Epopostruma alata

This species has been found in habitats including dry sclerophyll, dry flat sclerophyll on black soil, swampy dry sclerophyll without grass and dry sclerophyll and paperbark. Collection sites or situations include in soil, pitfall trap, in dry bank of earth, under rock, under log, in hard soil at base of Eucalyptus, nest in compact soil at base of Eucalyptus, in soil under Eucalyptus globulus, in hard laterite clay soil, tiny hole in lump of soil, and in clod of damp soil at base of gum tree very close to orange-brown Pheidole nest.

Identification
Posterior section of metanotum forming a distinct angle with the dorsal face of propodeum so that the junction of these plates forms an obtuse angle. Sides of postpetiole expanded laterally in the form of thin, solid wings. Dorsum of petiole, postpetiole and gaster with numerous erect hairs.

Key to Epopostruma Species

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  alata. Epopostruma alata Shattuck, in Bolton, 2000: 56 (w.) AUSTRALIA. [Note that alata Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1973, above, is a subsequent misspelling of alinodis Forel, 1913g: 179 (now in Colobostruma) and therefore does not enter into homonymy.]

Description
In full face view the lateral margin of the head between the eye and the posterior corner with an indistinct angle. Pronotal spines present, short. Posterior section of metanotum forming a distinct angle with the dorsal face of propodeum so that the junction of these plates forms an obtuse angle. Posterior face of propodeum between bases of spines and propodeal lobes with thick flanges. Petiolar spines short, sometimes reduced to blunt, angular projections. Anterior face of postpetiole continuous with dorsal face and inseparable from it; sides of postpetiole expanded laterally in the form of thin, solid wings, their lateral margins flat to weakly convex; posterolateral margin of postpetiole (immediately anterior of gaster) varying from flat medially with a weak convexity laterally to weakly concave. Dorsum of petiole, postpetiole and gaster with numerous erect hairs. First gastral tergite smooth (including area immediately behind attachment with gaster). Body colour yellow-red; dorsal surface of head uniform yellow-red; gaster slightly lighter in colour than body and generally with a weakly infuscated band across centre of first tergite.

Measurements Holotype worker. TL 3.3mm, HL 0.74mm, HW 0.71mm, CI 96, MandL 0.36mm, MandI 49, SL 0.43mm, SI 61, PronW 0.49mm, ML 0.84mm.

CI (cephalic index) - HW/HL X 100. HL (head length) - The length of the head capsule excluding the mandibles, measured in full face view in a straight line from the mid point of the anterior clypeal margin to the mid point of the occipital margin. In species where one or both of these margins is concave the measurement is taken from the mid point of a transverse line that spans the apices of the projecting portions. HW (head width) - The maximum width of the head in full face view, excluding the eyes. MandI (mandibular index) - ML/HL X 100. MandL (mandible length) - The straight line length of the mandible at full closure, measured in the same plane for which the HL measurement is taken (i.e. full face view), from the mandibular apex to the anterior clypeal margin, or to the transverse line connecting the anteriormost points in those taxa where the margin is concave medially. ML (mesosomal length) (= Weber's length) - The diagonal length of the mesosoma in profile from the point at which the pronotum meets the cervical shield to the posterior basal angle of the metapleuron. PronW (pronotal width) - The maximum width of the pronotum in dorsal view. (Projecting spines, tubercles or other cuticular prominences at the pronotal humeral angles are ignored.) SI (scape index) - SL/HW X 100. SL (scape length) - The maximum straight line length of the scape, excluding the basal constriction or neck that occurs just distal of the condylar bulb. TL (total length) - The total outstretched length of the ant from the mandibular apex to the gastral apex; when measured in profile the sum of ML + HL + ML + lengths of waist segments + length of gaster.