Crematogaster dalyi

This species is only known from the type locality in India.

Identification
A member of the Crematogaster ranavalonae-group

Hosoishi (2015) - This species is similar to Crematogaster sikkimensis, but differs in having short propodeal spines.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 * . Crematogaster (Oxygyne) dalyi Forel, 1902c: 201 (w.) INDIA (Tamil Nadu).
 * Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Hosoishi, 2015: 77), 2 paralectotype workers.
 * Type-locality: lectotype India: Coonoor (Daly); paralectotypes with same data.
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Status as species: Forel, 1903a: 683; Bingham, 1903: 138; Emery, 1922e: 157; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 100; Bolton, 1995b: 151; Tiwari, 1999: 48; Hosoishi, 2015: 76 (redescription); Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 36.
 * Distribution: India.

Worker
Hosoishi (2015) - (type workers, n = 3) HW 0.86-0.92; HL 0.85-0.87; CI 99-108; SL 0.74-0.75; SI 80-87; EL 0.16-0.18; PW 0.55-0.58; WL 1.02-1.03; PSL 0.1-0.12; PtL 0.25-0.26; PtW 0.30-0.33; PtH 0.16-0.17; PpL 0.17-0.18; PpW 0.37- 0.39; PtHI 64-65; PtWI 115-132; PpWI 217-229; WI 118-126.

Head appearing subquadratic in front view. Mandible weakly striate, with four teeth, apical and subapical teeth large, basal two teeth smaller. Scape exceeding posterior corner of head, with dense appressed setae, each of which is less than width of scape. Compound eye slightly projecting beyond lateral margin of head in full face view.

Ventrolateral katepisternal ridge indistinct posteriorly. Propodeal spine short and stout; length longer than spiracle, directed upward; dorsum as high as anterior propodeum in lateral view. Propodeal spiracle situated close to propodeal declivity in lateral view, directed laterally.

In dorsal view, shape of petiole scoop, longer than broad. Petiolar spiracle big, as wide as half of propodeal spiracle in size. Postpetiolar spiracle big and distinct, located anteriorly on lateral surface. In dorsal view, postpetiole broader than long, strongly bilobed but without longitudinal median sulcus. Postpetiole distinctly wider than petiole in dorsal view.

Integument essentially smooth and shiny. Clypeus generally smooth and shiny, but with feable rugulae. Malar region smooth and shiny. Dorsal surface of promesonotum smooth and shiny. Lateral surface of pronotum generally smooth and shiny, but with longitudinal rugulae on anterior portion. Mesopleuron and lateral propodeum generally smooth and shiny, but with weak longitudinal rugulae. Dorsal surface of propodeum smooth and shiny.

Erect pilosity absent. Dorsum of head, clypeus and mesosoma with short and appressed setae. Clypeus with one pair of longer setae on anteriormost portion, directed medially. Anterior clypeal margin with one single longer setae and two pairs of longer setae on the median portion, mixed with some shorter setae on sides. No erect seate on pronotal shoulders. Posterolateral tubercle without appressed setae. Ventral surface of petiole with appressed setae. Postpetiole without setae posteriorly. Fourth abdominal tergite with short and appressed setae.

Body color brown.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * 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
 * 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
 * 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.
 * Hosoishi S. and K. Ogata. 2009. A check list of the ant genus Crematogaster in Asia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bull. Inst. Trop. Agr. Kyushu Univ. 32: 43-83.
 * Pajni H. R., and R. K. Suri. 1978. First report on the Formicid fauna (Hymenoptera) of Chandigarh. Res. Bull. (Science) Punjab University 29: 5-12.
 * Rajan P. D., M. Zacharias, and T. M. Mustak Ali. 2006. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Fauna of Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka). Conservation Area Series, Zool. Surv. India.i-iv,27: 153-188.
 * Tiwari R. N. 1999. Taxonomic studies on ants of southern India (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Memoirs of the Zoological Survey of India 18(4): 1-96.