Anochetus schoedli

Identification
Zettel (2012) - Very small, light coloured species, TL 3.7 - 3.8 mm. Head stout, with hardly emarginated vertex; dorsal sculpture reaching nuchal carina. Eye minute, glabrous. Mandible stout and short, MdI 50; shaft medially with two weak edges, both serrate; intercalary tooth strongly developed. Antenna short, SI 81 82. Pronotum smooth, with sparse, fine punctures. Propodeum anteriorly strongly constricted, posteriorly without teeth or lobes. Petiole with narrow, acuminate node in lateral aspect, its dorsal margin broadly convex in anterior aspect; peduncle almost absent. Gaster tergite 1 with moderately large punctures. Whole dorsum with rather densely set, short setae.

Anochetus schoedli belongs to the A. longifossatus species group as defined by Brown (1978), an assemblage of small, light-pigmented Oriental species with reduced eyes, axially compressed petiolar node and smooth pronotal disc. However, when identifying A. schoedli with Brown's (1978) key to species, it keys out with Anochetus evansi, a phylogenetically distant species from Iran. As seen in this species, A. schoedli lacks a pair of propodeal teeth or lobes that is present in all other representatives of the A. longifossatus group. Brown (1978) noted in his chapter 18 (chiefly dealing with Anochetus pupulatus) that he has seen “badly damaged specimens ... from southern Negros” that have the “propodeal angles low and obtuse” and “may well represent yet another local small-eyed species.” However, it is presently uncertain, whether Brown's specimens from Negros are conspecific with A. schoedli from northern Luzon

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Philippines.

Nomenclature

 *  schoedli. Anochetus schoedli Zettel, 2012: 161, figs. 2, 16-19 (w.) PHILIPPINES (Luzon I.).

Worker
Measurements of holotype: TL 3.80; HL 1.00; HW 0.87; CI 87; MdL 0.50; MdI 50; SL 0.71; SI 81; MsL 1.20; PnW 0.48; PtH 0.31; PtL 0.32; PtW 0.23. Measurements of paratype: TL 3.77; HL 0.96; HW 0.84; CI 88; MdL 0.47; MdI 50; SL 0.69; SI 82; MsL 1.19; PnW 0.47; PtH 0.30; PtL 0.31; PtW 0.22.

Colour: Pale yellowish brown; propodeum and gaster tergites 2-3 slightly darker than other body parts. Head anterior of eyes, mandibles, antennae, and legs pale yellow.

Structures: Head squared, with weakly developed ocular and temporal prominences and hardly emarginated vertex; dorsal sculpture composed of a fine striation on frons and medial part of vertex (reaching posteriad to nuchal carina) and a relatively strong and dense puncturation on lateral parts, which is on medial part indistinct due to overlaying striation. Eye very small, glabrous. Mandible short, stout, medial plane narrow, apically reduced, ventral edge of plane distinctly serrate; intercalary tooth large. Antenna short; scape distinctly widened at middle; flagellum short and stout, antennomere 2 slightly longer than combined length of antennomeres 3+4, following antennomeres steadily increasing in length and width; antennomere 12 (including terminal spine) as long as combined length of antennomeres 9-11.

Mesosoma stout. Disc of pronotum smooth except for setiferous punctures. Mesonotum smooth, metanotum punctured. Propodeum with pair of longitudinal, anteriorly converging carinae which do not form teeth or lobes; posterior space between carinae (on dorsal surface) finely, transversely striate; posterior face of propodeum smooth. Sides of mesosoma mostly smooth, except for finely coriaceous stripes of lateral part of propodeum.

Petiole with extremely short peduncle; node in lateral aspect narrow, triangular, with pointed apex, in anterior aspect broad, with broadly rounded dorsal margin. Gaster smooth and shiny except for setaebearing punctures which are more distinct on anterior half of tergite 1.

Type Material
Holotype (worker, ) and one paratype (worker, ) from the north of Luzon Island, Benguet Province, near Baguio City, 2 km below Camp John Hay, ca. 1400 - 1500 m a.s.l., 18.II.1999, leg. H. Zettel (# 181)

Etymology
This species is dedicated to the late Dr. Stefan Schödl in reminiscence of our joint expedition to northern Luzon.