Holcoponera epinotalis

E.O. Wilson collected this species from irregular soil galleries under a stone.

Identification
Lattke (2004) - Holcoponera epinotalis and Holcoponera luzonensis are both among the smallest Holcoponera, but H. epinotalis has a metanotal sulcus that is lacking in H. luzonensis. The propodeum of H. luzonensis may have partially effaced sculpture, but longitudinal strigulae and foveolae are usually present. Sutures around the katepisternum in H. luzonenis, and most other species of the epinotalis group, tend to be wider and deeper compared with other Old World Holcoponera clades and with a slight elevation of the katepisternum over the anepisternum and metapleuron. The petiolar node in H. epinotalis seems to be more bluntly convex in shape than in other species of the epinotalis group. The dense layer of short hairs on the body is rare for Old World Holcoponera, though Holcoponera sila almost approaches the condition in H. epinotalis.

Distribution
Only known from New Guinea

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea.

Castes
Males are unknown.

Nomenclature

 * . Rhopalopone epinotalis Emery, 1900c: 331 (w.q.) NEW GUINEA (Papua New Guinea).
 * Type-material: 4 syntype workers, 1 syntype queen.
 * Type-localities: workers Papua New Guinea: Seleo I., nr Berlinhafen (= Aitepe) (L. Biró), queen Papua New Guinea: Paumomu River (L. Loria).
 * Type-depository: MSNG (perhaps also in HNHM).
 * [Rhopalopone epinotalis Emery, 1897d: 550. Nomen nudum.]
 * Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 228;
 * combination in Holcoponera: Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
 * Status as species: Emery, 1911d: 35; Wheeler, W.M. 1924b: 242 (in key); Chapman & Capco, 1951: 26; Brown, 1958g: 228, 302; Bolton, 1995b: 209; Lattke, 2004: 167 (redescription); Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
 * Distribution: Papua New Guinea.

Lattke (2004) - General color yellowish brown. Mesosoma with abundant short, erect standing hairs in lateral view; metanotal sulcus present; sutures surrounding katepisternum narrow and fine; katepisternum, lateral propodeal face, and most of metapleuron with fine, longitudinal, parallel carinulae; metapleuron mostly longitudinally striate to costulate; propodeal declivity mostly smooth with sparse punctae and posterolateral low rounded lobes. Petiolar node with bluntly convex dorsal margin in lateral view.

Worker
Lattke (2004) - Metrics (n = 3): HL 0.50-0.58, HW 0.41-0.45, ML 0.24-0.25, SL 0.33-0.41, ED 0.04-0.04, WL 0.62-0.76 mm. CI 0.78-0.82, SI 0.80-0.91, MI 0.54-0.59, OI 0.09-0.09. Head with subparallel lateral margins in frontal view, anterior margin of clypeus generally convex, lamella bluntly angular laterally with slight median convex projection; clypeus longitudinally strigulose with median longitudinal smooth area. Pronotum densely punctate along dorsal half in lateral view, ventral half mostly smooth with sparse punctae and brief longitudinal strigulae present along posterior margin; pronotal dorsum with rugulae arching around anterior margin, medially longitudinal; anepisternum longitudinally strigulose anterad, posterad mostly smooth; katepisternum strigulose, not significantly elevated over surrounding cuticle, circumscribing sutures very fine; metapleuron mostly longitudinally striate to costulate; mesosoma with very broadly convex to almost flat dorsal margin in lateral view, metanotal sulcus well impressed and scrobiculate; mesosomal dorsum posterad of mesonotum medially mostly smooth, laterally and toward posterior propodeum strigulose-punctate; dorsal propodeal margin meeting declivitous margin through convexity, becoming relatively straight afterward at spiracular height; lateral propodeal face strigulose-punctate, propodeal declivity mostly smooth with sparse punctae and posterolateral low rounded lobes. Petiolar node with flat dorsal margin in lateral view; postpetiole laterally densely punctate, sternite strigulose-punctate, posteriorly thinning out somewhat; abdominal tergite 4 laterally punctulate, punctulae becoming less dense posterad, sternite smooth with some punctae. Dorsum of thorax, and abdominal segments 1-4 with dense mat of short, erect standing hairs, besides longer, scattered erect to subdecumbent hairs. Coloration yellowish brown.

Queen
Lattke (2004) - Metrics (n = 1): HL 0.60, HW 0.48, ML 0.26, SL 0.42, ED 0.13, WL 0.83 mm. CI 0.79, SI 0.88, MI 0.56, OI 0.28. Pronotum laterally punctate, mostly smooth posterad; mesometapleuron longitudinally strigulose; mesoscutum with longitudinal, parallel strigulae and rows of punctae especially laterally; scutellum mostly smooth medially, laterally strigulose, axillae strigulose-punctate; lateral propodeal face strigulose-punctate; propodeal declivity mostly smooth with some transverse strigulae medially.

Type Material
Lattke (2004) - Syntype workers, queen: New Guinea, Paumomu River (Loria) (MCSN) [Examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Brown W. L., Jr. 1958. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. II. Tribe Ectatommini (Hymenoptera). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 118: 173-362.
 * Emery C. 1900. Formicidarum species novae vel minus cognitae in collectione Musaei Nationalis Hungarici quas in Nova-Guinea, colonia germanica, collegit L. Biró. Publicatio secunda. Természetrajzi Füzetek 23: 310-338.
 * Emery C. 1911. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125.
 * Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
 * Lattke J. E. 2004. A taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis of the ant genus Gnamptogenys Roger in Southeast Asia and Australasia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae). University of California Publications in Entomology 122: 1-266.
 * Viehmeyer H. 1912. Ameisen aus Deutsch Neuguinea gesammelt von Dr. O. Schlaginhaufen. Nebst einem Verzeichnisse der papuanischen Arten. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Königlichen Zoologischen und Anthropologische-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden 14: 1-26.
 * Wilson Edward O. 1959. Adaptive Shift and Dispersal in a Tropical Ant Fauna. Evolution 13(1): 122-144