Proceratium confinium

Identification
A member of the pergandei clade. Proceratium confinium resembles Proceratium californicum in general morphology. Both species have impressed propodeal suture, a unique character for some members of the pergandei clade but appearing also in two other species (Proceratium toschii and Proceratium microsculptum) belonging to different clades. Differing from californicum, in the worker, by the antennal socket strongly surpassing the anterolateral clypeal border instead of simply behind the anterolateral clypeal border, by the sculpture on the head, mesosoma and petiole more marked and by the presence of long, suberect hairs on the antennae, head, mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole and legs. (Baroni Urbani and de Andrade 2003)

Distribution
This taxon was described, and is only known, from Pakistan.

Nomenclature

 *  confinium. Proceratium confinium De Andrade, in Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2003b: 248, fig. 103 (w.) PAKISTAN.

Worker
Head longer than broad, with subparallel sides, gently converging posteriorly on the posterior fourth. Vertex in full face view flat. Anteromedian part of the clypeus small, triangular, protruding anteriorly slightly more than the antenna1 socket. Antennal socket strongly protruding anteriorly and surpassing the anterolateral clypeal margin. Frontal carinae almost touching each other, narrowly separated posteriorly. Lateral expansions of the frontal carinae extremely narrow and slightly higher medially. Head anterolaterally with a short, superficially marked, longitudinal carina. Genal carina absent. Gular area not impressed. Eyes absent: without trace even of pigmented cuticular spot. First funicular joint about half longer than broad. Funicular joints 2-10 as broad as long to slightly longer than broad. Last funicular joint slightly shorter than the sum of the joints 7-10. Scapes almost reaching the vertexal border. Masticatory margin of the mandibles with 3 denticles before the pointed apical tooth. Palp formula apparently 3,2.

Mesosoma robust, longer than the head length (mandibles included). Pronotum and mesonotum convex in profile. Propodeal suture deeply impressed. Basal face of the propodeum slightly declivous posteriorly. The area between the basal and declivous faces gently concave and minutely denticulate on each side. Declivous face flat; its sides marginate. Propodeal spiracle round and above Inid height in lateral view. Propodeal lobes round and with a lamellaceous border.

Petiole convex in side view and with the sides diverging on the anterior fourth and strongly convex posteriorly in dorsal view. Anterior border of the petiole concave and carinate, the carina denticulate on each side. Ventral process of the petiole lamelliform, broad and triangular. Postpetiole half long as gastral tergite I; its anterior face high and broader than the petiole; its sides gently convex. Postpetiolar sternite anteromedially with a broadly marked subtriangular projection protruding anteriorly. Posterior half of the postpetiolar sternite flat. Constriction between postpetiole and first gastral segment impressed. Gastral tergite I strongly convex on the curvature. Remaining gastral tergites and sternites originating just after the curvature.

Legs slender but not very elongate. All tibiae with a pectinate spur. Spurs of fore legs with basal spine. Fore basitarsi as long as the mid ones. Hind basitarsi about 1/6 shorter than hind tibiae. Second tarsomere of hind leg longer than the pretarsus. Pretarsal claws simple. Arolia present.

Sculpture. Head granulopunctate. Mesosoma and petiole granulate. Postpetiole superficially shining, very sparsely granulate. Legs minutely punctate. Gaster superficially shining and covered by minute, piligerous impressions.

Body covered by hairs of three main types: (1) short, dense, decumbent or appressed on the whole body, sparse and suberect on the funicular joints; (2) longer than type (1) suberect on the whole body, absent on the funiculi; (3) shorter than hair type (1), dense and appressed on the funicular joints only. In addition the funicular joints bear whitish, thick, appressed, short, sparse hairs, and the scapes with sparse hairs shorter than hair type (2).

Colour light brown.

Measurements in mm and Indices: TL 3.29; HL 0.79; HW 0.63; SL 0.66; WL 0.95; PeL 0.30; PeW 0.26; HFeL 0.67; HTiL 0.63; HBaL 0.52; LS4 0.30; LT4 0.80; CI 79.7; SI 83.5; IGR 0.37.

Type Material
Holotype worker from Malkandi, Paklstan labelled "Pakist. Swat, Malkandi 36, 1500 m, 2.VI.83, Lobl-Besuchet", in.

Etymology
From the Latin confines, referred to its provenance from the Frontier Territories.