Temnothorax bikara

Temnothorax bikara is likely a slave maker of other Temnothorax species. Twenty-six workers have been collected from a nest of and a putative alate female has been taken in a nest of  (Kinomura, pers. comm.; Japanese Ant Image Database).

Identification
Terayama and Onoyama (1999) - Total length of workers around 2 mm. Body color black to blackish brown. Scapes not reaching posterior margin of head in full-face view. Pronotal sides mostly smooth. Dorsal outlines of mesonotum and propodeum straight in profile. Metanotal groove weakly incised dorsally. Propodeal spines relatively long, acute and narrow; each distinctly longer than its basal width. Petiolar peduncle short and thick, with subparallel dorsal and ventral margins in profile; node relatively narrowly reverse U-shaped; in posterior view the node has a straight or slightly concave dorsal margin, angulate dorsolateral corners, and subparallel sides at dorsal 1/3. Postpetiole trapezoidal in dorsal view, broadest anteriorly.

This species is distinguished from Temnothorax spinosior and Temnothorax makora by the shorter scapes, the thick petiolar peduncle, the higher than long postpetiole, the straight dorsal outline of its mesosoma, the parallel dorsal and ventral margins and parallel sides of its petiolar peduncle, and the transverse, trapezoidal postpetiolar dorsum (Japanese Ant Image Database).

Distribution
Honshu (Gifu Pref.).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Japan.

Nomenclature

 *  bikara. Leptothorax bikara Terayama & Onoyama, 1999: 81, figs. 20, 21 (w.) JAPAN. Combination in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271.

Worker
Holotype. HL 0.60 mm; HW 0.50 mm; CI 83; SL 0.43 mm; SI 78; WL 0.68 mm; PW 0.34 mm; PtW 0.13 mm; PtH 0.21 mm; TL 2.2 mm.

Head 1.2 times as long as wide, with straight posterior margin in full-face view; sides behind eyes a little converging posteriorly. Mandibles weakly longitudinally rugulose. Anterior margin of clypeus convex. Antennae with 12 segments; scapes short, not reaching posterior margin of head in full -face view. Eyes moderately large, maximum diameter 0.15 mm, with about 13 facets in the longest row. Pronotum short as in Fig. 20. Dorsal outline of mesonotum straight in profile. Metanotal groove weakly incised dorsally. Dorsal outline of propodeum straight in profile; propodeal s pines moderately long, acute and narrow; each about twice as long as its basal width. Petiole short, as long as high; peduncle short and thick, with subparallel dorsal and ventral margins in profile; node relatively narrowly reverse U-shaped; node in posterior view with straight dorsal margin, angulate dorsolateral corners and parallel sides at dorsal 1/3. Subpetiolar process small. Postpetiole higher than long, with entirely convex dorsal margin; node in dorsal view trapezoidal, twice as wide as long, broadest anteriorly; maximum width 1.2 times its minimum width. Dorsum of head longitudinally rugulose, with a few cross-meshes; mesosomal dorsum shallowly punctulate with some irregular rugulae, pronotal sides mostly smooth, mesonotal and propodeal sides reticulate-punctate; petiole and postpetiole weakly punctulate; gaster smooth and shining.

All dorsal surfaces of head and body with relatively long erect hairs; the longest hair of mesosoma 0.13 mm.

Body color black to blackish brown; mandibles, antennae, and legs brown.

Type Material
Holotype. Worker, Kinka-zan, Gifu-shi, Gifu Pref., 29. III.1981, K. Kinomura leg. Paratypes. 5 workers, same data as holotype.

Determination Clarifications
This species corresponds to Leptothorax sp. 13 of Terayama et al (1992).