Echinopla lineata

Collected numerous times, one collection is noted as being from a rainforest.

Identification
Zettel and Laciny (2015) - Echinopla lineata has some similarities with Echinopla striata, especially in sculpture, but can be recognized by the combination of black colour (without metallic lustre), coarse longitudinal striation on head and mesosoma, fine longitudinal striation on gaster, long white setae, and relatively abundant short appressed hair that gives the specimens a dull appearance. See also notes on the similar Echinopla senilis.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Krakatau Islands, Malaysia, Singapore. Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 *  lineata. Echinopla lineata Mayr, 1862: 689 (w.) INDONESIA (Java). Mayr, 1872: 143 (q.). Senior synonym of sucki: Emery, 1925b: 211. See also: Mayr, 1865: 48.
 * sucki. Echinopla sucki Forel, 1901h: 75 (w.) BORNEO. Junior synonym of lineata: Emery, 1925b: 211.

Zettel and Laciny (2015) - The species was originally described from Java (Mayr 1862). This first description is very short, but Mayr (1865) presents illustrations and a much more detailed description. Emery (1900) recorded E. lineata from Sumatra. Echinopla sucki was described by Forel (1901) from Sarawak, Borneo, and synonymised by Emery (1925). After having studied the pictures of a syntype of E. sucki in Antweb (2015) and non-type specimens from Sarawak, we affirm this synonymy. We also confirm the presence of E. lineata in Sabah, northern Borneo, based on examined worker specimens in the P.S. Ward Collection and in the California Academy of Sciences. Antweb (2015) records two specimens from Sabah (not examined), but the illustrated one from the Maliau Basin is not E. lineata, because it differs strongly by a fine sculpture of head and thoracic nota, by long black pilosity and the almost absent short hair on the thoracic nota; except for its non-metallic colour it resembles E. striata. Also the Antweb (2015) record of E. lineata in Singapore can be confirmed after having studied the illustrations of this specimen and additionally collected specimens. Antbase (2015) illustrates a correctly identified worker from Kuala Lumpur, West Malaysia, in the Natural History Museum in London.

Worker
Zettel and Laciny (2015) - Lectotype. TL 6.3; HW1 1.66; HW2 1.58; HL 1.57; EL 0.36; SL 1.39; SW 0.18; HaL 0.48; PML 1.17; PMW 1.50; PpL 1.04; PpW 1.20; PH 0.47; PL 0.51; PW 1.23; GL 1.65; GW 1.80. Indices: CI 106; SI 84; MI 148.

Type Material
Lectotype (worker, present designation, ) from “Batavia (Novara)” (Mayr 1862). Paralectotypes (2 workers, NHMW), from the same locality.

The collection of NHMW contains five historical specimens of E. lineata, one of which was erroneously labelled as E. senilis. Three specimens are considered as types, whereas one gyne from Java (see Mayr 1872) and one worker collected by Ida Pfeiffer from an unknown locality are non-type specimens. The worker (paralectotype) labelled “Batavia” (now Jakarta, Java, Indonesia) is missing its head. One worker (paralectotype) bears the same locality code label Q and the same Novara expedition label as the lectotype, but a determination label “Echinopla senilis det. G. Mayr” (in Anton Handlirsch’s handwriting!) which is probably a curatorial error (see notes for Echinopla senilis''). This slightly damaged specimen clearly belongs to E. lineata. The third type specimen, which is in a very good condition, was selected as the lectotype.