Dolioponera

Only known from the single species Dolioponera fustigera. In addition to the types, three new specimens have been collected from rainforest leaf litter samples from Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

Identification
This genus is related to Pachycondyla s. lat., but to exactly which group of Pachycondyla it is hard to say without knowing the sexual castes and the larvae. In the loss of the secondary (lateral) apical spurs of the middle and hind tibiae, Dolioponera resembles the crassa group (Bothroponera); the petiolar form may also indicate affinities in this direction, though it is distinctive in its own right. The broad, truncate median free clypeal lobe is like those of the Indo-Australian groups that have been classified as Trapeziopelta and Pseudoponera. The mandibles are unlike those of any Pachycondyla, particularly in their dentition. (Brown 1974)

Castes
Only known from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 *  DOLIOPONERA [Ponerinae: Ponerini]
 * Dolioponera Brown, 1974e: 31. Type-species: Dolioponera fustigera, by original designation.

Worker
Small Ponera-sized, slender, body cylindrical. Head narrow, parallel-sided, with minute anteriorly placed compound eyes. Frontal lobes broad, placed anteriorly so as to overlap clypeus, separated only by a fine median sulcus. Median free lobe of clypeus briefly produced, broad, truncate. Mandibles short, triangular, with distinct basal and masticatory borders meeting at a rounded angle; masticatory border concave, armed with an acute apical tooth and one smaller subapical tooth; basad of this the masticatory border is cultrate, but arising from its inner ventral side are 6 fine, short, acute separated teeth that are not part of the regular serial dentition, but may be modified setae. Antennae robust, l2-merous, with a very much enlarged apical segment. Trunk narrow, separated into 2 parts by an apparently flexible promesonotal suture a little in front of the midlength, but the dorsal outline forms one gently convex curve from front to rear, without other sutures. Propodeum bluntly biangulate. Only 1 broad pectinate spur on each tibial apex. Tarsal claws small, simple. Petiolar node sessile, barrel-shaped and moderately elongate axially. Postpetiole also barrel-shaped, a little longer and broader than petiole; next gastric (IV abdominal) segment cylindrical, axially aligned with postpetiole and similar to it in height, but much longer and a little wider. Small apical segments of gaster moderately downcurved; sting long, slender, curved, exserted. Sculpture densely and finely punctulate, predominantly opaque. Pilosity very short, appressed to decumbent, almost pruinose, with some short suberect hairs under the petiole and gaster, on the clypeal lobe, mouthparts, and at gastric apex. Color brownish ferruginous; mandibles and appendages lighter, more yellowish.