Discothyrea sringerensis

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Discothyrea sringerensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Proceratiinae
Tribe: Proceratiini
Genus: Discothyrea
Species: D. sringerensis
Binomial name
Discothyrea sringerensis
Zacharias & Rajan, 2004

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The type material was collected in a pitfall trap in an evergreen forest.

Identification

Zacharias and Rajan (2004) - This species is similar to one Malaysian species, Discothyrea bryanti, and one Australian species, Discothyrea velutina, in the following characteristics: (1) Antennae with 10 segments, and (2) absence of spur in middle tibiae. Discothyrea sringerensis is similar to D. bryanti in the following characters: (1) petiole with a prominent compressed translucent tooth on its ventral surface, and (2) more distinct propodeal teeth. However, the Indian species differs from D. bryanti in (1) the funiculus being distinctly longer than the antennal scape (Fig 2), (2) the petiole being less than four times as broad as long, and (3) the cheeks without a prominent blunt tooth in front of the eyes. Discothyrea sringerensis shows some affinity to D. velutina in the following characters: (1) cheeks without a blunt tooth in front of eyes, and (2) funiculus longer than scape. However, it differs from D. velutina in the following characters: (1) distinct propodeal teeth, (2) petiole with a prominent compressed translucent tooth on its ventral surface, and (3) palp formula 5,4 (D. velutina has a palp formula of 4,4). The maxillary and labial palps are variously segmented, according to species (Brown 1958). The palp formula of D. bryanti is unavailable.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: India (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

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Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • sringerensis. Discothyrea sringerensis Zacharias & Rajan, 2004a: 2, fig. 1 (w.) INDIA (Karnataka).
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 6 paratype workers.
    • Type-locality: holotype India: Karnataka, Kumbarakodu Reserve Forest of Sringeri, 13°29’19’’N, 75°11’52’’E, 26.viii.2001 (R.A. Sinu); paratypes with same data.
    • Type-depositories: ATRE (holotype); ATRE, BMNH, NZSI (paratypes).
    • Status as species: Xu, et al. 2014a: 35 (in key); Bharti, Akbar & Singh, 2015: 123 (in key); Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 53.
    • Distribution: India.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Holotype. Total body length 3.05mm; Head length 0.80mm; Head width 0.54mm; Cephalic Index (HW/HL x 100) 67; scape length 0.46mm; petiole height 0.25mm; dorsal petiole length 0.10mm; dorsal petiole edith 0.28mm.

Head from front broadly oval with almost straight posterior margin. Clypeus extending forward so that it overhangs the rear part of the mandibles when they are closed. Anterior margin of the clypeus crenulated. Palp formula 5, 4. Antennae 10-segmented; scape massively clavate. Second antennal segment 0.06mm long, sub globular. 3rd to 6th antennal segments almost equal in length (each 0.07mm). 7th – 9th antennal segments distinctly wider than long. Apical antennal segment large, twice as long as wide (Fig 2). Depressed scrobal area distinct. Frontal carinae extending back about two-thirds the length of the head, dilated and horizontally flattened in the middle. Posterior end of frontal lobe opened and rounded anteroposteriorly and continuous with the regular convex surface of the head. Eyes placed on side of head nearer to the base of the mandibles than to the posterior border of the head, composed of at least 12 ommatidia win each with hairs in between the ommatidia.

Mesosoma stout, with blunt, rounded humeral angles. Propodeum with more distinct propodeal teeth. Legs stout, spur of posterior leg pectinate, spur on middle leg absent.

Petiole in the form of a thick disc, 2.80 times broader than long dorsally and with two low rims running along the anterior and posterior margins of the petiole. The petiole is attached over a large portion of its posterior surface to the gaster and is lower in height than the gaster. In profile, petiole with weakly concave dorsal margin and a sloping anterior surface. Subpetiolar process on the ventral margin, a prominent compressed translucent tooth.

Head, mesosoma and abdomen coarsely punctate. The scrobal depressions sparsely punctate with horizontal striations that extend from the lateral walls of the frontal lobe. The entire body densely clothed with short suberect to erect whitish pubescence, which is slightly shorter on the head and antennae.

Body colour reddish brown with mandibles, antennae, legs and tip of gaster yellowish brown.

Type Material

Holotype. Worker, India, Karnataka, Kumbarakodu Reserve Forest of Sringeri (1329’19’’ N and 7511’52’’ E). 26.iii.2001. P.A. Sinu. Collected from evergreen forest leaf litter using pitfall trap. Paratypes. 6 workers, data same as holotype.

Holotype will be deposited at the Museum of the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta and the paratypes will be deposited at the British Museum of Natural History and Insect Museum of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

Etymology

The species name sringerensis indicates its type locality.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Dad J. M., S. A. Akbar, H. Bharti, and A. A. Wachkoo. 2019. Community structure and ant species diversity across select sites ofWestern Ghats, India. Acta Ecologica Sinica 39: 219–228.