Terataner balrog

Identification
Terataner balrog can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters: in full-face view head subrectangular and barely longer than wide (CI 93–97); petiole and postpetiole without long, dorsal spines; postpetiole in profile relatively thin and anteroposteriorly compressed, with high and acute triangular dorsum; postpetiole in dorsal view extremely wide, shield-like with sharp transverse crest, apex of dorsum bilobate; dorsum of pronotum conspicuously transversely sulcate/porcate; petiole and postpetiole conspicuously sculptured.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Biology
Terataner balrog is known from Tsingy de Bemaraha and Kirindy in arid, western Madagascar where it was sampled from tropical dry forest habitats. It seems to live in twigs and branches on low vegetation above ground, as well as in tree stumps on the ground and in roots in the ground. Foragers can be found in the lower vegetation and in smaller numbers also on the ground.

Castes
Ergatoid queen.

No alate or dealate queens occur in any of the Malagasy Terataner species. Colonies are almost always monogynous with a single reproductive, an ergatoid queen, that differs only slightly from corresponding workers. This reproductive lacks both wings and ocelli, and has an almost normal, worker-like thorax. The ergatoid queen is externally distinguishable from workers only by very subtle characters (e.g., small spines or tubercles below the mesonotal groove; a unique pattern of rugae on the sides of the pronotum) that vary among species. Ergatoid queens have ovaries bearing two to three ovarioles.

Nomenclature

 *  balrog. Terataner balrog Hita Garcia, 2017: 13, fig. 4. (w.) MADAGASCAR.

Description
Etymology. The new species is named after the fictional evil creature from J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy in reference to the “dark” predatory lifestyle common within the genus Terataner, as well as its strongly armoured and horned gestalt. The species epithet is a noun in apposition and thus invariant.

Type Material
Holotype, pinned worker, MADAGASCAR, Mahajanga, Parc National Tsingy de Bemaraha, 2.5 km 62˚ ENE Bekopaka, Ankidrodroa River, -19.13222˚, 44.81467˚, 100 m, tropical dry forest on tsingy, sifted litter (leaf mould, rotten wood), collection code BLF04340, 11.XI.2001 (B.L. Fisher et al.) (CASC: CASENT0472559).