Carebara dentata

Carebara dentata is a dimorphic species and is widespread in Shivalik range of North-­western Himalaya.

Identification
Bharti & Kumar (2013) - In some of the major workers the frons anterior to occiput is longitudinally rugulose. However, C. dentata resembles Carebara rectidorsa (Xu, 2003), but can be easily distinguished by the combination of following features: head anteriorly and posteriorly equally broader, eyes with a single ommatidium, anterior clypeal margin prominently concave, propodeum with posterodorsal corners bluntly angled, postpetiole broader than petiole in dorsal view (PTW 0.13mm, PPTW 0.18mm), body large in size (TL 2.42mm), while in C. rectidorsa head narrowed forward, eyes with two facet, anterior clypeal margin weakly concave, propodeal posterodorsal corners prominently rounded, postpetiolar and petiolar node equally broader (PTW 0.10mm), body smaller in size (TL 1.7mm).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Castes
Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 * . Carebara dentata Bharti & Kumar, 2013b: 50, figs. 4-9 (s.w.) INDIA (Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand).
 * Status as species: Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 34; Akbar & Bharti, 2017: 37 (in key).

Worker
Major. Measurements. Holotype Ψ. HL 0.73, HW 0.56, SL 0.30, ML 0.19, ED 0.02, MSL 0.57, PW 0.32, PTL 0.21, PPTL 0.15, PTW 0.13, PPTW 0.18, PTH 0.14, PPTH 0.12, GL 0.57, TL 2.42, CI 76.71, EI 3.57, SI 53.57.

Paratypes Ψ. HL 0.73-0.75, HW 0.54-0.57, SL 0.30-0.32, ML 0.19-0.20, ED 0.02, MSL 0.55-0.60, PW 0.25-0.35, PTL 0.19-0.22, PPTL 0.14-0.18, PTW 0.11-0.13, PPTW 0.15-0.18, PTH 0.14-0.15, PPTH 0.11-0.13, GL 0.54-0.62, TL 2.35-2.56, CI 73.97-76.71, EI 3.51-3.70, SI 53.57-57.41 (7 measured).

Head large, massive, longer than broad, sides weakly convex, nearly rectangular in full-face view with anterior and posterior margins equal; posterior margin of head concave; posterolateral corners of head equipped with minute horns in profile; clypeus longitudinally weakly concave, anterior margin prominently concave with two blunt lateral teeth; mandibles triangular, masticatory margin with five teeth; frontal lobes developed, raised laterally and cover the condylar bulb; eyes with single ommatidium, situated below mid-length of head at a distance of 0.19mm from mandibular insertions into head; antennae slender, nine segmented; scape short, almost reach to half of the distance from antennal insertion to posterior margin of head and 0.41x of head length; promesonotum high, rounded and strongly convex, suture indistinct; metanotal groove broad and deep; dorsal face of propodeum short, weakly concave, sloping backwardly and with posterodorsal corners bluntly angled; declivitous face weakly concave, with narrow lateral laminae; petiole with a long peduncle, ventral face sinuate, node thick at base, dorsum convex in lateral view, broader than long; postpetiole weakly convex, as broad as long and its node broader than petiolar node; gaster broadly oval.

Head longitudinally rugulose up to level of almost half of scape length; posterior margin of head transversely rugose; frontal lobes finely longitudinally rugulose; clypeus with lateral divergent carinae; clypeus and mandibles smooth and shiny; mesosoma smooth and shiny except katepisternum, lower half of metapleuron and upper half of declivitous face of propodeum finely punctured with fine longitudinal rugulae; petiolar and postpetiolar nodes, gaster and legs smooth and shiny. Head and gaster brownish; antennae, mesosoma and legs yellowish brown; head and legs with short suberect hairs, three-four pairs of long hairs directed outward and forward behind eyes near occipital lobes; scape with short subdecumbent hairs; rest of the body with short and long, suberect hairs.

Minor. Paratype workers. HL 0.31-0.38, HW 0.27-0.32, SL 0.21-0.24, ML 0.07-0.11, ED 0.02, MSL 0.29-0.39, PW 0.16-0.22, PTL 0.11-0.14, PPTL 0.06-0.10, PTW 0.06-0.07, PPTW 0.07-0.08, PTH 0.06-0.10, PPTH 0.05-0.06, GL 0.22-0.32, TL 1.06-1.44, CI 84.21-87.1, EI 6.25-7.41, SI 75-77.78 (10 measured)

Head slightly longer than broad, not massive, sides convex; posterior margin of head weakly concave; mandibles with five acute teeth; clypeus steep flat, anterior margin straight without two blunt lateral teeth; eyes situated below mid-length of head at a distance of 0.08mm from mandible insertion into head; scape reach to 2/3rd of the distance from antennal insertion to posterior margin of head and 0.63-0.68x of head length; promesonotum weakly convex; promesonotal suture absent; dorsal face of propodeum weakly convex, with posterodorsal corners rounded; ventral face of petiole straight, petiolar node rounded in dorsum; gaster elongate oval.

Head smooth and shinning except genae which are faintly longitudinally rugulose; frontal lobes smooth; katepisternum faintly punctured, metapleuron and declivitous face of propodeum smooth and shiny.

Body yellowish brown; head without long hairs. Rest like major worker.

Type Material
Holotype major worker, India: Himachal Pradesh, Mandi, 31.704716° N 76.937497° E, 800m, 27.06.2010, soil core; R. Kumar Leg.:. Paratypes. India. Punjab: Raja Ranjit Sagar Dam, 600m, 1 worker, 20.06.2009, soil core. Jammu and Kashmir: Suriensar, 700m, 3 workers, 14.07.2009, soil core; Kathua, 350m, 3 workers, 25.07.2010, soil core. Uttarakhand: Rajaji Forest Area, 660m, 4 workers, 11.08.2009, winkler; Dehradun, Forest Research Institute, 640m, 4 workers, 31.07.2009, soil core, 7 workers, 04.08.2009, winkler. Himachal Pradesh: Andretta, 940m, 3 major workers, 12.06.2010, soil core; Mandi, 800m, 5 major workers, 27.06.2010, soil core, 3 workers, 27.06.2010, soil core; Kotla, 560m, 1 worker, 13.07.2010, soil core; Terrace, 420m, 2 workers, 17.07.2010, winkler. R. Kumar Leg.; PUPAC.

Etymology
The specific epithet refers to the minute horns on the posterolateral corners of head.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bharti H., and R. Kumar. 2013. Six new species of Carebara Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with restructuring of world species groups and a key to Indian species. J. Entomol. Res. Soc. 15(1): 47-67.