Monomorium new species Diame Senegal
  Type location Senegal,
holotype worker only known
WORKER
- Anterior clypeal margin with a weakly arcuate
impression; clypeus with sharp lateral carinae; antenna 12-segmented;
mandibles with four teeth apparent, and weak basal striations; frontal
lobes set quite far apart; moderate eyes (0.22 X HW, with 9-10
ommatidia in the longest row; mesonotal groove a well-marked and
slghtly impressed suture and cross-ribbing, propodeum dorsum ca 2 X
longer than the declivity, propodeal spiracle small and circular;
petiole with a very short pedicel, in profile the node
as high as the level of the propodeum dorsum and round pyramidal at the
apex;
postpetiole almost 2X width of petiole, from above spherical; erect
hairs sparse but present on all dorsum except the propodeum; anterior
margin of clypeus with six long down curved hairs, underside of head
with long hairs almost forming a psammophore; sculpturation reduced to
almost nil on the head and
alitrunk, very faint spiculation of lateral propodeum, head with
distinctive small hair pits, whole body shiny;
colour near uniform yellow brown but
head and gaster darker.
TL ca 2.2 mm; HL 0.58, HW 0.52, CI 97, SL 0.47, SI 65, PW 0.28; palp formula unobservable.
Without clear relatives - near unique characters appear to be the shape
of the head, widest at the posterior of the eyes but with the anterior
margin about 30% wider than the occiput; and, the long hairs on the
underside of the head. Possibly falls in the monomorium-group
of Bolton (1987). Bolton's key leads to couplet 97, the thread then
breaks down as this has short scapes, SI 65. Ignoring that also leads
nowhere.
|
The photomontage is
of the holotype worker from Senegal;
collector
Lamine Diamé