Cardiocondyla tiwarii

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Ghosh et al. (2005) - C. tiwarii comes close to Cardiocondyla minutior. But it differs from the said species by distinct characters like eyes not hairy (C. minutior with hairy eye) and gaster not microreticulate (gaster mictoreticulate in C. minutior). Moreover, the metanotal spines of C. tiwarii pointing backwards; whereas that of C. minutior pointing upwards.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 *  tiwarii. Cardiocondyla tiwarii Ghosh, Sheela & Kundu, 2005: 20, figs. A, B (w.) INDIA.

Worker
Holotype: TL- 1.6mm; HL-0.43mm; HW-0.34 mm; CI-79; SL-0.30 mm; SI-88; PW-0.19 mm; AL-0.46 mm

Colour: Head, thorax and pedicel brownish red; legs pale honey yellow; scape of antennae concolorous with legs, basal flagellar segments brownish yellow, brown colour increasing to apex so that club blackish brown; gaster shining, black.

General sculpture and hair pattern: Head regularly and superficially faintly reticulate; thorax dorsally reticulate as on head but more feeble than head; meso and meta sternum of thorax finely punctate, punctures antero-dorsally fading so thaf anterior margin of prostemum appears smooth, polished; petiole above and mandibles smooth, polished; postpetiole, peduncle of petiole and sides of petiole superficially with light reticulations; gaster smooth; whole body covered with small regularly arranged abundant white appressed pubescence; pubescence more visible on head and gaster; anterior margin of clypeus with three long setae, median longer than other two; pilosity almost absent.

Head: Distinctly longer than broad; posterior margin transverse in front view; posterolateral corners rounded, sides nearly convex; mandibles with two fine acute apical teeth followed by three minute teeth towards base; clypeus extended anteriorly, antero-median part slightly depressed inwards; anterior margin arched; posterior margin not distinctly defined; frontal lobes short, subparallel, close together. Antennae 12-jointed, scape reaching just to vertex, F1 elongate, F2 to F9 transverse, club very massive, three jointed; terminal club segment more than two times length of preceding two together; club distinctly longer than remaining flagellar segments together (14:10); eyes rounded, prominent, lateral, situated in front of mid line.

Thorax: Length subequal to length of head (excluding mandibles) in profile; sutures absent on thorax, in dorsal view, thorax broad anteriorly, narrowing posteriorly and laterally constricted at meso-metanotal suture; pronotum anteriorly rounded, antero-lateral comers of pronotum rounded, propodeum with two small teeth projecting straight backwards, its length and basal width almost equal in profile; spine longer than distance between its bases in dorsal view.

Abdomen: Convex; Petiole node sub globose, its length and breadth almost subequal; peduncle of petiole shorter than node; node rounded above; post petiole in a lower level than petiole, flat above; 1.3x broader than long in dorsal view. Gaster broadly oval, almost flat above; ventrally convex; T1 covering 2/3 its length.

Type Material
Holotype: Worker, INDIA: West Bengal, Rabindra Sarovar, December 2001 to November 2002. Paratypes: 4W, with same data as holotype.

Etymology
The species is named after Dr. R.N. Tiwari for his contribution to Indian Forrnicidae.