Lioponera dumbletoni

Identification
Distinguished from all other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: moderately large size (head width of type series 1.16-1.25 mm), antennal scapes unusually long, side of alitrunk non-marginate, body surface smooth and shining to shagreened and subopaque, body color deep blackish brown to jet black.

The only other Indo-Australian Cerapachys (Phyracaces) lacking marginations along the sides of the alitrunk are Cerapachys aberrans Clark and Cerapachys longitarsus (pygmaeus synonym) Clark of northern Queensland and Cerapachys hewitti Wheeler of Borneo. These species are easily distinguished from dumbletoni by their much shorter scapes, which reach only to about the posterior margins of the compound eyes when thehead is viewed in full face - in dumbletoni the scapes extend beyond the eyes by about their own maximum width. Of the three species, dumbletoni most resembles aberrans Clark, being very close in size and sculpturing.

Distribution
This taxon was described from New Caledonia.

Etymology
This species is named after Mr. L. Jock Dumbleton, formerly economic entomologist for the South Pacific Commission, and an expert student of the New Caledonian insect fauna.