Dacatria templaris

This is the only species of Dacatria and it is only known from a few collections. Rigato (1994) reported the collector (Dacatra) of the single type specimen stated the ant was found "in a nearly subtropical environment with bamboo trees growing on the southern slope of mountains, at rather low altitude, (500-1000 m)." Collections have also been made in evergreen forest.

Identification
See the nomenclature section of Dacatria.

Distribution
Known from China, Republic of Korea and Vietnam.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Vietnam. Palaearctic Region: China, Republic of Korea.

Biology
Dacatria templaris is a ground-dwelling species in well-developed forests, and nests in litter and underground. Workers are brick red and dull and are clad in dirt, and similar to Proatta butteli Forel. When their nests are exposed, the cryptic workers freeze for a while, making them very difficult to detect.

Castes
Described from a single worker. A queen of this species USNM has been collected but has not been described. Males are unknown.

Nomenclature

 *  templaris. Dacatria templaris Rigato, 1994b: 157, figs. 1-3 (w.) REPUBLIC OF KOREA.

Worker
Holotype worker: TL about 3.5 mm, HL 0.86, HW 0.68, SL 0.75, CI 79, SI 110, PW 0.54, AL 1.22. eye diameter 0.05 (0.07 x HW)

The ground sculpture of head, alitrunk. petiole, postpetiole, and scapes is irregular and weak, it may be defined as granulate. Head and alitrunk are mostly areolate-rugose or areolate-rugulose. Rugulae on the head prevail in the central portion, and on the clypeus, rugae and rugulae absent from the antennal sockets and frontal area.

Mandibles irregularly costulate and striolate.

The frontal triangle is rather smooth with feeble longitudinal costulae which are present also in the wider portion of the cephalic furrow. Frontal lobes and c1ypeus mostly faintly rugulose. Antennal sockets granulate. Nuchal border with widely spaced irregular costae. Scapes coarsely granulate with superimposed irregular anastomosing rugulae chiefly in their proximal half.

Pronotum areolate-rugose or rugulose. The mesonotum has a more longitudinal pattern of sculpture. Alitrunk irregularly rugose on the sides. Metanotal groove well developed and with short longitudinal costae. The space between the bases of the propodeal spines is transversely costate. Descending face of the propodeum laterally delimited by two low carinae formed by the continuation of the inferior edges of the spines. The portion between the carinae looks nearly smooth with scattered faint rugulae only.

Petiole areolate-rugulose above, except the top of the node. Laterally there is a quite evident longitudinal carina separating the tergite from the sternite. The postpetiole does not have rugae or rugulae.

Coxae sculptured as the alitrunk. Femora and tibiae mostly granulate or reticulate and quite faintly areolate-rugulose.

The surface of the gaster is smooth and almost unsculptured, only poorly puncticulate; some very short costae occur near the base.

Hairs nearly absent; they occur only on the third and fourth gastral segments and on the mandibles. Suberect or subdecumbent slightly clavate setae form a single central transverse row of well spaced elements on the third tergite and sternite. Appressed or decumbent simple hairs occur towards the tip ofthe gaster, they are denser and longer around the anus.

Pubescence seem absent from the dorsum of head and alitrunk. It is very short, appressed and scattered on gaster, mandibles, and scapes: it is longer and/or more plentiful on the legs and on the anterior edge of the clypeus.

Type Material
A single (holotype) worker (in the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano): REPUBLIC of KOREA. Chiri San National Park. Hwaeomsa Temple. 20-VII-1988 S. Dacatra legit.