Prenolepis rinpoche

Prenolepis rinpoche is known from one locality southwest of Jomsom, Nepal, and was collected in temperate forest in the Kali Gandaki Gorge, between the peaks of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.

Identification
Similar species: Prenolepis darlena, Prenolepis fisheri, Prenolepis fustinoda, Prenolepis nepalensis and Prenolepis shanialena.

Prenolepis rinpoche most strongly resembles five other high elevation species found in South and Southeast Asia: P. darlena, P. fisheri, P. fustinoda, P. nepalensis, and P. shanialena. It is similar to P. darlena, P. fisheri, P fustinoda, and P. nepalensis in the proportions of the head in full-face view: The heads of these species are broad and subtriangular to quadrate, with widely set eyes. However, unlike these other four, P. rinpoche has a much more pronounced medial clypeal keel, decumbent (as opposed to erect) scape macrosetae, and almost entirely lacks sculpturing on the head and mesosoma. The four other species also have an elongated petiole with a rounded apex of the scale, whereas P. rinpoche has a petiole more comparable to what is found in most other Prenolepis species: It is subtriangular and not elongate (Fig. 5D), with a forward inclined, pointed apex of the scale.

Williams' PCA plot (Fig. 4) shows that all three specimens of P. rinpoche form a distinct cluster in morphospace, well outside the range of [[P. shanialena]. Similarly, index plots (Figs. 5 and 6) indicate distinct clustering of these two species. Biogeography also provides support for this new species description: P. rinpoche appears to be endemic to Nepal, well outside the Southeast Asian range of P. shanialena.

Distribution based on type material
Nepal.

Nomenclature

 * . Prenolepis rinpoche Williams, 2022: 4, figs. 1-3 (w.) NEPAL.

Type Material

 * Holotype worker: Nepal, Gandaki Province, Mustang District, 20 km SSW Jomsom, 28.6167 N, 83.6333 E, 2300 m, 4 Dec 1988, Phil S. Ward #9645 (deposited in MCZC).
 * Paratypes: 2 workers with same locality information as holotype (deposited in MCZC).

Taxonomic Notes
The specimen previously identified in Nepal as Prenolepis fisheri (CASENT0281462) is now the type specimen of P. nepalensis.