Stictoponera dentihumera

Stictoponera dentihumera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ectatomminae
Tribe:	Ectatommini
Genus:	Stictoponera
Species:	S. dentihumera
Binomial name
	Stictoponera dentihumera; (Chen, Lattke & Zhou, 2017)

This species, known from a single nest, was found nesting in dead wood of a branch on the ground in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, at the altitude of 925 m.

Identification

Chen et al. (2017) - The workers of S. dentihumera are similar to workers of Stictoponera panda, but S. dentihumera can be distinguished from the latter by propodeum with short triangular denticle and triangular subpetiolar process. The workers of S. dentihumera also resemble Stictoponera sinensis, but differ from the latter by the occipital lamella of head shaped as a blunt triangular denticle, and the pronotal humeral denticle of the workers of S. dentihumera is short, pointing laterally, unsurpassing the anterior margin of pronotum.

Keys including this Species

Key to Stictoponera of China

Distribution

Guangxi, China.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: China (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Biology

This species was found nesting in deadwood of a branch on the ground in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, at the altitude of 925 m. All ants came from the same nest.

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

dentihumera. Gnamptogenys dentihumera Chen, Lattke & Zhou, in Chen, et al. 2017: 95, figs. 1-10 (w.q.) CHINA (Guangxi).
- Type-material: holotype worker, 12 paratype workers, 1 paratype queen.
- Type-locality: holotype China: Guangxi, Huanjiang County, Jiuwan Mt, 25°11’00’’N, 108°36’57’’E, 925 m., 8.viii.2015, no. G150067 (Z. Chen); paratypes with same data.
- Type-depositories: GNUC (holotype); GNUC, IZAS, SFCY (paratypes).
- Combination in Stictoponera: Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 12.
- Status as species: Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 12.
- Distribution: China.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Holotype. TL 4.61, HL 1.45, HW 1.22, CI 84, SL 1.05, SI 86, ED 0.14, PW 0.96, MSL 1.71, PL 0.41, PH 0.95, DPW 0.58, LPI 231, DPI 141. In full-face view head rectangular, longer than broad; posterior margin almost straight, posterior corner bluntly angular, lateral margin weakly convex. Mandible triangular, masticatory margin crenulate. Anterior margin of clypeus with convex to bluntly pointed median lobe. Antennal scape just slightly surpassing posterior corner of head, flagellar segments longer than broad. Eye small, with 10 ommatidia along maximum diameter, situated on midpoint of cephalic lateral margin.

In lateral view occipital lamella of head forming a blunt triangular denticle. Dorsum of mesosoma strongly convex, promesonotal suture slightly impressed. Propodeum with short triangular denticle; propodeal declivity weakly concave close to tooth then relatively straight. Petiole roughly trapezoidal, about 2.1 times higher than long, dorsal and anterior margins weakly convex, posterior margin straight, subpetiolar process broadly triangular. Sting extruding.

In dorsal view anterolateral margin of pronotum with strong constriction, forming pointed denticle on humeral area. Metanotal groove ambiguously evident, evidenced by a change in sculpturing. Petiolar anterior corner rounded, lateral margin weakly convex in dorsal view.

Mandibular dorsum and clypeus with longitudinal fine striae; cephalic dorsum mostly longitudinally rugulose-foveolate; side of pronotum, propodeum, petiole and third abdominal tergite and sternite rugulose-foveolate; posteromediand pronotum and mesonotum with longitudinal striae; propleuron irregularly rugulose; meso- and metapleuron longitudinally striate; fourth abdominal tergite finely irregularly rugulose, sternite rugulae denser than on tergite. Propodeal declivity transversely striate. Head, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster with abundant suberect hairs and sparse decumbent pubescence. Scape and tibiae with sparse sub-decumbent hairs and dense decumbent pubescence. Body color black; mandible, antenna and leg reddish-brown.

Paratype (n = 12). TL 4.56–4.65, HL 1.43–1.45, HW 1.20–1.23, CI 83–85, SL 1.03–1.05, SI 84–87, ED 0.13–0.15, PW 0.94–0.95, MSL 1.70–1.72, PL 0.40–0.43, PH 0.93–0.96, DPW 0.56–0.58, LPI 230–233, DPI 137–143. General appearance as in holotype, with some specimens reddish brown to yellowish brown in color. We believe they are callow workers.

Queen

Paratype. TL 6.42, HL 1.55, HW 1.21, CI 78, SL 1.11, SI 91, ED 0.25, PW 1.21, MSL 2.31, PL 0.37, PH 1.12, DPW 0.71, LPI 302, DPI 191. In full-face view head rectangular, longer than broad, posterior margin weakly concave, posterior corner bluntly angular, lateral margin almost parallel. Three ocelli on vertex (two lateral and one median) bordered by dark patches. Mandible triangular, masticatory margin crenulate. Anterior margin of clypeus with convex to bluntly pointed median lobe. Antennal scape just slightly surpassing posterior corner of head. Eye situated on midpoint of lateral cephalic margin.

In lateral view occipital lamella of head forming blunt point. Dorsum of mesosoma convex. Promesonotal suture obvious. Petiole relatively thin, anterior margin convex, posterior margin straight, dorsal and anterior margin with no obvious boundary, subpetiolar process broadly triangular. Sting extruding.

In dorsal view anterior margin of pronotum rounded; metanotal groove distinct. Metanotum oval, very narrow, bordered by mesoscutellum and propodeum. Petiole anterior weakly rounded.

Forewing and hindwing of queen shown in Figs 6–7.

Mandibular dorsum, anterolateral cephalic surface and middle part of clypeus with fine longitudinal striae. Head, pronotum, propodeum and petiole coarsely rugulose; middle part of mesonotum longitudinally striate; propleuron irregularly rugulose; mesopleuron and metapleuron longitudinally rugulose; in lateral view, third abdominal tergite with semicircular rugulae; fourth abdominal tergite with fine short rugulae; propodeal declivity transversely striate. Head, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster with abundant sub-erect hairs and sparse decumbent pubescence; scape and tibiae with sparse sub-decumbent hairs and dense decumbent pubescence. Whole body reddish-brown.

Type Material

Holotype. Worker. China: Guangxi, Huanjiang County, Jiuwan Mountain, 25°11'00"N, 108°36'57"E, 925m, 8.VIII.2015, leg. Zhilin Chen, No. G150067. Paratypes. 12 workers and 1 queen, data the same as holotype. [1 worker holotype, 8 workers paratypes and 1 queen paratype Guangxi Normal University; 2 workers paratypes will be deposited in Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China; 2 workers paratypes will be deposited in Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica (Chinese Academy of Sciences).

Etymology

This species is named from the Latin words “dent” (denticle) and “humer” (humeral), referring to the pronotum humeral area forming a pair of pointed denticles.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Chen Z., J. E. Lattke, F. Shi, and S. Zhou. 2017. Three new species of the genus Gnamptogenys (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from southern China with a key to the known Chinese species. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 54: 93-112.