Neoponera fusca

Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Identification
From Mackay and Mackay (2010): The worker of N. fusca is similar to that of Neoponera eleonorae from the mountains of Ecuador. It can be easily separated as N. fusca is nearly completely black, not golden brown in color with reddish legs and mandibles as in N. eleonorae. The anterior face of the petiole of N. fusca abruptly bends and about half height it forms an oblique concave dorsal surface, whereas the entire anterior and dorsal faces form a broadly rounded convexity in N. eleonorae. The metasternal processes are completely different, with the lobes of N. fusca being closely spaced rounded lobes, whereas they are widely spaced parallel finger-like processes in N. eleonorae. Otherwise, the two species are very similar and obviously closely related.

Distribution
COLOMBIA

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Colombia.

Nomenclature

 *  fusca. Pachycondyla fusca Mackay & Mackay, 2010: 336, figs. 39, 40, 227, 458-460 (w.) COLOMBIA. Combination in Neoponera: Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014: 151.

Worker
The worker is a moderately large (total length 11 mm) black ant with reddish brown mandibles and with the remainder of the appendages being nearly black. The mandibles have 13 teeth; the anterior margin of the clypeus is broadly rounded, but slightly concave medially. The head length is 2.5 mm; the head width is 1.85 mm. The head is narrowed posteriorly and the posterior margin is slightly concave. The eyes are small (maximum diameter 0.45 mm) located slightly more than one diameter from the anterior margin of the head. The malar carina is not developed. The scape (3.1 mm) extends ⅓ times its length past the posterior lateral corner of the head. The pronotal shoulder is swollen but does not form a carina. The mesosoma is slightly impressed at the metanotal suture, which interrupts the sculpture on the mesosoma as seen from above. The propodeal spiracle is oval-shaped. The shape of the petiole is characteristic of this species. It is very wide as seen in profile; the length from above the spiracular horns to the top of the posterior peduncle is nearly 1 mm. One half of the anterior face of the petiole is nearly vertical, the remainder forms an oblique dorsal face, which is distinctly concave and meets the broadly rounded posterior face near the posterior edge of the petiole. The petiolar node is noticeably longer than broad when viewed from above. The subpetiolar process consists of an anterior lobe with a blunt ventrally directed angle and becomes slightly concave posteriorly, as it narrow in width towards the posterior edge of the petiole. The anterior face of the postpetiole is broadly rounded into the dorsal face. The metasternal process consists of two closely spaced wide lobes.

Erect hairs are abundant on the mandibles, clypeus, scattered on the dorsum of the head, a few short (0.1 mm) erect hairs are located on the sides of the head, across the posterior margin, a few (< five) short (0.05 mm) erect hairs are present on the scape. Erect inconspicuous hairs are scattered along the dorsum of the mesosoma on the petiole and on the gaster, a few suberect hairs are present on the coxae and femora, those on the tibiae are mostly appressed, a few are suberect, but are short (0.05 mm). Appressed golden pubescence is scattered to abundant on the dorsum of the head, dorsum of mesosoma and especially abundant on the dorsum of the gaster. The dorsal surfaces of the mandibles are completely and finely striate, the remaining surfaces are mostly punctate and dull, with the side of the pronotum being moderately shining, the remainder of the side of the mesosoma is weakly shining, the petiole is finely punctate and shining, the gaster is punctate and moderately shining.

Type Material
COLOMBIA. C/marca, Laguna Pedro Palo, 2100 m. Holotype worker (IAVH, Pachycondyla sp 4) and one paratype worker

Etymology
From Latin, fuscus meaning dark, referring to the color of this species as compared to the closely related Neoponera eleonorae.