Paratopula ceylonica

Identification
Sheela (2008) - The main differences between Paratopula ceylonica and Paratopula intermedia (each numbered character is shown as the character state for P. ceylonica, a forward-slash,  and a P. intermedia value). 1.) TL- 5.3mm / 6.8mm; 2.) Distance between propodeal spines at their base - 1.2 / 1.7x; 3.) Metasternal process at apex - rounded / tending to be hooked; 4.) Post petiole - broader than long / longer than broad.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Philippines. Oriental Region: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan. Palaearctic Region: China.

Biology
This species is found in grasslands where it feeds on dead cockroach bodies and bread pieces (Mohyuddin et al., 2020).

Nomenclature

 *  ceylonica. Atopomyrmex ceylonicus Emery, 1901f: 114, fig. (q.) SRI LANKA. Forel, 1913f: 196 (w.); Bolton, 1988b: 138 (m.). Combination in Atopula: Emery, 1912b: 104; in Leptothorax: Forel, 1916: 459; in Paratopula: Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 144. Senior synonym of taylori: Bolton, 1988b: 138.
 * taylori. Leptothorax taylori Forel, 1902c: 228 (w.q.) INDIA. Combination in Atopula: Forel, 1913f: 197; in Leptothorax: Forel, 1916: 459. Subspecies of ceylonica: Forel, 1913f: 197. Junior synonym of ceylonica: Bolton, 1988b: 138.

Worker
Sheela (2008) - Described from a single queen, the following description is based on worker sampled in a sweep-net (Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India. 13-iv-2006, Sheela, S. Reg. No. 10510/H3, specimen housed in the National Zoological Collections, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India).

TL-5.3 mm, HL-1.l8 mm, HW-O.98 mm, CI-83, SL-O.82 mm, SI-83, PW-O.65 mm, AL-1.66 mm, ED-O.24mm.

Colour: Golden yellow with scape, clypeus and legs lighter and mandibles darker but masticatory margin black; sparse, short, erect, brownish yellow hairs present on head, thorax and abdomen; mandibles, antennae, legs and gaster show a wide spread short appressed pubescence; flagellum of antennae, apex of coxae, trochanter and base of femur with a few short, decumbent setae. Head, thorax and abdomen uniformly rugose, reticulate; ground sculpture evenly punctate, conspicuous on head, thorax and petiole; mandibles, legs except coxae and gaster except base are smooth; coxae lightly punctate and base of gaster with longitudinal striations; whole insect shining.

Head: Mandibles with three teeth at apex, of which apical one acute and S or 6 ill-defined teeth towards base; c1ypeus longitudinally striate, convex; its anterior margin medially shallowly indented; frontal carinae not well defined; eyes prominent, lateral, placed in the middle, more anterior.

Thorax: Pronotal humeri almost rounded; pronotum (excluding collar) slightly broader than long; promesonotum shallowly convex; pro-mesonotal suture not distinct; meso-metanotal suture deeply impressed and base of propodeum convex and gradually sloping towards apex; spines slender, tips not sharp; slightly longer than distance between bases(6:5); metastemal process rounded.

Abdomen: Petiole node longer than its anterior peduncle; length and breadth of node subequal in dorsal view; post-petiole distinctly broader than long, 1.3 x breadth of petiole; gaster broadly oval.

Type Material
Sheela (2008) - Holotype female, SRI LANKA,. Leptothorax taylori: Syntype worker and female, INDIA: Orissa (Taylor), Barrakpur (Rothney.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton B. 1988. A review of Paratopula Wheeler, a forgotten genus of myrmicine ants (Hym., Formicidae). Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 124: 125-143
 * Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
 * Collingwood C. A. 1962. Some ants (Hym. Formicidae) from north-east Asia. Entomologisk Tidskrift 83: 215-230.
 * Dias R. K. S. 2002. Current knowledge on ants of Sri Lanka. ANeT Newsletter 4: 17- 21.
 * Dias R. K. S. 2006. Current taxonomic status of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. The Fauna of Sri Lanka: 43-52. Bambaradeniya, C.N.B. (Editor), 2006. Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation. The World Conservation Union, Colombo, Sri Lanka & Government of Sri Lanka. viii + 308pp.
 * Dias R. K. S., K. R. K. A. Kosgamage, and H. A. W. S. Peiris. 2012. The Taxonomy and Conservation Status of Ants (Order: Hymenoptera, Family: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. In: The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Weerakoon, D.K. & S. Wijesundara Eds., Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka. p11-19.
 * Emery C. 1901. Ameisen gesammelt in Ceylon von Dr. W. Horn 1899. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 1901: 113-122.
 * Forel A. 1902. Myrmicinae nouveaux de l'Inde et de Ceylan. Rev. Suisse Zool. 10: 165-249.
 * Forel A. 1903. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part X. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 14: 679-715.
 * Forel A. 1913. H. Sauter's Formosa-Ausbeute: Formicidae II. Arch. Naturgesch. (A)79(6): 183-202
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Rasheed M. T., I. Bodlah, A. G. Fareen, A. A. Wachkoo, X. Huang, and S. A. Akbar. 2019. A checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Pakistan. Sociobiology 66(3): 426-439.
 * Sheela S., 2008. First record of the rare ant Paratopula ceylonica Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Uttar Pradesh, India with a note to the genus. J. Exp. Zool. India 11(2): 423-425.
 * Terayama M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University. Liberal Arts 17:81-266.
 * Terayama Mamoru. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta, Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
 * Terayama, M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta; Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
 * Umair M., A. Zia, M. Naeem, and M. T. Chaudhry. 2012. Species composition of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Potohar Plateau of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Zoology 44(3): 669-705.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1929. Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in Formosa, the Malay Peninsula and the Philippines. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 24: 27-64.
 * Xu Z. H., and G. L. Xu. 2011. A new species of the genus Paratopula Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Tibet. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 36(3): 595-57.