Overbeckia papuana

The arboreal nest of O. papuana in Papua New Guinea was collected at 16.4 m in a dead vine growing along the tree trunk of Trichospermum pleiostigma (F. Muell.) Kosterm. (diameter at breast height = 16.3 cm). The nest consisted of less than one hundred workers, with one wingless gyne, three males, and multiple larvae and pupae enclosed in cocoons.

Identification
General appearance of worker and queen as in Overbeckia subclavata, but hairier on the head, with erect hairs on dorsum of petiole, thorax and abdomen; a few hairs also present on distal part of scape. Head integument less punctate than in O. subclavata, with many short-erect hairs extending past head margins in frontal view; tiny appressed hairs in high densities all over the head including genae; frontal carinae significantly approaching one another anteriorly (FCDI > 190) (Fig. 5d).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia. Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea.

Nomenclature

 * . Overbeckia papuana Klimes, in Klimes et al., 2022: 570, figs. 5, 6 (w.q.m.) PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

Type Material

 * Holotype. Worker (ZMHB): Morphospecies ‘CAMP021’/Acc.N. ‘HP0177’/Tree number code ‘WS4D0868’/Secondary forest/Wanang village/Madang province/Papua New Guinea/8.iii.2007/05°14′S, 145°11′E/leg. M. Rimandai.
 * Paratypes. Five workers (1w ZMHB, 1w IECA, 2w NAIC, 1w MZB), one male (ZMHB), one queen without wings (ZMHB): From the same nest series as holotype (the same data).

Taxonomic Notes
The material from Australia was examined and measured mainly from photographs from the following sources: (i) the book by McArthur (2012), where a worker of Overbeckia was incorrectly assigned to Camponotus janeti (minor worker fits O. papuana, whereas major worker presumably fits C. janeti; there is uncertainty as to whether the two individuals are from different localities and pins or are on a single pin at SAMA); (ii) the photos on AntWeb of the three specimens in Heterick (2019). The Australian specimens appear to be larger in body size based on the measures from the photos (4 workers measured from photos, WL > 1.95 mm) than the Papua New Guinea (PNG) nest series (6w measured, WL < 1.74). However, we treat these as one species because the Australian single specimen sent by P. Ward for direct examination (n#15720) matches O. papuana types in the body size (WL = 1.64; Supplementary Table S1) and morphology.