Taxonomic Studies on the Genus Vollenhovia Mayr , 1865 ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ) : Five New Species from India lSID

The genus Vollenhovia Mayr, 1865 is one of the rare ant genera in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The species of the genus generally nest in decaying branches, wooden logs, and beneath tree bark (Eguchi, et al., 2011). It is represented by 60 species and 17 subspecies worldwide (Bolton, 2022). Mayr (1865) erected the genus based on the type species Vollenhovia punctatostriata. Phylogenetic analysis of the subfamily Myrmicinae has placed the genus in the tribe Crematogastrini (Ward et al., 2015). Formerly, it was treated in the different tribes by subsequent authors: in Pheidolidae (Emery, 1877), in Myrmicini (Emery 1895), in Stenammini (Ashmead, 1905; Bolton, 2003), in Myrmecinini (Emery, 1912), Solenopsidini (Emery, 1914), and Metaponini (Hölldobler & Wilson, 1990). The significant contributions to the genus taxonomy include studies from Australia (Taylor & Brown, 1985; Taylor, 1987; Taylor, 1991; Shattuck, 1999), China (Wu & Wang, 1995), Fiji (Sarnat & Economo, 2012), India (Bharti & Kumar, 2013; Abstract Five new species Vollenhovia pfeifferi sp. nov., V. mawrapensis sp. nov., V. karimalaensis sp. nov., V. taylori sp. nov. and V. terayamai sp. nov. are described from India. An identification key supplemented with digital images of the known species of the genus based on the worker caste from India is also provided. Sociobiology An international journal on social insects


Materials and methods
Taxonomic analysis was conducted on a Nikon SMZ 1500 stereo zoom microscope with a maximum magnification of 112.5X. Digital images of the specimens were prepared using a MP (Micro Publisher) digital camera and Auto Montage (syncroscopy, a division of Synoptics Ltd.) software. Images were cleaned with Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Helicon Filter 5. Morphological measurements were recorded in millimeters with an oculometer fitted on a Nikon SMZ 1500 stereomicroscope. Automontage images of the specimen (CASENT0904539) were provided by http://www.antweb.org/. Morphological terminology and standard measurements follow Bharti & Kumar (2013) and Sadasivan & Kripakaran (2022).

Description
In full-face view, head longer than broad (CI 90-95.12), posterior head margin concave in the middle, occipital corners rounded, lateral margins convex anteriorly; head posteriorly broader than the front; clypeus broad and convex, anterior margin convex and pointed in the middle; mandibles triangular, masticatory margin with 7-teeth; antennae 12-segmented, with a club of apical 3-larger segments, scape short and falling short of reaching posterior head; eyes small and placed laterally below the mid-length of the head.
In lateral view, the dorsal outline of the mesosoma is convex; posterodorsal corners of the propodeum rounded; propodeal lobe subtriangular; petiolar node subrectangular with the anterior margin straight and the posterior margin slightly concave; subpetiolar process elongate and sickleshaped; postpetiole node longer than high.
Head and mesosoma finely reticulate punctate; a narrow, smooth band extended up to the middle of eyes; clypeus smooth and with divergent carinae; mandibles smooth; propodeal declivity with coarsely small punctures; petiole and postpetiole reticulate rugose; dorsal surface of gastral tergite with piligerous punctures.
Body covered with long erect and sub-erect hairs, except head with short hairs; appressed pubescence sparse on the body but dense on antennae and appendages.

Etymology:
The species is named after the type locality. Remarks: This species resembles V. keralensis Kripakaran & Sadasivan, 2022, but can be easily distinguished by the following characteristics: in Vollenhovia karimalaensis sp. nov. head distinctly longer than broad, mandibles with 7-teeth, subpetiolar process, elongate and sickle-shaped, whole body finely punctate. While in V. keralensis head is as long as broad, the mandibles with 8-teeth, the subpetiolar process lamellar wall is distinctly longer than high, and the whole body is foveolate.

Description
In full-face view, head is as long as broad (CI 89.58-91.66), posterior head margin concave in middle, occipital corners rounded, lateral margins slightly convex anteriorly; head posteriorly broader than the front; clypeus broad, anterior margin convex; mandibles triangular, masticatory margin with 7-teeth; antennae 12-segmented, with a club of apical 3-larger segments, scape short and falling short of reaching posterior head; eyes small and placed laterally below the mid-length of the head.
In lateral view, the mesosoma is feebly convex and almost straight; posterodorsal corners of propodeum rounded; propodeal lobe subtriangular; petiolar node subrectangular with anterior margin straight and posterior margin slightly concave; subpetiolar process, elongate and rectangular; postpetiole node as longer than high.
Head coarsely punctated; a narrow, smooth band extended up to the middle of eyes; clypeus smooth and with divergent carinae; mandibles smooth and with few punctures; pronotum and mesonotum longitudinally rugulose and densely punctated; propodeal declivity with coarsely small punctures; laterally pronotum coarsely punctate, mesopleuron and metapleuron transversely striate; petiole and postpetiole reticulate rugose; dorsal surface of first gastral tergite coarsely punctated and remaining gastral tergites with piligerous punctures.
Body covered with few erect and sub-erect short hairs and gaster with dense and long hairs; appressed pubescence sparse on the body except on antennae and appendages.

Etymology:
The species is named after the type locality.
Remarks: This species resembles V. taylori sp. nov. but can be distinguished from it by the following characteristics; in V. mawrapensis sp. nov. head as long as broad (CI 89.58-91.66), clypeal margin broadly convex, mandibles with 7-teeth, subpetiolar process, elongate and rectangular, mesopleuron and metapleuron transversely striate; petiole and postpetiole Figs 4-6. Vollenhovia mawrapensis sp. nov.: 4. head in full face view, 5. body in profile view, 6. body in dorsal view. reticulate rugose; dorsal surface of first gastral tergite coarsely punctated and remaining gastral tergites with piligerous punctures, body less pilose, covered with few erect and suberect short hairs. While in V. taylori sp. nov. the head is longer than broad , the clypeal margin is convex and pointed in the middle, mandibles with 6-teeth, laterally mesosoma coarsely punctated; petiole and postpetiole finely punctated; the dorsal surface of the first gastral tergite sparsely punctated up to the middle of tergite and remaining gastral tergites smooth and shiny, body covered with dense, long, erect and sub-erect hairs.

Description
In full-face view, the head is distinctly longer than broad (CI 77.14-91.07), the posterior head margin slightly concave in the middle, occipital corners rounded, lateral margin almost straight; head as broad anteriorly as posteriorly; clypeus broad, anterior margin convex; mandibles triangular, masticatory margin with 6-teeth; antennae 12-segmented, with a club of an apical 3-larger segment, scape short and falling short of reaching posterior head; eyes small and placed laterally below the mid-length of the head.
In lateral view, the mesosoma is feebly convex; posterodorsal corners of propodeum bluntly angulate, having small denticles; propodeal lobe subtriangular; petiolar node subrectangular with anterior margin straight and posterior margin slightly concave; subpetiolar process, subtriangular with anterior face rounded; postpetiole node as long as broad.
Head with large and coarse punctures; a narrow, smooth band extended up to the middle of eyes; clypeus smooth and with divergent carinae; mandibles smooth; pronotum and mesonotum reticulate rugulose and densely punctated; punctures on propodeum small and declivity transversely striated; laterally mesosoma coarsely punctated; petiole and postpetiole reticulate rugose; dorsal surface of first gastral tergite sparsely punctated up to the middle of tergite and remaining gastral tergites smooth and shiny.
Body covered with dense erect and sub-erect hairs; appressed pubescence sparse on the body but dense on antennae and appendages.

Etymology:
The species is named in honor of Dr. Martin Pfeiffer, Senior scientist at the Department for Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Germany, for his significant contributions to the field of Ant ecology and biogeography.
Remarks: This species resembles Vollenhovia mawrapensis sp. nov. but can be easily distinguished from it by a combination of the following characteristics: in V. pfeifferi sp. nov. head distinctly longer than broad (CI 77.14-91.07), mandibles with 6-teeth, propodeum with a pair of small denticles, subpetiolar process, subtriangular with anterior face rounded, pronotum and mesonotum reticulate rugulose and densely punctated, dorsal surface of first gastral tergite sparsely punctated up to the middle of tergite and remaining gastral tergites smooth and shiny. Whereas in Vollenhovia mawrapensis sp. nov. head is as long as broad (CI 89.58-91.66), mandibles with 7-teeth, propodeal corners rounded without denticles, subpetiolar process, elongate and rectangular, pronotum and mesonotum longitudinally rugulose and densely punctated, dorsal surface of first gastral tergite coarsely punctated and remaining gastral tergites with piligerous punctures.

Description
In full-face view, the head is distinctly longer than broad (CI 84), posterior head margin straight, occipital corners rounded, lateral margin almost straight; head slightly narrow anteriorly and broad posteriorly; clypeus broad and convex, anterior margin medially pointed; mandibles triangular, masticatory margin with 6-teeth; antennae 12-segmented, antennal club with an apical 3-larger segments, scape short and falling short of reaching posterior head; eyes small and placed laterally below the mid-length of the head.
In lateral view, the mesosoma feebly convex; posterodorsal corners of propodeum rounded; propodeal lobe small and rounded; the petiolar node is higher than long; ventrally with a transparent and roughly triangular subpetiolar process, posterior face of subpetiolar process crenulated, ventral face pointed and anterior face rounded; postpetiolar node higher than long.
Dorsal surface of the head with large and coarse punctures; a broad and smooth band extended up to frons; clypeus smooth and with divergent carinae; mandibles smooth and with sparse piligerous punctures; pronotum and mesonotum longitudinally rugulose and densely punctated; punctures on propodeum and declivity smaller than promesonotum; mesopleuron coarsely punctated; petiole and postpetiole finely punctated; dorsal surface of first gastral tergite sparsely punctated up to the middle of tergite and remaining gastral tergites smooth and shiny.
Body covered with dense, erect, and sub-erect hairs; appressed pubescence sparse on the body but dense on antennae and appendages.
Head, mesosoma, and gaster reddish brown in color; mandibles, antennae, and appendages yellowish brown in color.

Etymology:
The species is named after Dr. Brian Taylor for his contributions to ant systematics.

Description
In full face view, head rectangular, distinctly longer than broad , posterior head margin feebly concave medially, occipital corners rounded, lateral sides almost parallel, clypeus broad, anterior margin weakly concave medially; mandibles triangular, masticatory margin with 6-teeth; antennae 12-segmented, with a club of apical 3-larger segments, scape short, falling short about 1/4 th of its total length; eyes large and placed laterally below the mid-length of the head.
In lateral view, the dorsal surface of the mesosoma is slightly slanting posteriorly; propodeal corners rounded; propodeal spiracle small and rounded, placed below the propodeal declivity; propodeal lobe small and rounded; petiolar node higher than long, anterior face erect, and dorsal surface rounded; petiole ventrally with transparent and knob like subpetiolar process; dorsal outline of petiole rounded.
The dorsal surface of the head is coarsely punctated, medially with a broad, smooth band extended from the posterior clypeal margin to the concavity of the posterior head margin; the clypeus smooth and laterally with two divergent carinae; mandibles smooth and shiny with scattered piligerous punctures; dorsal surface of pronotum and mesonotum finely longitudinally striated and punctated, medially with a smooth longitudinal band; propodeal dorsum coarsely punctated; laterally mesosoma coarsely punctated; dorsal surface of petiole coarsely punctated; dorsal surface of postpetiole smooth and very weakly punctated; dorsal surface of first gastral tergite with scattered punctures.
Body covered with dense, erect, and sub-erect hairs; appressed pubescence sparse on the body whereas dense on antennae and appendages.
Body dark brownish in color; mandibles, antennae, and appendages light brownish in color.

Etymology:
The species is named in regard to Prof. Mamoru Terayama for his contributions to ant systematics.

Remarks:
This species is similar to Vollenhovia okinawana Terayama & Kinomura, 1997. Both species can easily be separated based on the following combination of characters: In full-face view, head medially with a broad, smooth band extended from posterior clypeal margin to concavity of the posterior head margin; masticatory margin of mandibles with 6-teeth; subpetiolar process well developed and knob like; in lateral view, posterodorsal surface of postpetiole convex; dorsal surface of first gastral tergite with scattered punctures. While, in V. okinawana medial smooth band extended up to the frons; masticatory margin of mandibles with 7-teeth; subpetiolar process low and small; in lateral view, posterodorsal surface of postpetiole concave; dorsal surface of the first gastral tergite smooth and shiny.