Ooceraea joshii

The type series was found in leaf litter samples collected from the Medaganam region of the Periyar Tiger Reserve situated at an elevation of 780 meters. The region is composed of an undisturbed tropical moist evergreen forest with low light penetration, with a mean average daytime temperature of 30 °C.

Identification
Ooceraea joshii and Ooceraea decamera are distinctly separated from the other valid congeners by having 10-segmented antennae. Furthermore, these two species are well distinguished from each other by a combination of the following characters
 * head shape (almost as long as broad in O. joshii, rectangular, distinctly longer than broad in O. decamera)
 * presence of ommatidia (present in O. joshii and absent in O. decamera)
 * propodeal lobes (reduced versus roundly produced)
 * petiolar node in lateral view (hemiglobular versus rectangular)
 * subpetiolar process (anteroventral part sickle-shaped versus forming a rectangular and semitransparent lobe)
 * pilosity (head and body comparatively more pilose in O. joshii)
 * sculpturation (head, mesosoma, petiolar, postpetiolar node, and gaster with more pronounced foveolate sculpture in O. joshii)

Distribution
Known only from the type locality.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Nomenclature

 * . Ooceraea joshii Bharti, Rilta & Dhadwal, 2021: 167, figs. 1-4 (w.) INDIA.

Description
Worker

Head in full-face view, almost as long as broad, with lateral margin weakly convex and converging anteriorly, with posterior margin concave medially and posterior lateral corners rounded. Anterior clypeal margin reduced and slightly concave in the middle. Eyes present, small in size, with two ommatidia, parafrontal ridge prominently produced. Mandibles edentate, sub-triangular. Antenna 10-segmented; scape short and clavate, reaching almost mid-length of the head; apical funicular segment fusiform. Frontal lobes reduced. Antennal sockets fully exposed from above.

Mesosoma in lateral view weakly convex; promesonotal suture and metanotal groove absent. Pronotum in dorsal view anteriorly marginate. Propodeum in dorsal view with posterior margin concave; propodeal declivity in lateral view slightly concave, with lateral margin slightly marginate; propodeal lobe reduced. Petiolar node in dorsal view as long as broad, rounded anteriorly, in lateral view hemiglobular; subpetiolar process well-developed, with sickle-shaped anteroventral apex. Postpetiole in dorsal view subtrapezoidal, with anterior margin transverse and posterior margin convex, in lateral view with anteroventral corner angulate. Gastral segment I (abdominal segment IV) large, occupying the most part of gaster, in lateral view with dorsal margin weakly and roundly convex.

Sculpture: Head foveolate-reticulate; mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole foveolatereticulate; gaster foveolate, with foveae smaller than those of head and mesosoma. Pilosity and Pubescence: Body covered with erect or sub-erect hairs; sides of head and legs covered with shorter hairs; scape and funicular segments covered with short decumbent or subdecumbent hairs. Body coloration: Head and gaster light brown; mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole darker than the head; legs yellowish brown.

Measurements:

Holotype: HL 0.57; HW 0.56; SL 0.34; MW 0.39; ML 0.68; PL 0.29; PH 0.34; PW 0.27; PPL 0.32; PPH 0.34; PPW 0.30; CI 98; SI, 61; PI1 85; PI2 93; PPI1 94; PPI2 88; WI 111.

Paratype: HL 0.57; HW 0.56; SL 0.33; MW 0.39; ML 0.68; PL 0.29; PH 0.33; PW 0.26; PPL 0.32; PPH 0.34; PPW 0.30; CI 98; SI, 59; PI1 88; PI2 89; PPI1 94; PPI2 88; WI 111.

Queen

Unknown

Male

Unknown

Etymology

The species has been named in honor of Professor Amitabh Joshi, a distinguished evolutionary biologist based at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, India.