Stictoponera meghalaya

This species has been collected from forest litter.

Identification
Lattke (2004) - This species is similar to Gnamptogenys binghamii from the western part of its geographic range and is sympatric with it in the Garo Hills of the Indian state of Meghalaya. G. binghamii has distinct occipital lobes, and the lateral cephalic margins are relatively parallel in frontal view and are not diverging posterad as in G. meghalaya. The frons of G. binghamii has striae on the transverse ridges between the foveolae, while the ridges in G. meghalaya are mostly glazed or rounded. G. meghalaya is also slightly smaller than G. binghamii on average.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India.

Castes
Males are unknown.

Nomenclature

 *  meghalaya. Gnamptogenys meghalaya Lattke, 2004: 125, fig. 28 (w.q.) INDIA.

Head elongate in frontal view; lateral margins broadly convex, diverging posterad; posterior margin concave, forming blunt obtuse angle; anterior margin of clypeal lamella forming obtuse angle, medially projecting; eye small; occipital lobe lacking; occipital lamella small; scape mostly smooth with scattered punctulae. Petiolar node evenly convex in lateral view; ventral process subquadrate.

Worker
Metrics. [Holotype] Paratypes (n = 5): HL [0.95] 0.90-1.00, HW [0.87] 0.77-0.89, ML [0.52] 0.44-0.52, SL [0.74] 0.68-0.77, ED [0.14] 0.14-0.17, WL [1.32] 1.23-1.37 mm. CI [0.92] 0.84-0.89, SI [0.85] 0.87-0.96, MI [0.60] 0.56-0.64, OI [0.16] 0.17-0.22. Head with broadly convex lateral margins in frontal view, posterior margin concave, forming blunt obtuse angle; anterior margin of clypeal lamella forming medially projecting obtuse angle; frons densely rugulose-punctate, ridges between punctae rounded or flat, not sharp; clypeus longitudinally strigulose; eye small; occipital lobe lacking; occipital lamella relatively small; scape mostly smooth with scattered punctulae; mesosoma foveolate in lateral view; katepisterum with some strigulae; posteroventral metapleuron longitudinally strigulose; mesosomal dorsal margin anteriorly convex, dorsally broadly convex, with broadly concave declivitous margin in lateral view. Mesosomal dorsum densely foveolate with median shallow longitudinal sulcus on mesonotum, sometimes extending onto posteromedian pronotum; propodeal declivitous face mostly smooth, denticles triangular. Petiolar node evenly convex in lateral view, ventral process subquadrate; postpetiolar dorsum foveolate-punctate with shallow undulations and slight scalloping, foveolae denser, more ovaloid on sides; sternum posterolaterally foevolate, medially mostly smooth with median strigulose strip; dorsum of abdominal segment 4 mostly smooth with abundant punctae, punctae deeper laterally, posterior margin with narrow band of longitudinal strigulae. Fore coxa transversely strigulose in lateral view; fore tarsus opposite strigil with single stout seta; metacoxal tooth elongate and triangular. Dorsum of thorax and abdominal segments 1-4 with scattered erect to subdecumbent hairs. Head, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster dark brown; mandibles, antennae, legs ferruginous.

Queen
Metrics (n = 1): HL 1.02, HW 0.93, ML 0.54, SL 0.81, ED 0.15, WL 1.54 mm. CI 0.91, SI 0.87, MI 0.58, OI 0.16. Mesosoma foveolate in lateral view; mesoscutum strigulose-puncate; scutellum smooth with scattered punctae; propodeal dorsum densely foveolate. Dorsum of petiolar node foveolate with median smooth area; punctures on postpetiolar dorsum smaller in diameter than on workers.

Type Material
Holotype worker. India, Meghalaya, Khasi Hill, 1000m, Mawsynram to Balat, 27-x-1978, C. Besuchet & I. Löbl 30b. Deposited in. Paratypes. One dealate queen on same pin as holotype, in ANIC. Two workers in ANIC, 2w in with same data as holotype. Two workers in ANIC from India, Meghalaya, Khasi Hills, 700m, Nongpoh, 5-xi-1978, C. Besuchet & I. Löbl 42.

Etymology
The species name is derived from the name of the type collection site in the Indian state of Meghalaya.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Lattke J. E. 2004. A taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis of the ant genus Gnamptogenys Roger in Southeast Asia and Australasia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae). University of California Publications in Entomology 122: 1-266.