Temnothorax pakistanensis

A single colony of newly recorded species was collected from under a large stone in a thick pine forest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Himalayan range of Pakistan. Several individuals were observed foraging on small grasses alongside ants of the genus Myrmica. The nesting site was located a few meters away from a roadside. The collection locality has sufficient water sources, low temperature, high humidity, and low human activity (Rasheed et al., 2020).

Identification
This species most resembles Temnothorax himachalensis, but can be distinguished by nearly rectangular head, long and distinct petiolar peduncle, smooth areas between rugae, longer propodeal spines and rounded postpetiole in dorsal view. Workers of T. himachalensis have subrectangular head, shorter peduncle, sculpture minutely microreticulate between small patches of rugae, relatively shorter propodeal spines and trapezoidal postpetiole in dorsal view.

Distribution
Known only from the Himalayan type locality, Khanspur village, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Pakistan.

Nomenclature

 * . Temnothorax pakistanensis Rasheed et al., 2020: 377, figs. 3A–3D, 4A–4C (w.q.) PAKISTAN.

Etymology
From the type locality.