Cladomyrma scopulosa

Cladomyrma scopulosa nests exclusively in branches and shoots of Saraca dives. Colonies can have multiple queens. Limited observations suggest secondary polygyny at the early founding stage, or even primary polygyny, often occurs. Colonies may become progressively more polygynous by accepting supplementary queens. Nests commonly contained pseudococcides. A single nest was found to harbor coccids and another contained dipteran larvae. Mating flights are speculated to occur in the spring. (Eguchi and Bui 2007)

Identification
Eguchi & Bui (2006) - Median part of clypeus strongly raised, steeply declining anteriorly; each lateral part of clypeus with a transverse subbasal ridge (major); mandible with 5 teeth (including basal angle) (queen); anepisternum covered with pubescence entirely (queen); metapleural gland orifice narrowed (major, minor and queen).

The present species is relatively similar to Cladomyrma hobbyi and very similar to Cladomyrma petalae. In C. hobbyi (paratype queen and non-type major, minors and queens (det. Agosti & Moog, 1999, MCZC) were examined) the metapleural grand orifice broadly opens in the major, minor and queen, and mandible has 4 teeth (including basal angle) in the queen. On the other hand, in the present species, the orifice narrowly opens especially in the major and queen, and mandible has 5 teeth (including basal angle) in the queen. Subbasal ridge in each lateral part of clypeus is less developed in the major of C. petalae (paratype major, minors and males, and nontype major, minor and queens (det. Agosti & Moog, 1999, MCZC) were examined) than in that of the present species. The major of known members of Cladomyrma have a somewhat “truncated clypeus” (Agosti 1991). The present species shows an extreme case.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Vietnam.

Castes
Alate Male

Nomenclature

 *  scopulosa. Cladomyrma scopulosa Eguchi & Bui, 2006: 306, figs. 1  9 (w.q.) VIETNAM.

Worker
Major. HL 0.96-1.20 mm, HW 0.88-1.06 mm, SL 0.43-0.54 mm, EL 0.17-0.23 mm, ML 0.96-1.20 mm, FL 0.55-0.68 mm, CI 86-96, SI 45-54, EI 17-24, FI 60-67 (n=15). Body brown to dark brown, usually with paler anterior part of head and darker gaster; head in full-face view subrcctangular with round posterolateral corners, sparsely bearing standing hairs posteriorly and laterally; frons and vertex sparsely bearing short standing hairs and very short appressed/decumbent hairs, largely smooth and shining (but with pits of hairs); gena weakly rugose-punctate at least in its anterior part, bearing short standing hairs; ventral face of head covered with appressed/decumbent pubescence and bearing standing hairs; median part of clypeus strongly raised, reticulate or rugose-reticulate, bearing relatively thick standing hairs, steeply declining anteriorly; each lateral part of clypeus wtth a transverse subbasal ridge ( black arrow in Fig 2; white arrow in Fig. 4); frontal lobe obsolete, only partially concealing antennal insertion; antenna 8-segmented, without distinctly differentiated club; scapes in full-face view a little beyond the line across posterior end of eyes; eye situated around or a little behind midlength of head; gena (as measured from anterior margin of eye to mandibular insertion) 1.7-2.3 times as long as maximal diameter of eye; mandible with 4 teeth ( including basal angle), in full-face view forming an obtuse outer angle (black arrow in Fig. 4); outer surface of mandible coarsely rugose, bearing relatively thick standing hairs; mesosoma densely covered with pubescence (pubescent hairs longer than their interspaces) over the surface, scattering standing hairs dorsally; mesopleuron often (but not always) with an obsolete to very weak transverse impression which barely or very weakly separates anepisternum and katepisternum; matanotal groove obsolete dorsally and laterally or invisible; metapleural gland orifice narrowly opening; propodeal spiracle in profile located near the posterior margin of propodeum; petiole in profile scale-like; the dorsal top in rear view barely to conspicuously emarginate, or rarely bicuspidate; gaster covered with appressed pubescence over the surface; 1st tergite with several standing hairs other than those arranged along posterior margin of each tergite.

Minor. HL 0.65-0.78 mm, HW 0.57-0.75 mm, SL 0.33-0.41 mm, EL 0.14-0.18 mm, ML 0.63-0.85 mm, FL 0.46-0.58 mm, CI 88-96, SI 54-60, EI 23-27, FI 75-82 (n= l 4). Coloration of body as the major; head in full face view subtrapezoidal with round posterolateral corners, sparsely bearing standing hairs posteriorly and laterally; frons and vertex covered by very short appressed pubescence (pubescent hairs shorter than their interspaces), sparsely bearing standing hairs, smooth and shining (but with pits of pilosity); gena and ventral face of head densely covered by appressed/decumbent pubescence (pubescent hairs longer than their interspaces), sparsely bearing standing hairs; median part of clypeus weakly convex anterodorsad, without conspicuous sculpcure, sparsely bearing subdecumbent/suberect pubescent hairs and relatively long standing hairs; frontal lobe obsolete, only partially concealing antennal insertion; antenna 8-segmented, without distinctly differentiated club; scapes in full-face view a little beyond the line across posterior end of eyes; eye situated behind midlength of head; gena (as measured from anterior margin of eye to mandibular insertion) 1.6-2.0 times as long as maximal diameter of eye; mesosoma as in the major; mesopleuron rarely with an obsolete transverse impression; metapleural gland orifice relatively narrowly opening; petiole in profile scale-like (higher and thinner than that of the major); its dorsal top in rear view very weakly to conspicuously emarginate; gaster as major.

Queen
(dealate queens). HL 1.28-1.42 mm, HW 1.13-1.26mm,SL0.61- 0.67 mm, EL 0.38-0.43 mm, ML 2.10-2.21 mm, FL 0.87-0.97 mm, CI 86-89, SI 52-56, EI 34-35, FI 75-80 (n=4). Coloration of body as the major; head in full-face view subrectangular with round posterior margin, bearing standing hairs posteriorly and laterally; frons and vertex sparsely bearing short standing hairs and very short appressed/decumbent hairs, smooth and shining (but with pit of hairs); gena longitudinally rugose, bearing standing hairs; ventral face of head covered with decumbent pubescence, bearing standing hairs; median part of clypeus strongly raised, weakly reticulate, bearing relatively thick standing hairs, relatively steeply declining anteriorly; each lateral part of clypeus with a transverse subbasal ridge (bur the ridge less developed than that of the major); frontal lobe obsolete, only partially concealing antennal insertion; antenna 8-segmented; scapes in full-face view a little beyond the line across posterior end of eyes; eye situated around midlength of head; gena (as measured from anterior margin of eye to mandibular insertion) almost as long as or a little shorter than maximal diameter of eye; median and lateral ocelli present; mandible with 5 teeth (including basal angle), in full-face view forming an obtuse outer angle; outer surface of mandible coarsely rugose longitudinally, bearing relatively thick standing hairs; mesosoma densely covered with pubescence over the surface (bur dorsal part of katepisternum and large part of metapleuron often without pubescence), sparsely bearing standing hairs on pronotum, mesoscutum (marginal area), mesoscutellum, mesopleuron (ventral area) and propodeum (dorsum); standing hair on propodeum relatively long and thick; mesoscutum with parapsidal furrows; mesopleuron with a weak and narrow transverse groove which separates anepisternum and karepisternum; meta pleural gland orifice narrowly opening (arrow in Fig. 9); petiole in profile low, flatten dorsally; gaster covered with appressed pubescence over the surface; 1st tergite sparsely bearing standing hairs other than those arranged along posterior border of each tergite.

Type Material
Type Material. Holotype: major from colony Eg15vi05-15 (nesting in young shoots of Saraca dives); type locality: Cue Phuong N. P., Ninh Binh Province, N. Vietnam (K. Eguchi leg., 1 5/vi/2005); depository:. Paratypes: 21 majors, 22 minors and 5 dealare queens from the same colony to which the holotype belongs; depository: IEBR,, , , ,.