Formica kashmirica

This species, known only by the type series collected from the Nubra Valley (3000 m), Ladakh, India. There is no information on habitat and biology – the actual landscape picture of the type locality is an open, treeless mountain valley with a river and alluvial soils (Seifert and Schultz 2009).

Identification
Seifert and Schultz (2009): This species is clearly not a species of the F. rufibarbis group but clusters in a DA in the centre of the F. subpilosa group: the squared Mahalanobis distance from the centroid is only 0.194 in a DA against the F. cinerea and F. rufibarbis group (Fig. 5) and 0.092 in a DA only against the F. rufibarbis group (Fig. 6). The remarkable reduction of setae on dorsal mesosomal sclerites compared to those on lower body parts, scape, and legs is apparently not the result of secondary mechanical damage – the undisturbed, homogenous pubescence condition and the missing remnants of setae bases in the scattered microfoveolae on dorsal mesosoma support this view.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India, Kashmir.

Nomenclature

 *  kashmirica. Formica (Serviformica) rufibarbis var. kashmirica Stärcke, 1935: 268 (w.q.m.) KASHMIR. Raised to species: Seifert & Schultz, 2008: 81.

Description
Worker

Seifert and Schultz (2009): Head moderately elongated (CL / CW1.4 1.141), lateral ocelli more distant than in F. subpilosa (OceD / CS1.4 0.185) and petiole wider (PEW / CS1.4 0.435). Clypeus with very fine longitudinal microcarinulae and sharp median keel. Frontal triangle finely transversely rippled and with 40 - 50 short pubescence hairs. Eyes with microsetae of 10 - 14 µm maximum length. Dorsal plane of scape in the two larger workers with single semierect seta, frontal edge of scape with 5 - 7 semierect setae (if repeated in other samples, a clear difference from all related species). Total mean of unilateral setae numbers on different body parts predicted for a specimen with CS = 1.4 mm: posterior margin of vertex 2.5, underside of head 1.9, pronotum 4.8, mesonotum 1.1, propodeum plus dorsolateral metanotum 2.2, petiole 1.6 (setae here only dorsal of spiracle), flexor profile of hind tibia 9.9 (long setae!). Ventral coxae and gaster tergites with long setae. Depth of metanotal depression rather deep (8.9% of CS); profile formed by dorsal and caudodorsal propodeum more convex than angulate. Petiole scale in frontal view wide, reaching its largest width in upper third, with slightly convex sides, dorsal crest only slightly convex (almost straight). Gaster with transverse microripples, their distance clearly smaller than in F. subpilosa (RipD 4.1 µm), covered by dense silvery pubescence (sqPDG 3.2) and with a number of long and tapering setae, GHL / CS 8.2%. Colour pattern most similar to F. subpilosa: mesosoma, coxae, all appendages and petiole yellowish red; in holotype, whole head yellowish red, in paratypes, frons and posterior vertex infuscated. Gaster medium brown with red tinge, frontal face of first tergite in two specimens yellowish red.