Meranoplus snellingi

Restricted to Top End, Northern Territory.

Identification
M. snellingi is a medium sized to large brown to blackish-brown species which apart from differences in size shows only very little variation within its range. It is obviously most closely related to the two preceding taxa but easily separable by the unique clypeal structure.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  snellingi. Meranoplus snellingi Schödl, 2007: 380, figs. 6, 7, 55, 87, pl. 1,A (w.) AUSTRALIA.

Worker
Holotype. TL 8.35, HL 2.13, HW 2.38, FC 1.75, CS 2.25, SL 1.04, SI1 44, SI2 46, PML 1.40, PW 1.83, PMD 1.80, PMI2 99, ML 1.95, PTLL 0.60, PTLH 0.80, PTDW 0.78, PPLL 0.58, PPLH 0.75, PPI 77, PPDW 0.85, PT/PP 91.

Mandible with three teeth. Clypeal projection distinctly exceeding anterolateral frontal corners, with weak median carina and additional lateral carinulae, the anterior clypeal margin concave with upward flexion, the lateral corners rounded, denticulate. Head wider than long (CI 112), preoccipital margin deeply concave. Frontal carinae distinctly sinuately narrowing towards clypeus, markedly narrower than width of head (FI 136). Antennal scrobe in lateral view scarcely surpassing middle of length of head, merging into lateral sides of head distinctly anteriorly to rear corners; distinctly transversely carinulate at rear with additional shagreening. Genae and ventrolateral sides of head carinate to rugose, preoccipital lobes reticulate. Eyes relatively small (EL 0.35, REL 0.16, with 18 ommatidia in the longest row), situated well in front of middle of lateral sides of head, the dorsal ocular margin far from the ventral scrobal margin. Surface of head between ridges of rugo-reticulation with microreticulum.

Promesonotal shield distinctly wider than long (PMI 130), only very narrowly translucently margined. Mesonotum with posterolateral projections triangular, the posterior medial projections rounded. Propodeal declivity visible from above. Propodeal spines of medium length (PSL 0.73) situated above middle of length of declivity, acute and slightly arcuate when seen from above.

Petiole in lateral view box shaped, distinctly higher than long (PTI 75), with the anterior face straight, meeting oblique dorsum in a more or less right angle, the latter merging roundly into posterior face. Postpetiole nodiform with small anterio-basal tooth.

Gaster entirely and roughly striate (elongately carinulate, with microsculpture between carinulae). Dorsal surface covered with scattered regular pilosity consisting of short and longer more or less erect stiff hairs, in general pilosity on head dorsum shorter than on mesosoma and gaster.

(n = 8). TL 7.20-8.75, HL 1.88-2.19, HW 2.0-2.43, FC 1.48-1.75, FI 134-142, CI 103-112, CS 1.94-2.31, SL 1.0-1.15, SI1 44-51, SI2 46-53, PML 1.23-1.45, PW 1.50-1.83, PMI 120-130, PMD 1.45-1.83, PMI2 94-103, ML 1.70-2.0, PSL 0.65-0.73, PTLL 0.58-0.68, PTLH 0.73-0.84, PTI 74-81, PTDW 0.66-0.90, PPLL 0.45-0.60, PPLH 0.63-0.83, PPI 70-77, PPDW 0.71-0.95, PT/PP 91-102, EL 30-0.37, REL 0.15-0.19, with 16-18 ommatidia in the longest row.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Northern Territory: 'AUSTRALIA. N.Terr.: CSIRO-TERC. Berrimah 12.42°S 130.92°E 14-16 Dec. 2000 #00-145 \ #00-145. Secondary tropical savannah. Ex nest in soil coll. R. R. Snelling'. Paratypes. 23 workers, same data as holotype; 72 workers with same locality data but '21 Dec 2000, #00-190', '19 June 2003 #03-143', '22 June 2003 #03-162', '28-29 June 2003' (,, ANIC).

Etymology
Named for Roy R. Snelling, myrmecologist at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. He provided me with numerous important specimens for this study.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Schödl S. 2007. Revision of Australian Meranoplus: the Meranoplus diversus group. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80: 370-424.