Temnothorax makora

T. makora nests in dead twigs on standing trees in forests or forest margins.

Identification
Terayama and Onoyama (1999) - Total length of workers around 2-2.5 mm. Body color black to blackish brown. Scapes long, reaching posterior margin of head in full-face view. Mesosomal dorsum moderately convex in profile. Metanotal groove weakly incised dorsally. Propodeal spines long, about 3 times as long as their basal width. Petiolar node high and reverse U-shaped.

This species resembles Temnothorax spinosior and Temnothorax anira. It is distinguished from T. spinosior by the reverse U-shaped petiolar node, and from T. anira by the convex mesosomal dorsum.

Distribution
Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Japan.

Nomenclature

 *  makora. Leptothorax makora Terayama & Onoyama, 1999: 90, fig. 15 (w.) JAPAN. Combination in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271.

Worker
Holotype. HL 0.58 mm; HW 0.50 mm; CI 86; SL 0.48 mm; SI 96; WL 0.70 mm; PW 0.35 mm; PtW 0.14 mm; PtH 0.20 mm; TL 2.2 mm.

Head 1.2 times as long as wide, with straight posterior margin in full-face view; sides behind eyes subparallel. Mandibles longitudinally rugulose. Anterior margin of clypeus moderately convex. Antennae with 12 segments; scapes long, just reaching posterior margin of head in full-face view. Eyes moderate in size, maximum diameter 0.14 mm, with about 10 facets in the longest row.

Mesosomal dorsum moderately convex in profile. Metanotal groove weakly incised dorsally. Propodeal dorsum almost straight in profile; propodeal spines acute and long, about 3 times as long as their basal width; posterior half slightly downcurved.

Petiole longer than high, with long peduncle; node high and reverse U-shaped. Subpetiolar process small and triangular, in profile the anterior margin vertical to the petiolar longitudinal axis. Postpetiole slightly longer than high, with relatively strongly convex dorsal margin in profile; node in dorsal view about 1.4 times as wide as long, with convex sides and nearly straight anterior margin.

Clypeus and frontal triangle each with a distinct, long median carina, but nearly smooth around the carinae. Head dorsum longitudinally rugulose and with some cross-meshes, the spaces between densely punctulate. Pronotum longitudinally rugose, mesonotal and propodeal dorsa rugulose, mesonotal and propodeal sides longitudinally rugulose. Petiole and postpetiole densely punctulate. Gaster smooth and shining.

Head dorsum with moderately abundant erect hairs; erect and stout hairs present on mesosoma (about 20), petiole (2 pairs), and postpetiole (3 pairs); gaster with suberect hairs; propodeal spines each with a short erect hair; the longest hair on dorsum of mesosoma 0.11 mm.

Body color black to blackish brown; mandibles, antennae and legs brown.

Type Material
Holotype. Worker, Gifu City, Gifu Pref., 28. IX. 1980, K. Kinomura leg. Paratypes. 15 workers, same data as holotype; 5 workers, Nawari City, Mie Pref., 10. VIII. 1986, A. Amagasu leg.

Determination Clarifications
This species corresponds to Leptothorax sp. 1 of Kinomura et al. (1982) and Leptothorax sp. 9 of Terayama et al. (1992).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Ikeshita Y., A. Gotoh, K. Yamamoto, N. Taniguchi, and F. Ito. 2007. Ants collected in Mt. Linoyama, Marugame, Kagawa Prefecture (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Kagawa Seibutsu 34: 59-62.