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.