Parasyscia seema

Manalar, part of Periyar tiger reserve, the type locality of this species is a fascinating green hill station (with plenty of leaf litter) surrounded on all sides by the tea gardens of Tamil Nadu. This species was found nesting beneath the marker stone on the border which separates Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is presumed that the nest was in its initial stages of establishment as there were hardly any galleries and underground chambers. A single queen, 3 ergatoid queens and 7 workers were collected. This species seems uncommon in the Western Ghats range, since it was not encountered again from any other locality.

Identification
Key to Cerapachys of India

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 *  seema. Cerapachys seema Bharti & Akbar, 2013: 95, figs. 8B, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 41, Table 1 (w.q.) INDIA.

Type material. Holotype worker: India. Kerala, Periyar tiger reserve, Manalar, 9°35'N, 77°18'E, 1630m a.s.l., 24.x.2011, hand picking. Paratypes: 4 workers, 3 ergatoid queens and 1 gyne, same data as holotype (coll. Shahid A. Akbar). Holotype in PUAC and paratype in BMNH.