Dilobocondyla yamanei

This species is known by a single record from Ulu Gombak, Malay Peninsula, Malaysia. The area is covered with secondary forest and the topography is rough, mostly steep hillsides.

Identification
Bharti and Kumar (2013) - In Dilobocondyla borneensis, Dilobocondyla didita, Dilobocondyla eguchii, Dilobocondyla gaoyureni, Dilobocondyla karnyi, Dilobocondyla propotriangulata and Dilobocondyla sebesiana too the frontal carinae do not continue to the posterior corners of the head, but Dilobocondyla yamanei can be separated from these by the following combination of features: ferruginous body colour; shorter petiole; opaque body; presence of 9 rugae between frontal carinae; and also by body length (TL 4.83 mm). The most similar taxon to this species is D. karnyi, from which it can be easily distinguished on the basis of the following combination of characters: head broader than long (longer than broad in D. karnyi), length 4.83 mm (4.5 mm in D. karnyi), and petiole less than twice as long as broad (more than twice as long as broad in D. karnyi). Other significant differences which separate it from D. karnyi include: clypeus with a strong median and two lateral carinae, its anterior border strongly emarginate in the middle; propodeum with short basal part which is almost equal to declivity surface; head, legs and interrugal spaces opaque; tibiae finely punctured; in the case of D. karnyi, the clypeus has only delicate carinae and its anterior border is only feebly emarginate; the propodeum with basal part longer than its declivitous face; the head, legs and interrugal spaces shiny and tibiae finely reticulate.

Key to Dilobocondyla Species.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Malaysia.

Nomenclature

 *  yamanei. Dilobocondyla yamanei Bharti & Kumar, 2013: 38, figs. 18-20 (w.) MALAYSIA.

Worker
(Holotype): HL 1.17; HW 1.22; ED 0.3; SL 0.73; MFC 0.54; PRNW 0.87; ML 1.73; PTL 0.54; PTW 0.28; PTH 0.26; PPTL 0.42; PPTW 0.37;PPTH 0.36; GL 0.97; CI 104.27; SI 59.84; PTWI 51.85; PPTWI 88.1; TL 4.83 (1 measured)

Head broader than long, slightly broader behind than in front, sides slightly convex, posterior head margin weakly emarginate, posterior corners acutely dentate directed outward; head below the posterior corners constricted; mandibles with 6 teeth, masticatory margin of mandibles with large apical, preapical and basal tooth; clypeus flat, anterior border emarginate with a clear notch in the middle, sinuate at the corners; frontal area triangular, longer than broad; antennae slender, 12-segmented with distinct 3-segmented club; scape slender, curved at the base, reaching up to 3/4 the length of head; eyes large, placed at midlength of the head; mesosoma not broader than head; pro-mesonotal dorsum convex, pro-mesonotal suture indistinct; pronotum broader than long, its anterior lateral angles projecting as blunt teeth; metanotal groove broad, shallow; propodeum short, convex, basal and apical faces almost equal, propodeal lobes rounded; petiole long, twice as long as broad, arcuate in profile, with parallel sides, having ventral tooth; postpetiole longer than broad, posterior part broader, forming a node; gaster broadly oval in dorsal view: femora strongly incrassate, tibiae slightly thickened.

Head longitudinally rugose up to level of eyes, the rest rugoreticulate, interrugal space punctured and opaque; frontal carinae diverging, not continuing to the posterior corners of the head; antennal scrobes moderately deep; 9 rugae between frontal carinae at the level of eyes; mandibles longitudinally costulate, rugulose, interrugal space smooth and shiny; clypeus opaque, with 3 strong carinae; frontal triangle smooth, finely punctate; sides of the head, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole strongly rugoreticulate and subopaque; meso-metapleuron smooth and shiny; propodeal declivity smooth and shiny; gaster finely and densely reticulate, opaque, with the base of the first tergite longitudinally striate; legs subopaque, coxae strongly punctured, femora and tibiae finely punctured.

Whole of body colour ferruginous except clypeus, mandibles and sternites with some yellowish tinge, and covered with abundant, long, obtuse, whitish pilosity.

Etymology
The species is named in honour of Professor Seiki Yamane, who generously donated it for present study.