Meranoplus montanus

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Schödl (1998) - Well characterized among its congeners by the distinctive shape of the promesonotal shield. Furthermore it is different from Meranoplus biliran, its closest relative, by the anterior clypeal margin not being serrate.

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

Nomenclature

 *  montanus. Meranoplus montanus Schödl, 1998: 387, figs. 12, 26, 30 (w.q.) BORNEO.

Worker
Holotype: TL: 3.25, HL: 0.8, HW: 0.78, CI- 97 SL- 55 SI- 71 PML: 0.6, PW: 0.75, PMI: 125, AL: 0.75. Paratypes: TL: 3.4, HL: 0.8, HW: 0.8, CI: 100, SL: 0.58, SI: 73 PML- 63 PW- 0.75, PMI: 119, AL: 0.75.

Mandibles striate, armed with four teeth. Mid-portion of clypeus roughly reticulate, anteriorly vertical and slightly concave. Anterior clypeal margin produced into a narrow translucent apron. Frontal triangle vestigial, apparent as an arcuate, carinulate furrow. Head above antennal scrobes rectangular, posteriorly parallel-sided, anteriormost narrowed towards clypeus, occipital corners slightly diverging. Ventral to the antennal scrobes the head of similar shape, the genae somewhat rounded, very inconspicuously protruding and only hardly visible from above. Dorsum of head anteriorly rugose, posteriorly reticulate rugulose, width of meshes ca. 30 - 80 μm. Antennal scrobes smooth, transversely carinulate in most of their length. The genae reticulate-rugulose. Compound eyes situated in middle of lateral sides of head. Maximum diameter of eye 0.2 - 0.21, with 11 ommatidia in the longest row.

Promesonotum rectangular, slightly wider than long, the promesonotal shield overhanging sides of alitrunk laterally and propodeum posteriorly. Anterior corners of pronotum acutely angled, almost rectangular, produced into stout teeth. Lateral sides of pronotum sinuate, at about level of (invisible) promesonotal suture the promesonotal shield laterally constricted. At level of constriction with a small transparent fenestra on each side, situated very close to the margins. Mesonotum anteriorly parallel-sided, followed by massive, stout, posteriorly directed, somewhat blunt projections. Posterior mesonotal corners provided with arcuate, posteriorly directed short spines. Posterior margin of the shield with paramedian, short, acute teeth, medially between them a deep excavation. Dorsum of promesonotum densely reticulate-rugulose, width of meshes ca. 60 - 80 um. Declivity of propodeum meeting the dorsum of alitrunk in a right angle, its surface glabrous, partly faintly shagreened, and with striae and wrinkles below the mesonotal hind margin. The short, acute propodeal spines situated above middle of lateral sides of propodeal length. An arcuate suture between dorsal alitrunk and propodeum is indistinctly apparent at the top of the propodeal declivity right beneath the mesonotal hind margin, when viewed from behind.

Petiole in lateral view tapered, the crest oblique. Anterior petiolar face smooth. Lateral sides and behind the crest reticulate, posterior petiolar face carinulate. Postpetiole nodiform, reticulate-rugulose. First gastral tergite entirely shagreend, anteriorly sometimes with a faint, minute reticulum.

Entire dorsal surface covered with decumbent to suberect, dense, whitish pubescence, the hairs ca. 100 - 150(200) um long. Colour uniformly dark brown, the appendages brighter.

Queen
Paratype: TL: 4.18, HL: 0.8, HW: 0.84, CI: 105, SL: 0.63, SI: 75, PW: 0.75, AL: 1.05; widest diameter of compound eye 0.25, with 14 ommatidia in the longest row. Distance between inner margins of lateral ocelli 0.3.

Type Material
Originally three cardboards on one pin. Holotype worker, "Mt Tobangs [!sic ?typing error, ?name outdated] (top) Borneo 1700 m. E. Mjoberg \ MCZ Museum of Comparative Zoology" ; 2 paratypes (worker, queen), same data as holotype (MCZC, ). Type locality: Mt. Tibang, on the border Sarawak / Kalimantan, Borneo (Indonesia or E-Malaysia).

Etymology
Named after the "noteworthy circumstance" that this species was found on a mountain (the name of which given on the label obviously is wrong or outdated).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58
 * Schödl S. 1998. Taxonomic revision of Oriental Meranoplus F. Smith, 1853 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. B, Botanik, Zoologie 100: 361-394.