Metapone hoelldobleri

All specimens apart from the type-nest series and the Kuranda gyne are labelled “flight intercept” or “pitfall trap”. Worker/gyne association confirmed by McNamee Creek series. Apparently ranging at locally middle to lower elevations (all records below 600m) between at least the latitudes of Cape Tribulation and McNamee Creek in the “base of peninsula” rainforests of N.E. Queensland. (Taylor and Alpert 2016)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Biology
Taylor and Alpert (2016) - Sympatric with Metapone mjobergi at Kuranda, and Metapone tecklini at Mossman Bluff. One of the Mossman Bluff Track worker specimens was originally mounted with the holotype alate gyne of M. tecklini (on the same pin, a separate card point).

Nomenclature

 * . Metapone hoelldobleri Taylor & Alpert, 2016: 540, figs. 146-155 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland).
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 4 paratype workers, 6 paratype queens.
 * Type-locality: holotype Australia: NE Queensland, W. McNamee Creek, 17°40’S, 145°43’E, nr Innisfail, 6.vii.1971, rainforest, in rotting log (R.W. Taylor & J.D. Feehan); paratypes: 4 workers, 1 queen with same data, 1 queen Queensland, 1 km. WNW Cape Tribulation, 10 m., 1-31.v.1996 (P. Zborowski), 1 queen Queensland, Mossman Bluff Track, 5-10 km. W Mossman, 360 m., 16-30.xii.1988, ANZSES site 2 (G.B. Monteith & G.I. Thompson), 2 queens as last but 1-16.i.1989, 600 m., ANZSES site 4, 1 queen Queensland, Kuranda, 28.xii.1920 (F.P. Dodd).
 * Type-depositories: ANIC (holotype); ANIC, BMNH, MCZC, MHNG, QMBA (paratypes).
 * Distribution: Australia.

Worker
Holotype, smallest paratype, largest paratype (N=2): TL: ca 8.5, 7.7, 8.45; HL: 1.95, 1.76, 1.95; HW: 1.42, 1.28, 1.42; CI: 73, 73, 73; CpL: 0.77, 0.72, 0.78; CpI: 39, 41, 40; MSL: 2.51, 2.21, 2.51; PML: 1.27, 1.17, 1.31; PMW: 1.01, 0.88, 0.98; PMI: 51, 53, 52; PDW: 1.02, 0.76, 0.92; PetL: 0.61, 0.56, 0.64; PetW: 0.62, 0.58, 0.63; PetH: 1.05, 0.95, 1.02; PpetL: 0.57, 0.54, 0.62; PpetW: 0.78, 0.70, 0.80; PpetH: 0.78, 0.72, 081; GW: 1.50, 1.4, 1.49.

General and diagnostic features as in figures and the key to Australian species. In some specimens the rostrate portion of the clypeus has striation which is fundamentally longitudinal, but curves divergently to one side anteriorly. This feature is present in several series, so it could be a general characteristic of M. hoelldobleri.

Queen
(Nidoparatype, smallest, and largest specimens ( both labelled Mossman Bluff track): TL: ca 10.5, 10.1, 10.45; HL: 2.07, 2.01, 2.08; HW: 1.45, 1.36, 1.44; CI: 70, 68, 69; CpL: 0.83, 0.78, 0.85; CpI: 40, 39, 41; MSL: 3.37, 3.17, 3.32; ScW: 1.15, 1.12, 1.23; PetL: 0.75, 0.76, 0.81; PetW: 0.72, 0.67, 0.69; PetH: 1.10, 1.01, 1.10; PpetL: 0.68, 0.61, 0.65; PpetW: 0.92, 0.89, 0.91; PpetH: 0.88, 0.80, 0.84; GW: 1.53, 1.40, 1.45.

Type Material
Australia: N. E. Queensland: W. McNamee Creek, 17°40'S, 145°43'E, near Innisfail.

Holotype and paratypes from all localities in (Type No. 32-069961). Worker and gyne paratypes in, , ,.

Etymology
Named for our friend and respected colleague, the distinguished myrmecologist Bert Hölldobler.