Crematogaster aberrans

S.Hoshoish collected a worker of this species in rainforest (Sanjai Gandhi National Park, India, 2007). This habitat information is all that is known about this ant's biology.

Identification
Hosoishi (2015) - This species is unique among the Asian members of the Crematogaster ranavalonae''-group in having the scape with sparse setae and smaller propodeal spiracles that are situated apart from the propodeal declivity.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India, Thailand. Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 * . Crematogaster aberrans Forel, 1892k: 532 (q.), 533 (w.), 534 (m.) (diagnoses in keys) INDIA (Kerala).
 * Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Hosoishi, 2015: 70), 6 paralectotype workers, paralectotype queens, paralectotype males (numbers not stated).
 * Type-locality: lectotype India: Thana (no collector’s name); paralectotypes with same data.
 * Type-depositories: MHNG (lectotype); MHNG, NHMB (paralectotypes).
 * Combination in C. (Oxygyne): Forel, 1901e: 375.
 * Status as species: Forel, 1903a: 682; Rothney, 1903: 98; Bingham, 1903: 136; Emery, 1922e: 157; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 100; Collingwood, 1962: 225; Bolton, 1995b: 146; Tiwari, 1999: 47; Hosoishi, 2015: 70 (redescription); Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 35.
 * Senior synonym of assmuthi: Hosoishi, 2015: 70.
 * Senior synonym of inglebyi: Hosoishi, 2015: 70.
 * Senior synonym of soror: Hosoishi, 2015: 70.
 * Distribution: China, India, Thailand.
 * assmuthi. Crematogaster (Oxygyne) aberrans var. assmuthi Forel, 1913e: 662 (w.q.) INDIA (Maharashtra).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated), 1 syntype queen.
 * Type-locality: India: Bombay (Assmuth).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Subspecies of aberrans: Emery, 1922e: 157; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 100; Bolton, 1995b: 148.
 * Junior synonym of aberrans: Hosoishi, 2015: 70.
 * inglebyi. Crematogaster (Oxygyne) aberrans var. inglebyi Forel, 1902c: 201 (w.) INDIA (Kerala).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: India: Travancore (Ingleby), Travancore (Ferguson).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Subspecies of aberrans: Forel, 1903a: 683; Bingham, 1903: 137; Emery, 1922e: 157; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 100; Bolton, 1995b: 154; Tiwari, 1999: 48.
 * Junior synonym of aberrans: Hosoishi, 2015: 70.
 * soror. Crematogaster (Oxygyne) soror Forel, 1902c: 200 (w.q.) INDIA (Maharashtra).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated), 1 syntype queen.
 * Type-localities: India: Poona (Wroughton), India: Bombay (Rothney).
 * Type-depository: MHNG, NHMB.
 * Status as species: Forel, 1903a: 683; Bingham, 1903: 134; Emery, 1922e: 157; Mukerjee, 1930: 153; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 101; Bolton, 1995b: 163; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 43.
 * Junior synonym of aberrans: Hosoishi, 2015: 70.

Worker
Hosoishi (2015) - (n = 10). HW 0.82-0.96; HL 0.78-0.93; CI 102-109; SL 0.64-0.74; SI 75-82; EL 0.18-0.21; PW 0.50-0.58; WL 0.90-1.05; PSL 0.09-0.12; PtL 0.25-0.30; PtW 0.25-0.32; PtH 0.17-0.20; PpL 0.15-0.19; PpW 0.25- 0.33; PtHI 61-76; PtWI 97-116; PpWI 167-213; WI 100-114.

Head appearing rounded in front view. Mandible indistinctly striate, with four teeth, apical and subapical teeth large, basal two teeth smaller. Scape exceeding posterior corner of head, with sparse appressed setae, each of which is about as long as scape diameter. Compound eye slightly projecting beyond lateral margin of head in full face view.

Mesonotum highly convex in lateral view. Ventrolateral katepisternal ridge indistinct. Propodeal spine short and stout; the length variable, but generally as long as propodeal spiracle, dorsum not higher than anterior propodeum in lateral view. Propodeal spiracle as large as mesothoracic spiracle pit, situated apart from the propodeal declivity in lateral view, directed laterally.

In dorsal view, shape of petiole scoop with convex side, as long as broad. Petiole with anterolateral corner angulate. Petiolar spiracle big, as wide as half of propodeal spiracle in diameter, directed laterally. Postpetiole bilobed, with slight longitudinal median sulcus. Postpetiole slightly wider than petiole in dorsal view.

Integument essentially smooth and shiny. Clypeus generally smooth and shiny, but weakly striated with faint rugulae. Malar region with feeble longitudinal rugulae. Dorsal surface of promesonotum weakly punctuated. Lateral surface of pronotum shiny, but weakly punctuated. Mesopleuron weakly punctuated. Dorsal surface of propodeum smooth and shiny. Lateral propodeum smooth and shiny.

Erect pilosity almost absent. Dorsum of head, clypeus and mesosoma with short and appressed, sparse setae. Clypeus without pair of longer setae on anteriormost portion. Anterior clypeal margin with one single longer seta and one pair of longer setae on median portion, mixed with some shorter setae on side. One to three pairs of short, erect setae on pronotal shoulder. Posterolateral tubercle with two pairs of erect setae. Ventral surface of petiole with longer appressed setae. Postpetiole with two pairs of longer setae posteriorly. Fourth abdominal tergite with appressed setae.

Body color reddish brown.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Blaimer B. B. 2012. Acrobat ants go global  Origin, evolution and systematics of the genus Crematogaster (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 65: 421-436.
 * Blaimer B. B. 2012. Untangling complex morphological variation: taxonomic revision of the subgenus Crematogaster (Oxygyne) in Madagascar, with insight into the evolution and biogeography of this enigmatic ant clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic Entomology 37: 240-260
 * Blaimer, B.. "Untangling complex morphological variation: taxonomic revision of the subgenus Crematogaster (Oxygyne) in Madagascar, with insight into the evolution and biogeography of this enigmatic ant clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Systematic Entomology 37 (2012): 240-260.
 * Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
 * Forel A. 1902. Myrmicinae nouveaux de l'Inde et de Ceylan. Rev. Suisse Zool. 10: 165-249.
 * Forel A. 1903. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part X. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 14: 679-715.
 * Forel A. 1913. Quelques fourmis des Indes, du Japon et d'Afrique. Rev. Suisse Zool. 21: 659-673
 * Ghosh S. N., S. Sheela, B. G. Kundu, S. Roychowdhury, and R. N. Tiwari. 2006. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Pp. 369-398 in: Alfred, J. R. B. (ed.) 2006. Fauna of Arunachal Pradesh. (Part -2). [State Fauna Series 13.]. New Delhi: Zoological Survey of India, iv + 518 pp.
 * Hosoishi S. and K. Ogata. 2009. A check list of the ant genus Crematogaster in Asia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bull. Inst. Trop. Agr. Kyushu Univ. 32: 43-83.
 * Kumar D., and M. Archana. 2008. Ant community variation in urban and agricultural ecosystems in Vadodara District (Gujarat State), western India. Asian Myrmecology 2: 85-93.
 * Li Z.h. 2006. List of Chinese Insects. Volume 4. Sun Yat-sen University Press
 * Mukerjee D. 1930. Report on a collection of ants in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 34: 149-163.
 * Pajni H. R., and R. K. Suri. 1978. First report on the Formicid fauna (Hymenoptera) of Chandigarh. Res. Bull. (Science) Punjab University 29: 5-12.
 * Raci N., C. Sravanthy, C. Sammaiah, and M. Thirupahaiah. 2015. Biodiversity of ants (Insecta-Hymenoptera) in agroecosystem and grass land in Jammikunta, Karimnagar District, Telangana, India. Journal ofEnvironment 4(1): 11-16.
 * Rothney G. A. J. 1903. The aculeate Hymenoptera of Barrackpore, Bengal. Trans. Entomol. Soc. Lond. 1903: 93-116.
 * Tiwari R. N. 1999. Taxonomic studies on ants of southern India (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Memoirs of the Zoological Survey of India 18(4): 1-96.
 * Tiwari, R.N. 1999. Taxonomic studies on ants of southern India (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Memoirs of the Zoological Survey of India 18(4):1-96