Protanilla furcomandibula

The species nests in the soil and forages on the ground in conifer-broadleaf mixed forest at altitudes around 2250m.

Identification
Close to Protanilla bicolor, but differs in occipital margin straight, mandible thick and with 2 teeth on lateroventral margin, metanotal groove depressed, ventral margin of postpetiole concave, anterior margin of gaster deeply concave with anterolateral corners protruding and surrounded the postpetiole.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China.

Castes
Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 *  furcomandibula. Protanilla furcomandibula Xu & Zhang, 2002: 140, figs. 1-3 (w.) CHINA.
 * Combination in Furcotanilla: Xu, 2012c: 483.
 * Combination in Protanilla: Hsu, P.-W. et al. 2017: 129.
 * Status as species: Xu, 2012c: 483; Hsu, P.-W. et al. 2017: 129 (in key).

Worker
Holotype: TL 4.1, HL 0.77, HW 0.60, CI 78, SL 0.67, SI 111, PW 0.47, AL 1.17, ML 0.50, PNL 0.33, PNH 0.43, PNW 0.32, PPNL 0.40, PPNH 0.43, PPNW 0.30.

Head distinctly longer than broad, narrowed forward. In full face view, occipital margin straight, occipital corners rounded. Lateral sides of head evenly convex and with a tooth-like prominence at the antennal socket position, below the prominence with a deep notch. In dorsal view mandible long triangular, masticatory margin with 15 spine-like teeth. In lateral view mandible thick, lateroventral margin with 2 teeth, the basal one short and oblique, the apical one long and erect. Clypeus roughly triangular, anterior margin obviously concave in the center. Antenna with 12 segments, scape surpassed occipital corner by 1/5 of its length, segments 5-11 longer than broad, antennal club indistinct. In profile view, thorax distinctly constricted at mesothorax, pro no tum roundly convex, mesonotum straight. Promesonotal suture distinct, metanotal groove depressed. Dorsum of propodeum evenly convex, longer than declivity, posterodorsal corner rounded. In profile view petiolar node nearly rectangular, anterodorsal corner bluntly prominent, higher than posterodorsal corner, the latter rounded, anterior face vertical, posterior face sloped, dorsal face weakly convex. Subpetiolar process long and anteroventrally pointed, with a circular sub transparent fovea. Postpetiolar node weakly inclined forward, anterior face convex, dorsal face straight, anterodorsal corner rounded. Sternite of postpetiole deeply concave on the ventral face. In dorsal view petiolar node roughly square, width: length = 9: 8, anterior and posterior borders weakly convex, lateral borders evenly convex. Postpetiolar node trapezoid, narrowed forward and longer than broad, anterior and posterior faces roundly convex, lateral sides straight. In profile view, anterior margin of gaster with a narrow deep notch between tergite and sternite of the first segment. In dorsal view, anterior margin of gaster deeply concave, with anterolateral corners protruding and surrounded the postpetiole. Mandibles, head and the whole body smooth and shining. Head and body with sparse suberect hairs and dense decumbent pubescence. Scapes and tibiae with sparse subdecumbent hairs and dense decumbent pubescence. Body in color yellowish brown, legs brownish yellow.

Paratype: TL 4.0, HL 0.73, HW 0.57, CI 77, SL 0.67, SI 118, PW 0.43, AL 1.13, ML 0.47, PNL 0.33, PNH 0.43, PNW 0.30, PPNL 0.43, PPNH 0.43, PPNW 0.28 (1 individual measured). As holotype.

Type Material
Xu (2012) - Holotype worker and paratype worker, CHINA: Yunnan Province, Kunming, Xishan Forest Park, Huatingsi Temple, 2250m, collected in a soil sample in conifer-broadleaf mixed forest, 2001.III.31, Zheng-Hui Xu leg., No.A00250. [Holotype worker and paratype worker in SWFU examined.]

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Xu Z.-H. 2012. Furcotanilla, a new genus of the ant subfamily Leptanillinae from China with descriptions of two new species of Protanilla and P. rafflesi Taylor (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 59: 477-491.
 * Xu Z. and Zhang J. 2002. Two new species of the ant subfamily Leptanillinae from Yunnan, China (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 27(1): 139-144.