Hypoponera transvaalensis

Specimens have been collected from leaf litter.

Identification
A member of the boerorum group. See the worker description information below.

Distribution
This taxon was described, and is only known, from South Africa.

Nomenclature

 *  transvaalensis. Ponera transvaalensis Arnold, 1947: 132, fig. 2 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. Combination in Hypoponera: Bolton, 1995b: 216. See also: Bolton & Fisher, 2011: 108.

Bolton and Fisher (2011) - It seems probable that sulcatinasis and transvaalensis may eventually prove to be nothing more than two geographical variants of a single species. But because the little material available can be separated by the characters given above, they are maintained as separate for the present.

Worker
Bolton and Fisher (2011) - Measurements: HL 0.88, HW 0.74, HS 0.810, SL 0.70, PrW 0.56, WL 1.26, HFL 0.70, PeNL 0.26, PeH 0.58, PeNW 0.40, PeS 0.413. Indices: CI 84, SI 95, PeNI 71, LPeI 45, DPeI 154.

A large, darkly coloured species, very closely related to Hypoponera sulcatinasis and answering the general description of that species, but differing as follows.

1 Dorsum of propodeum weakly sculptured anteriorly; the sculpture fades out posteriorly so that the posterior half is almost smooth. In sulcatinasis the entire propodeal dorsum is uniformly reticulate-punctate.

2 Propodeum without a sharply defined boundary between dorsum and declivity that is brought about by an abrupt loss of sculpture. In sulcatinasis the boundary between propodeal dorsum and declivity is strongly demarcated by the abrupt disappearance of sculpture at the junction of dorsum and declivity.

3 Punctate sculpture of pronotal and mesonotal dorsa weak and superficial; punctures very small and widely separated. In sulcatinasis the punctures on the pronotal and mesonotal dorsa are dense, sharply incised and conspicuous.

4 Metanotal groove with weakly defined anterior and posterior sutures, so that a narrow metanotal sclerite is present on the mesosomal dorsum. In sulcatinasis merely a groove is present.

Type Material
Holotype worker, SOUTH AFRICA: Transvaal, Mariepskop (J.C. Faure) [not seen].

Additional References

 * Bolton, B. & Fisher, B.L. 2011. Taxonomy of Afrotropical and West Palaearctic ants of the ponerine genus Hypoponera Santschi. Zootaxa 2843: 1-118.