Zigrasimecia bellator, Zhuang & Jouault & Perrichot & Wang & Liu & Zhang, 2025
publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf044 |
publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7A9B42D-6DF5-4102-B603-9EA9A6104ED0 |
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039D879C-5F55-FF90-4828-A02DFA401B15 |
treatment provided by |
Plazi |
scientific name |
Zigrasimecia bellator |
status |
sp. nov. |
Zigrasimecia bellator sp.nov.
Etymology: ‘ Bellator ’ is a Latin word that means warrior or fighter. In the context of this ant, it is likely to refer to its combat prowess, particularly owing to its armoured face, which suggests an adaptation for aggressive encounters.
Material: Holotype NIGP206540 View Materials , worker.
Type locality and stratigraphy: Noije Bum Hill , Hukawng Valley, Kachin Province, northern Myanmar; upper Albian–lower Cenomanian (~98.79 ± 0.62 Mya) .
Diagnosis: Large species. Head inverted trapezoidal shape in frontal view. Frontal carinae extending to the posterior margin of the eyes. Regular and hair-like setae developed on both sides of clypeus. Mandible well developed, right-angled. Mesosoma and abdomen smooth, without obvious setae. Mesosoma highly compact. Abdomen long, about half the length of the body.
Description: Holotype worker ( Figs 1, 2). Measurements (Length and width in millimetres): HWed, 0.71; HWev, 0.68; HL, 0.66; EWI, 0.13; ON, ~200; HD, 0.60; ML, 1.06; PetAFL, 0.31; Ptg3L, 0.46; Ptg3H, 0.26; Ptg4L, 0.62; PnLi, 0.51; PnWa, 0.45; TL, 3.12; MnL, 0.31; HPI, 0.84; HSI, 0.59; Ptg3I, 1.78.
Head: In front view, head rectangular and smooth. Compound eyes round in lateral view, ~200 ommatidia. Ocelli absent.
Frontal carinae developed, extending to the posterior margin of the eyes. Antenna slender, with 12 flagellomeres. Each flagellomere with short setae. Pedicel very short, obviously shorter than flagellomere III. Flagellomere VI to flagellomere XI almost equal in length, shorter than flagellomere XII. Clypeus covered by regular and fine hair-like setae in both sides; these setae develop bilaterally and relatively parallel to each other on the same side. Short setae in the mid clypeus. Clypeal denticles cylindrical, long and dense. Mandible broad, almost right-angled in front view, with fine, sharp setae. Mandibles crossing apically. Basolateral area of dorsal mandibular surface flat, no visible setae. Apparently right-angled at turn of mandible. Labrum bilobed and large. Labrum develops stiff setae with slightly curved apices. Palps visible in CT data, but junction of each segment blurred. Maxillary palpomeres, total counted four or five; and labial palpomeres, total counted three.
Mesosoma: One penetrating crack at the anterior of the mesosoma that obscures some perspectives, and this part of the 3D reconstruction is unfortunately incomplete in the CT data. Therefore, observation can be made only from the side. Smooth, distinctively short and narrow in lateral view; total length of mesosoma close to head. Dorsal and lateral mesosoma sclerites nearly fused. In dorsal view, soft convex appearance in the middle of mesosoma indicates the limit between propodeum and pronotum. Dorsal sclerites and lateral sclerites distinguished from soft irregular indentations of mesosoma in lateral view. All legs long. Trochanters present on all legs, well developed. Protibia with long calcar, and densely covered with tiny setae, one pair of spur-like setae near calcar. Midtibia and hindtibia apicoventrally with two pairs of simple spur-like setae. Tarsomere with five segments in each leg. Base of tarsomere I curved inwards. All tarsomeres develop two pairs of spur-like setae in end of segment. Simple arolia developed on all pretarsi.
Metasoma: Petiolar node long, apically slightly concave. Distinctly narrow part near mesosoma. Node surface flat and compact. Abdomen well developed and distinctly long, with eight segments. Abdominal segments III and IV are significantly larger than the other segments, and these two segments are nearly equal in length and height. Abdominal segment V shorter in length than segments III and IV, but slightly expanded. Each segment of the abdomen is almost fully extended, noticeably long, more than half total length of body. Sting long and developed, parallel to direction of ventral development of abdomen.
Comments: This species is readily distinguished from all other Zigrasimecia workers by the presence of symmetrical setae at the clypeus, a unique morphological trait not observed in any other known species within the genus.Notably, this distinctive character is absent in both queens and gynes of Zigrasimecia , precluding the identification of a corresponding female caste at present.This morphological disparity suggests a potential evolutionary divergence in worker-specific traits, warranting further investigation into the developmental and functional significance of this unique feature.
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