Holcoponera pleurodon

Kempf (1970) notes a nest preference for pre-existing cavities in plants. It is also a frequent forager on trees and shrubs. Usually found in lowland to premontane humid forests.

Identification
A member of the porcata subgroup (in the striatula species group). Pronotum with concentric costulae; mesonotum with longitudinal costulae, sometimes surrounded by concentric costulae; anterior postpetiolar face with 3-4 transverse costulae and dorsal face with longitudinal costulae; metacoxal tooth acicular. Body dark brown, legs brown. An occasional specimens may have vertical costulation on the dec1ivitous propodeal face, as in Gnamptogenys striatula, but the backwards tilt of the petiolar node and its brief anterior peduncle will identify pleuradon. (Lattke 1995)

Key to New World Gnamptogenys Species

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.

Nomenclature

 *  pleurodon. Ectatomma (Holcoponera) pleurodon Emery, 1896g: 47 (w.q.) BRAZIL. Combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 41; in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 229. Subspecies of striatula: Forel, 1908c: 340. Revived status as species and senior synonym of emeryi, vidua: Brown, 1958g: 229.
 * emeryi. Holcoponera emeryi Santschi, 1929h: 463, fig. 45 (w.) BOLIVIA. [Unresolved junior secondary homonym of emeryi Forel, above.] Junior synonym of pleurodon: Brown, 1958g: 229.
 * vidua. Holcoponera vidua Santschi, 1929h: 467, fig. 3 (q.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of pleurodon: Brown, 1958g: 229.