Eurhopalothrix chapmani

The single type, a worker, was collected from the base of a rotten pole in a bamboo thicket.

Identification
E. chapmani seems to be close to Eurhopalothrix heliscata and both species are probably related to Eurhopalothrix procera. (Taylor 1990)

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

Nomenclature

 *  chapmani. Eurhopalothrix chapmani Taylor, 1990b: 406, figs. 5-7, 23, 45 (w.) PHILIPPINES.

Worker
General features as illustrated. All Class A attributes present, with those of Class B, unless otherwise indicated. Dimensions (mm): HL 1.01; HW 1.05; CI 104; ML 0.29; MI 29; SL 0.64; SI 62; PW 0.61; WL 1.21. Outer mandibular borders in frontal view broadly and more-or-less evenly convex. Eyes rather small, with 6-8 facets. Posterior occipital angles approximately 90°. Promesonotal profile almost straight, very shallowly and broadly depressed about the mesonotal/propodeal junction. Propodeal dorsum only slightly depressed posteriorly between the bases of the teeth.

A single pair of specialised erect hairs (one of which has been lost by the holotype) bilaterally near the midline on posterior part of frons, the hairs small and only slightly clubbed. Similar hairs on last 3 exposed gastral sternites, and posteromedially on first tergite; otherwise lacking. Pubescence reduced, its hairs small and scattered, except on posterior part of frons, occipital lobes, and dorsa of pronotum, petiole and postpetiole. Resembling Eurhopalothrix heliscata with the following salient differences:

(1) Sculpturation finer and less strongly delimited, as follows:

Mandibles coarsely punctate with shining interspaces, somewhat rugose at their bases. Head, mesosoma and nodes moderately finely punctate-shagreened (unlike other species described here), sculpturing less sharply defined elsewhere on mesosomal dorsum, and especially on waist nodes; frons and pronotal dorsum tending to be more rugulose, though very finely so; gastral dorsum slightly more finely sculptured than elsewhere.

(2) Generally less 'craggy' in appearance. Surfaces of frons and occipital lobes smoothly rounded, where in E. heliscata the frons has a transverse anterior tumosity behind the broadly depressed fronto-clypeal suture, relatively strong swellings under each of the two enlarged cephalic hairs, and the apices of the frontal lobes are somewhat more abruptly swollen anteriorly. Postpetiolar dorsum almost entirely convexly curved, with a relatively featureless surface, where in E. heliscata its disc is more-or-less flattened anteromedially, and somewhat depressed behind the slightly raised rim-like anterior edge; the posterior portion of the dorsum is bitumose when viewed obliquely along the long-axis of the body, with a shallowly depressed median channel running back from the anteromedian section.

(3) Pronotal dorsum a transversely even arch, where in E. heliscata it is distinctly bitumose in transverse profile.

(4) Petiolar node in dorsal view about as long as wide, v. distinctly longer than wide in E. heliscata.

Type Material
Philippines: Luzon: Ateneo De Manila, Quezon City (l4°38'N.,121°02'E.). Known only from the unique worker holotype, collected from the base of a rotten pole in a bamboo thicket (B. B. Lowery, 8.vii.I978). In (type No. 7776); the specimen gold-palladium coated for SEM study.

Etymology
Named for the late American Philippines teacher and myrmecologist James W. Chapman.