File:Zigrasimecia alate F3.jpg

Summary

Figure 3. Alate gyne of the unplaced Zigrasimecia, No. CNU-HYM-MA2019055; scale bars for (A), (B) = 0.5mm, for (C) = 0.2mm, and for (D) - (E) = 0.5mm. (A), Photograph of alate gyne in lateral view, (B), reconstructive drawing of alate gyne, (C), head of alate gyne in dorsal view, (D) and (E), venation reconstructions, where (D), indicates cells and (E), indicates veins.

Cao, H., Boudinot, B.E., Wang, Z., Miao, X., Shih, C., Ren, D., Gao, T. 2020. Two new iron maiden ants from Burmese amber (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: †Zigrasimeciini). Myrmecological News. 30:161-173. doi:10.25849/myrmecol.news_030:161

Not assigned to a species, this specimen has the following features:

No. CNU-HYM-MA2019055 Whole body covered with clavate setae. In dorsal view, head flattened, ocelli absent. Antenna 12-merous, right antenna lost except scape, clavate setae gradually shorter on left antenna. Frontal carinae present. At least 44 clypeal denticles visible, mandibles slightly overlapping at closure. Posterior margin of propodeum weakly sloping and relative rounded. Petiole with anteroventral process (subpetiolar process present), in small bulge shape, not very conspicuous. Most of gaster shielded by a bubble, anterior of gaster poorly preserved, but well-developed sting clearly present.

Right forewing venation almost complete, distal part of posterior margin not preserved. Cell 1R1C / SMC1 pentagonal; cell 1MC / DC1 with five sides, Cuf1a very short, nearly half of Rsf1; Rs + M almost twice as long as Mf1, and almost parallel to Cuf1; Rsf2 - 3 linear, length about equal to Rs + M; Mf2 lost to juncture of Rs + M and 1m-cu; cross-vein 2rs-m slightly bent. Nearly whole right hind wing folded together with forewing, but six distal hamuli distinctly visible. (M + Cu)2 nearly twice as long as cross-vein cu-a; Mf1 aligned with Mf2.

Other characters are similar to those of Zigrasimecia hoelldobleri.

Measurements (in millimeters). Alate gyne. Body length 4.0; head length (from vertex to clypeal margin) 0.74, width (excluding eyes) 0.8; eyes length 0.3; scape 0.41, pedicel 0.13, flagellomeres I - X 0.21, 0.14, 0.15, 0.1, 0.13, 0.09, 0.07, 0.06, 0.07, 0.17, respectively; mesosomal length 1.43, maximum height 0.76; petiole length 0.3, height (including subpetiolar process) 0.58; gastral length (excluding sting) 1.5; forewing length 3.21, width 0.68 at the widest point.

Remarks: We provide this morphological sketch of the gyne as it is clearly a member of Zigrasimecia due to the typical mandibular spines, clypeal denticles and trapezoidal shape of head in dorsal view. Although there is evidence that this gyne probably represents a distinct species, we do not provide it with its own specific epithet. The most salient differences include: dense setae, a small subapical mandibular tooth, three rows mandibular spines in different lengths, and a more rounded propodeum. We expect that additional alate material of ‘’Zigrasimecia’’ will help refine species boundaries.