Ponera nangongshana

The type material was collected from a soil sample in monsoon evergreen broad-leaf forest and from a ground sample.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  nangongshana. Ponera nangongshana Xu, 2001a: 55, figs. 13-15 (w.) CHINA.

Worker


Holotype. TL 2.6, HL 0.58, HW 0.48, CI 83, SL 0.40, SI 84, PW 0.38, AL 0.75, ED 0.03, ML 0.25, PNL 0.20, DPW 0.28, PH 0.38, PNI 73, LPI 53. Head roughly rectangular, longer than broad, weakly narrowed anteriorly. Occipital margin weakly concave, occipital corners bluntly prominent, lateral sides weakly convex. Mandible with 3 enlarged apical teeth followed by a series of minute denticles. Anterior margin of clypeus convex. Apex of scape reached to 9/10 of the distance from antennal socket to occipital corner, antennal club consisted of the apical 5 segments. Eye with one facet. In profile view dorsum of alitrunk weakly convex, promesonotal suture and metanotal groove distinct. Dorsum of propodeum longer than declivity, declivity flat. posterodorsal corner of propodeum bluntly angled. In profile view petiolar node thick, roughly square, anterior and posterior faces nearly straight and parallel, dorsal face weakly convex, anterodorsal and posterodorsal corners blunt. Subpetiolar process with small circular fenestra, anteroventral corner obliquely truncate, posteroventral corner without tooth. In dorsal view petiolar node roughly rectangular, anterior and lateral borders convex, posterior border nearly straight. Gaster distinctly constricted between the two basal segments. Mandibles smooth and shining, sparsely punctured. Head closely and finely punctured and dim. Alitrunk and gaster densely and finely punctured, less shining. Petiole shining, with very weak punctures. Surface of the whole body with very sparse erect short hairs and dense decumbent pubescence. Appendages with dense decumbent pubescence, but without erect hairs. Body in color yellowish brown to reddish brown.

Paratype workers: TL 2.4-2.8, HL 0.55-0.60, HW 0.48, CI 79-83, SL 0.40-0.43, SI 84-89, PW 0.38-0.40, AL 0.73-0.78, ED 0.03-0.04, ML 0.28, PNL 0.20, DPW 0.28-0.30, PH 0.35-0.38. PNI 69-80, LPI 53-57 (5 measured). As holotype but body in color yellowish brown to reddish brown.

Type Material
Holotype: worker, No. A98-824, 1620 m, Nangongshan Mountain, Mengla County, Yunnan Province, 15-III-1998, collected in a soil sample of monsoon evergreen broad-leaf forest by He Yunfeng. Paratypes: 3 workers, with same data as holotype; 1 worker, with same data as holotype but No. A98-819; 6 workers, with same data as holotype but Nos. A97-2184, A97-2186, 1525 m, 18-VIII-1997, collected in ground samples.

The type specimens are deposited in the Insect Collection, Southwest Forestry College, Kunming, Yunnan Province, P.R. China.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fontanilla A. M., A. Nakamura, Z. Xu, M. Cao, R. L. Kitching, Y. Tang, and C. J. Burwell. 2019. Taxonomic and functional ant diversity along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in southwest China. Insects 10, 128; doi:10.3390/insects10050128
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Song Y., Z. Xu, C. Li, N. Zhang, L. Zhang, H. Jiang, and F. Mo. 2013. An Analysis on the Ant Fauna of the Nangun river Nature Reserve in Yunnan, China. Forest Research 26(6): 773-780.
 * Xu Z. H. 2001. A systematic study on the ant genus Ponera Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of China. Entomotaxonomia 23: 51-60.
 * Xu Z. 2001. Four new species of the ant genus Ponera Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Yunnan, China. Entomotaxonomia 23(3): 217-226