Lepisiota lunaris

This species seems to be widespread across India, although infrequent in the collections. The specimens were collected both in forest and non-forest habitats, mainly by hand collecting from the dry soil and honey baits. (Wachkoo et al., 2021)

Identification
This small to medium-sized species is similar to many workers of the medium sized Lepisiota mayri but the erect setae on the body are distinctly sparse, whereas the latter species is covered with abundant erect setae and very hairy overall (Wachkoo et al., 2021).

Distribution
India (Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir), Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka (Thapa 2000; Bharti et al. 2016; Rasheed et al. 2019; Dias et al. 2020; Wachkoo et al. 2021).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.

Nomenclature

 *  lunaris. Acantholepis lunaris Emery, 1893f: 250, pl. 6, fig. 12 (w.) SRI LANKA.
 * [Misspelled as lunaria by Chapman & Capco, 1951: 209.]
 * Imai, et al. 1984: 9 (k.).
 * Combination in Lepisiota: Bolton, 1995b: 228.
 * Subspecies of capensis: Forel, 1895e: 458; Forel, 1906b: 86; Forel, 1909e: 395; Emery, 1925b: 24; Menozzi, 1939a: 312; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 209; Bolton, 1995b: 228.
 * Status as species: Collingwood, 1970: 379.

Description
Worker

Wachkoo et al. (2021): Head subquadrate; slightly longer than wide, wider posteriorly than in front; lateral and posterior margins convex, posterolateral corners rounded; clypeus subcarinate in the middle; anterior clypeal margin complete and convex; eyes broadly oval, weakly convex, placed at the middle-line of head, covering one-third of lateral cephalic margin; three small ocelli present; antennal scape surpassing posterior head margin by about onethird its length. In lateral view promesonotum convex, metanotum low, almost straight; mesometanotum demarcated; metanotal area long and constricted; propodeum armed with a pair of posteriorly diverging thick blunt spines; propodeal declivity steep. Petiole upright, with angular sides, dorsally emarginate, armed with a pair of almost straight spines pointing upward.

Head and mesosoma feebly shiny to subopaque; gaster polished, smooth and shiny; overall head and mesosomal dorsum weakly microreticulate; propleuron shiny; mesonotum and lateral mesosoma longitudinally striate; declivous face transversally striate. Body covered with short, erect, abundant setae on head and gaster, sparser on mesosoma; pubescence very fine and sparse, most visible on head; almost absent on mesosoma and gaster; antennal funiculus with sparse appressed to decumbent pubescence. Black; antenna, mandible and tarsi light brown

Measurements (n = 9): HL 0.56–0.63; HW 0.51– 0.57; EL 0.17–0.19; SL 0.62–0.66; PnW 0.34–0.42; ML 0.74–0.86; PFL 0.48–0.53; PFW 0.12–0.14 mm. Indices: CI 89–91; SI 111–123; REL 29–31.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * 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
 * Collingwood C.A. 1970. Formicidae (Hymenopter: Aculeata) of Nepal. Himalaya Khumbu Himal, 3: 371-388.
 * Emery C. 1893. Voyage de M. E. Simon à l'île de Ceylan (janvier-février 1892). Formicides. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 62: 239-258.
 * Forel A. 1909. Études myrmécologiques en 1909. Fourmis de Barbarie et de Ceylan. Nidification des Polyrhachis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 45: 369-407.
 * Menozzi C. 1939. Formiche dell'Himalaya e del Karakorum raccolte dalla Spedizione italiana comandata da S. A. R. il Duca di Spoleto (1929). Atti della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano. 78: 285-345.
 * Rasheed M. T., I. Bodlah, A. G. Fareen, A. A. Wachkoo, X. Huang, and S. A. Akbar. 2019. A checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Pakistan. Sociobiology 66(3): 426-439.
 * Thapa V. K. 2000. An Inventory of Nepal's Insects, Vol. III. IUCN Nepal, Kathmandu, xi + 475 pp.