Ponera shennong

The holotype was taken from a Berlese leaf litter sample.

Identification
Terayama (2009) - Easily separated from Taiwanese congeners by the minute body size and yellowish body color.

Leong et al. (2019) - (worker). Ponera shennong can be easily distinguished by its short antennal scape, a posterior margin of the petiolar node convex when observed in lateral view, a posterior margin of the petiolar node straight in dorsal view, a subpetiolar teeth indistinct, its abdominal tergum III as long as broad, and its small body size (HW: 0.27–0.28 mm).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Taiwan.

Nomenclature

 *  shennong. Ponera shennong Terayama, 2009: 112, figs. 55-58 (w.) TAIWAN.

Worker
Holotype. Head long, 1.36 times as long as wide, with very weakly convex dorsal margin and almost straight lateral margins. Antennal scape very short, SI = 77; 2nd to 8th segments short; club thick, consist of 4-segments. Eye lacking.

Alitrunk with flat dorsum; mesometanotal suture distinct on the dorsum; posterolateral corner of propodeum dully angulate. Petiolar node rectangular, with a posterodorsal angle; in dorsal view, dorsal disc thick and trapezoidal, with weakly concave posterior margin. Subpetiolar process with a dull angle at midlength of ventral margin, and without posteroventral teeth.

First and 2nd gastral terga long; 1st segment as long as wide in dorsal view, 2nd segment slightly wider than long.

Measurements (mm). HL 0.30, HW 0.28, SL 0.21, WL 0.48, PL 0.15, PH 0.18, DPW 0.15, TL 1.5.

Color. Yellowish brown; legs yellow.

Leong et al. (2019) - Holotype. HL 0.34; HW 0.27; SL 0.19; A06L 0.01; A07L 0.01; A08L 0.02; A09L 0.03; A10L 0.05; PrW 0.20; WL 0.45; PeH 0.19; PeNL 0.13; PeW 0.15; ATL 0.27; ATW 0.28; CI 79, SI 72, PeI 77, LPeI 68, DPeI 116, ATI 96. (n=1): HL 0.36; HW 0.28; SL 0.23; A06L 0.01; A07L 0.01; A08L 0.02; A09L 0.03; A10L 0.04; PrW 0.22; WL 0.44; PeH 0.22; PeNL 0.14; PeW 0.0.17; ATL 0.27; ATW 0.28; CI 78, SI 81, PeI 77, LPeI 64, DPeI 119, ATI 96.

Head. In full-face view, head subrectangular and longer than broad (CI: 78), with concave posterior margin, slightly convex lateral margins and angularly rounded posterolateral corners. Eye absent or with a small facet. Anterior clypeal margin without developed medial tooth. Masticatory margin of mandible with series of numerous indistinct denticles, and three large teeth on the apical part. Antennal scape, when laid backward, with a remaining distance of about 35% of the scape length to the posterolateral corner; average ratio of the length of antennomeres 7/6:8/6:9/6:10/6 = 1.27: 1.74: 3.23: 4.61 (n=2).

Mesosoma. Mesosomal dorsum in lateral view moderately convex. Pronotum in dorsal view with acutely convex anterior margin and convex lateral margins. Metanotal groove distinct. Lateral mesopleural suture indistinct. Propodeal dorsum in dorsal view very broad, with straight and subparallel lateral margins. Propodeal corner in lateral rounded; propodeal dorsum and declivity forming approximatively a 120 degree angle.

Metasoma. Petiolar node in dorsal view very thick and subsquare, with slightly convex anterior margin, and straight posterior margin. Petiolar node in lateral view trapezoidal and remarkably thick, with straight and slightly sloping anterior and posterior margins, long and straight dorsal margin, and anterodorsal corner as high as posterodorsal corner. Subpetiolar process with small and oval fenestra, anteroventral corner blunt, almost straight ventral margin, and posteroventral corner concave with teeth extremely reduced. Third abdominal tergum almost as long as large (ATI: 96) with straight anterior margin, and almost straight lateral margins.

Sculpture. Head densely punctate. Mandible sparsely punctate. Mesosomal dorsum evenly punctate. Mesopleuron, metapleuron, and lateral face of propodeum with superficial striae. Lateral and dorsal faces of petiolar node with few punctures, smooth posterior face. The third and fourth abdominal segments evenly punctate, other segments smooth and shining with few punctures.

Pubescence. Head, antennae, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster with evenly distributed short hairs, but scattered on the lateral portion of mesosoma. Dorsal and ventral faces of head, anterior margin of clypeus, sides of mandibles, dorsum of petiolar node, gastral sterna and posterior half of gastral terga with many long and erect hairs. Subpetiolar process with a few long erect hairs.

Color. Body color yellowish brown.

Type Material
Leong et al. (2019): Type material examined: TAIWAN. Holotype worker, Kending, Pingtung Pref., Taiwan, 28 VII to 2 VIII 1988 .

Etymology
The specific epithet is the Chinese noun Shennong, which is the name of a Taiwanese god.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Leong C. M., B. Guénard, S. F. Shiao, & C. C. Lin. 2019. Taxonomic revision of the genus Ponera Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Taiwan and Japan, with a key to East Asian species. Zootaxa 4594: 1-86.
 * Terayama M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University. Liberal Arts 17:81-266.
 * Terayama Mamoru. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta, Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
 * Terayama, M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta; Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.