Axinidris namib Snelling 2007, new species

Axinidris namib, new species

Figures 7, 17, 27

Worker diagnosis. Scape shaft and pronotum and gastral terga 1 - 3 without erect hairs; hypostomal area with erect hairs; mesepisternum with distinct longitudinal rugae; medial carina present on posterior half of dorsal face of propodeum and continued down declivitous face.

Worker measurements (mm) (n = 1). HW 0.81; HL 0.86; SL 0.64; El 0.24; OVD 0.31; PNW 0.51; PPW 0.36; WL 1.03. Indices. CI 94; CNI 100; SI 79; OI 30.

Worker description. Frons and vertex moderately shiny, finely longitudinally strigulate between close minute punctures; gena shinier, finely coriarious between sparse shallow punctures; malar area shiny, sharply strigulate and sparsely punctate. Each frontal carina with a single erect hair at lower and upper ends; frons with a pair of very short submedian hairs below summit of vertex; scape shaft without erect hairs; hypostomal area with several short erect hairs on each side.

Dorsum of mesosoma without erect hairs. Pronotal disc moderately shiny and coriarious to strigulate between sparse minute punctures. Mesonotum smooth and shiny anteriorly, posterior three-fourths moderately shiny and with sparse fine longitudinal rugae. Mesepisternum shiny between relatively coarse more or less longitudinal rugae. Propodeal dorsum weakly shiny, contiguously punctate and with irregular short, fine rugae, side (below spiracle) shiny between sparse, short rugae; spiracular prominence distinct, spiracular opening directed obliquely distad; medial carina present on posterior half of dorsal face and on declivitous face, low and broadly rounded in profile at summit of declivity; propodeal spines short and nearly right-angular in dorsal view, distance between their apices less than distance between spiracles.

Gastral terga moderately shiny, coriarious between close minute punctures; terga 1 - 3 without erect hairs, 4 with one submedian pair near base.

Head and mesosoma reddish brown, mesosomal dorsum slightly darker; gaster darker reddish brown; clypeus and mandibles more yellowish.

Queen and male unknown.

TYPE MATERIAL

Holotype worker, NAMIBIA (" S. W. AFRICA "), Keetmans Dist., 1 km W Mata Mata, Welverdiend Farm No. 328 (25 ° 47 ' S 19 ° 59 ' E), 19 October 1972 (C. L. Hogue), in LACM.

ETYMOLOGY

The name is derived from that of the country of origin and is here a noun in apposition.

DISCUSSION

The presence of a number of short erect hairs on the hypostomal area is unusual among the species of Axinidris, but does occur in several other species (acholli, lignicola, stageri). From A. acholli, A. namib differs by its much smaller size and the less spectacularly developed medial carina and propodeal spines. Both A. lignicola and A. stageri possess conspicuous erect pronotal hairs.