Myrmecina itoi

This species inhabits rotten wood. Workers, is found without specialized myrmecophilous oribatid mite (Ito, per. comm.).

Identification
Okido, Ogata, and Hosoishi (2020) - Distinguished by having a straight masticatory margin of the mandible, the simple anterior margin of the smooth and shining first gastral tergum, a short antennal scape just reaching occipital corner, the long petiole, and the large eye.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia, Malaysia.

Nomenclature

 * . Myrmecina itoi Okido, Ogata & Hosoishsi, 2020: 57, fig. 25 (w.) MALAYSIA.

Worker
Holotype worker. TL 3.41, HL 0.82, HW 0.76, CI 93, SL 0.64, SI 84, PW 0.56, ML 0.93. Paratype workers. TL 3.30-3.46, HL 0.78-0.82, HW 0.70-0.77, CI 90-94, SL 0.62-0.67, SI 88-89, PW 0.50-0.54, ML 0.93-0.96 (2 measured).

Head subrectangular, longer than broad in full-face view; median portion of occipital margin slightly concave; occipital corners rounded, not projected posteriorly. Masticatory margin of mandible straight; apical tooth strong, third tooth robust, followed by 6 small teeth. Dorsal surface of clypeus concave; median portion of anterior margin distinctly projected without a median process; lateral portion simple, lacking sharp ridge in front of antennal insertions. Anterior dorsal surface of labrum with paired blunt denticles, close to each other. Frontal carinae virtually absent, indistinguishable from rugae on dorsum of head. Eyes large and convex, varying in size with maximum diameter 0.16-0.18 mm and 9-10 ommatidia; malar space 1.5 times as long as diameter of eye or longer in profile; distance between occipital margin and posterior margin of eye twice as long as diameter of eye or longer. Antennal scape short, just reaching posterolateral corner of head; antennal flange weakly developed.

Dorsal outline of mesosoma slightly convex in profile. Pronotum without denticles; anterior portion marginate, but unclearly; anterior ventrolateral portion angulate. Furrow between pronotum and mesoepisternal projection more or less broad. Eumetanotal spine present but small. Propodeal spine triangular, as long as broad at base, just reaching vertical posteriormost limit of propodeum in profile. Propodeal lobe low. Propodeal spiracle slightly large, situated near base of propodeal spine, distance between posterior margin of spiracle and posterior margin of propodeum much longer than diameter of spiracle. Petiole short, as long as high in profile, and slightly longer than broad in dorsal view; small dorsal crest located at midlength in profile; subpetiolar process present at anterior portion, bearing acute anterior apex. Postpetiole slightly broader than petiole and expanded posteriorly in dorsal view; dorsal outline slightly convex or flattened in profile; ventral outline projected with acute anterior apex.

Anterior margin of gaster not concave in dorsal view; first gastral sternum simple without median longitudinal ridge.

Head with irregular rugae distinctly; ventrolateral portion smooth and shining. Clypeus smooth and shining. Mesosoma with wavy rugae distinctly. Forecoxa smooth and shining. Petiole and postpetiole with a few rugae. First gastral segment smooth and shining. Head with relatively dense and short pilosity on dorsum. Mesosoma with sparse and long pilosity on dorsum, hairs of pronotum as long as or slightly shorter than propodeal spine. Petiole without hairs on ventral surface. Postpetiole with 2-4 hairs on ventral surface. Body black, mandibles, antennal funiculus and legs yellowish brown to reddish brown, antennal scapes dark reddish brown.

Type Material
Holotype worker, MALAYSIA: Ulu Gombak, 24. x. 1996, FI96-695 (F. Ito). Paratypes. 11 workers and 2 males with same data as holotype (UMS,, ).