Colobopsis macarangae

This species nests in the myrmecophytic plant Macaranga lamellata in undisturbed forests in Sarawak. The plants provide domatia for nesting and produce food bodies. The ants also tend Coccus species on the plant. A second ant species (Crematogaster) sp., also inhabitats this plant but only one nest of one of these species is found on any given plant.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia.

Nomenclature

 *  macarangae. Camponotus macarangae Dumpert, 1996: 38, fig. 5 (w.q.m.) BORNEO. Combination in Colobopsis: Ward, et al., 2016: 350.

Worker
Holotype. TL 3.9, WL 1.25, PW 0.64, HL 1.15, HW 1.02, CI 88.7, SL 0.82, SI 124, OD 0.25 or 0.24 HW.

Head longer than wide (CI 88.7). HW nearly as large at the mandibles as near the occipital margin. Sides of the head weakly, occipital margin strongly rounded. Eyes are situated within the upper third of the head. Frontal carinae extend from the lower to the upper third of headlength. Apart from a slight indentation near the scapal insertion, the fro mal carinae are straight. Clypeus nor carinated and as long as wide (0.46 x 0.46 mm). Frontal area not visibly delimited and as much shiny as surroundings. Anterior clypeal margin considerably rounded. Mandibles short and slender, with lateral borders weakly curved and five unequal teeth on each masticatory border. The two apical teeth stronger than the remaining three. Antennal scapes relatively short, projecting beyond the occipital margin by about one fifth of their length. Apical flagellar segments slightly thickened.

Alitrunk with slight impression between promesonotum and propodeum. Pro- and mesonotum not marginated, propodeum rounded, showing neither margins nor thorns. Promesonotum, seen in profile, broadly rounded and higher than propodeum. Propodeal profile considerably flattened on top. Petiole with a broad base, tapering towards the apex into a blunt ridge. Seen from behind, petiolar apex is broad and notched.

Colour black to blackish brown. Mandibles, clypeus and the end of the gaster slightly lighter. Tarsi of the legs yellowish brown. Surface of head, alitrunk and gaster shiny. SEM-photograph reveals no special cuticular structures on head and alitrunk and only scarce decumbent pubescence. Gaster with weak decumbent pubescence. Longer erect and suberect hairs especially on clypeus, but also on rest of head, alitrunk and gaster.

Workers of this species are monomorphic to a large extent: variations in size are very small.

Paratypes: TL 3.7 + 0,25 (standard deviation), WL 1.23 + 0.1, PW 0.7 + 0.045, HL 1.1+ 0.1, HW 0.99 + 0.08, CI 90 + 1.2, SL 0.78 + 0.07, SI 125,1 + 7,5, OD 0.25 + 0.02 or 0.24 + 0.05 HW (measurements of 21 specimens).

Queen
Head considerably longer than wide (CI 85 + 1.1). Near the mandibles head nearly as wide as near the occipital margin (Fig. 5b). Sides of the head and occipital margin slightly convex. Eyes distinctly larger than those of workers and situated behind midlength of the sides of the head. Ocelli prominent, distance between ocelli 0.25 and 0.20 mm, respectively. Distance between ocelli and compound eyes 0.4 mm. Frontal carinae extend from the lower to the upper third of headlength. Apart from a slight indentation near the scapal insertion, they are straight and slightly divergent. Frontal area not visibly delimited and as much shining as surroundings. Clypeus not carinated and as long as wide (0.54 x 0.54 mm). Anterior clypeal margin nearly straight only slightly convex - with small median excision. Mandibles strong, distinctly rounded on outside and with five unequal teeth on inside. The two apical teeth stronger than the remaining three. Antennal scapes relatively short, projecting beyond the occipital margin by about one fifth of their length. Apical flagellar segments slightly thickened. Petiole with a broad base, tapering toward the apex into a narrow ridge, when seen from the side. Seen from behind, the petiolar apex is broad and nearly straight, showing a very weak notch.

Whole body shiny, covered sparsely with fine decumbent pubescence. Longer erect and subnerect hairs on whole body, especially on front parts of head and on mandibles. Head dark brown with lighter front parts and antennae, eyes black. Rest of body-yellow brown, kegs darker.

Paratypes (9): TL 5.8 ± 0,35 (standard deviation), WL 2.05 ± 0.15, PW 1.15 ± 0.20, HL 1.42 ± 0.1, HW 1.2 ± 0.08, CI 85 ± 1.1, SL 0.97 ± 0.06, SI 123 ± 8, OD 0.52 ± 0.01 or 0.43 ± 0.05 HW.

Male
Head with nearly parallel sides (not trapezoidal) and distinctly longer than wide (CI 87.4). Eyes prominent, extending to the upper end of head sides. Occipital margin strongly convex with protruding ocelli. Clypeus broad (width 0.27 mm) and weakly delimited from surrounding head parts. Anterior clypeal margin rounded (convex). Short frontal carinae divergent, reaching hack to upper third of head. Eyes very large: maximum diameter 0.38 mm or 0.5 HW. Mandibles strong and weakly rounded on the outside; inside armed with four teeth, one strong apical and three subequal rounded ones. Scapes short, projecting only slightly beyond occipital margin of head. Pedicel expanded at its distal end and thicker than following flagellar segments. Apical flagellar segments not thickened. Petiolar scale triangular in profile with a broad base tapering to a blunt ridge. Ridge with a deep median excision. Whole body shiny. Head in most parts brown, mandibles and front parts of head - as well as antennae- yellow-brown. Rest of body, including legs, yellow to yellow-brown. Wings whitish with yellow veins. Decumbent pubescence sparse on whole body; higher erect and suberect hairs denser, especially on head and alitrunk.

Paratypes (9): TL 4.2 ± 0.35 (standard deviation), WL 1.75 ± 0.15, PW 0.88 ± 0.15, HL 0.84 ± 0.04. HW 0.75 ± 0.03, CI 88.9 ± 3.5, SL 0.6 ± 0.05, SI 131.6 ± 9.5. OD 0.37 ± 0.01 or 0.46 ± 0.05 HW or 0.51 ± 0.02 HW.

Type Material
Holotype: Borneo: Sarawak, Lambir-Park, living in Macaranga lamellata, Jan. 1994, U. Maschwirz leg. (Naturhistorisches Museum Basel)

Paratypes: 21 workers with same data as holotype and Borneo: Sarawak, Lambir-Park, living in M. lamellata, 9/22/1994, U. Maschwitz leg. , and Borneo: Sarawak, Lambir-Park, living in M. lamellata, 2/2/1994, U. Maschwitz leg. (2 in Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University; 2 in collection of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong; 2 in Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genova; 15 in collection of the author)

Queen paratypes: Borneo: Sarawak, Lamhir-Park, living in Macaranga lamellata, Jan 1994, U. Maschwitz leg. and Borneo: Sarawak, Lambir-Park, living in M lamelatta, 9/22/1994, U. Maschwitz leg., and Borneo: Sarawak, Lambir-Park, living in M. lamellata. 2/2/1994, U. Maschwitz leg. (2 in Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University; 2 in collection of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong; 2 in Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genova; 3 in collection of the author).

Male paratypes: Borneo: Sarawak, Lambir-Park, living in Macaranga lamellata, Jan 1994, U. Maschwitz leg. and Borneo: Sarawak, Lamhir-Park, living in M. lamellata, 9/22/1994, U. Maschwitz leg. , and Borneo: Sarawak, Lamhir-Park, living in M. lamellata, 2/2/1994 U. Maschwitz leg. (2 in Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University; 2 in collection of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong; 2 in Museo Civico di Storia Naturale. Genova; 3 in collection of the author).

Etymology
The species name is derived from the fact that this species was exclusively found in Macaranga lamellata plants.