorsum. Propodeal spiracle small and circular, high up on the side. Propodeal lobes moderately developed, rounded at apices. Petiolar node elongate and dome-like, both anterior and posterior faces gently slope down, without distinct dorsal face; anterior peduncle very short, spiracle situated at about the mid-length of the peduncle; ventral face weakly convex about in the middle, and weakly concave afterwards; anteroventral corner acutely toothed. Postpetiolar node evenly convex, ventral face nearly straight.

In dorsal view, lateral sides of pronotum roundly convex. Lateral sides of mesonotum without prominence. Propodeal spines weakly curved inward. Lateral sides of petiole nearly straight, slightly widened backward; petiolar node longer than broad, length: width = 2:1. Postpetiole wider than petiole, lateral sides weakly convex; postpetiolar node wider than long, width: length = 1.2: 1.

Mandibles smooth and shining, sparsely punctured. Head and alitrunk coarsely reticulate. Clypeus and lateral sides of metanotum longitudinally striate. Propodeal declivity longitudinally striate and densely finely punctured. Petiole and postpetiole finely reticulate and densely finely punctured. Gaster smooth and shining, basal costulae distinct, about ½ length of the postpetiole. Dorsal surfaces of head and body with sparse suberect to subdecumbent tapered hairs and abundant decumbent pubescence. Scapes with abundant suberect to subdecumbent tapered hairs and dense decumbent pubescence. Tibiae with sparse subdecumbent tapered hairs and abundant decumbent pubescence. Color brownish yellow, middle portion of gaster black, legs yellow.

Paratypes. TL 4.0-4.1, HL 0.85-0.88, HW 0.70-0.73, CI 82-83, SL 0.63-0.65, SI 89-90, ED 0.24, PW 0.53-0.58, AL 1.15-1.25 (2 individuals measured). As holotype worker, but metanotal groove even more shallow, sting extruding in one worker.

Type Material
Holotype worker: China: Tibet, Medog County, Damu Town, Damu Village, 1200m, collected from a canopy sample in the valley tropical rainforest, 20 II.VU.20, Xia Liu leg., No.All-3928.

Paratypes: 2 workers, with the same data as holotype worker, and both collected from canopy samples respectively, but Nos. AII-3876, All-3943.

Etymology
The new species is named after the type locality “Tibet”.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fontanilla A. M., A. Nakamura, Z. Xu, M. Cao, R. L. Kitching, Y. Tang, and C. J. Burwell. 2019. Taxonomic and functional ant diversity along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in southwest China. Insects 10, 128; doi:10.3390/insects10050128
 * Liu X., Z. Xu, N. Yu, and C. Zhang. 2016. Distribution patterns of ant species ( Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Galongla Mountains and Medog Valley of Southeastern Tibet. Scientia Silvae Sinicae 52(11): 88-95.
 * Xu Z., and N. Yu. 2012. Vombisidris tibeta, a new myrmicine ant species from Tibet, China with a key to the known species of Vombisidris Bolton of the world. Sociobiology 59(3):1495-1507.