Carebara periyarensis

The only known specimens of this Indian species were manually collected beneath a stone in Medaganam region of the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The ground is heavily covered with leaf litter and has a dense canopy overhead. The region has an average daily temperature of 32°C and is comprised of intact tropical wet evergreen forest with minimum light penetration.

Identification
C. periyarensis can be differentiated from the already described species from India on the basis of antennal segment as new species have 11 segmented antenna while rest of the species have 9 segmented antenna excluding Carebara affinis and Carebara diversa having 11 segmented antenna.

Though, it can be differentiated from C. affinis on the basis of following characteristics (Fig. 7 A, B and Fig. 7 C, D)
 * Head in C. periyarensis is as long as broad (head is distinctly longer than broad in C. affinis)
 * In C. periyarensis petiole node dorsally emarginated (petiole node dorsally not emarginated in C. affinis)
 * In C. periyarensis propodeum with a pair of denticles (propodeum with a pair of distinct long spines in C. affinis)
 * In C. periyarensis head finely and longitudinally striate throughout except small smooth median area at the frontal region, pronotum dorsally with longitudinal striations and laterally with transverse striations (head feebly longitudinally striate and mostly smooth with punctures, pronotum mostly smooth with few transverse striations anteriorly in C. affinis)

From C. diversa (Fig. 7 E, F), it can be distinguished by the following combination of characteristics
 * In C. periyarensis body size not large TL (Major worker 3.54-3.76mm and Minor Worker 1.76-1.92mm) (body of C. diversa is disproportionately huge TL (Major worker 10.34-11.71mm and Minor Worker 2.08-2.57mm)
 * In C. periyarensis head is short without a median ocellus in front and propodeum with a pair of short spine (head massive and subtriangular with a median ocellus in front and propodeum with a pair of distinct long spines in C. diversa)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 * . Carebara periyarensis Dhadwal & Bharti, 2022: 410, figs. 1-6 (s.w.) INDIA (Kerala).

Type Material

 * Holotype (worker): India: Kerala: Periyar Tiger Reserve, 930m, 9.3230°N, 77.1315°E, 27.i.2017 [PUAC T 101].
 * Paratype; 6 (w.) with same data as holotype, Hand picking method, leg. Tarun Dhadwal [PUAC T 103-108 ].