Rhytidoponera punctigera

Distribution
Heterick (2009) - Its main distribution is in the wetter areas of the Darling Range and Swan coastal plain.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  punctigera. Rhytidoponera punctigera Crawley, 1925b: 582 (w.) AUSTRALIA.

Worker
Length 9.5 mm.

Dark reddish brown, gaster a shade less dark, funiculi, legs, and apex of gaster dark red.

Almost entirely glabrous, except the tarsi. There are a few short erect hairs on the inner surface of the apex of the tibiae. Funiculi slightly pubescent.

Head very slightly longer than broad, almost as broad behind as in front. Sides as far as the eyes almost straight, the occipital angles rounded. Terminal border of mandibles two-fifths longer than the basal and minutely dentate. Clypeus broad, moderately convex, the anterior border forming a wide oblique angle. Frontal carinae more than three-fifths as wide at their narrowest part as in front. Eyes rather small, prominent, behind the centre of the sides. Occiput without sign of crest, but the border is slightly more prominent at the sides than at the middle. The scapes reach rather more than one-third of their length beyond the occiput.

Pronotum from above almost square, the posterior angles more prominent. At the inferior angles is a small tooth, and at the sides an oblique impression. Pro-mesonotal suture deep; in profile there is an impression at this suture and between the meso- and epinotum. Base of epinotum concave at its junction with the mesonotum, then teebly convex, sloping gradually to the declivity which is slightly flattened. Petiole from above oval, narrower in front, with a deep impressed line down the centre. In profile the apex is pointed, the anterior border concave and the posterior convex, so that it inclines forward. Beneath in tront is a small tooth.

Postpetiole broader than long, in most specimens it has a faint impressed line down its basal third; the first segment of gaster slightly longer, the constriction between deep.

Shining; mandibles finely striate with indistinct scattered points ; scapes longitudinally striate with scattered points; clypeus coarsely rugose-punctate. Vertex and the space between the frontal carinae longitudinally striate; sides, back, and underside of head with a fine ground-sculpture. In addition, the head is covered with cireular shining punctures, widely spaced between the frontal carinae and on the vertex, closer together elsewhere.

The central anterior two-thirds of the pronotum are transversely striate, the rest of its upper surface and that of the mesonotum coarsely reticulate-punctate. The emargination between the meso- and epinotum very finely transversely striate. Declivity transversely striate, the rest of the dorsum of epinotum reticulate-punctate, but more superficially than on the rest of thorax. There is a fine ground-sculpture between the punctures on the whole of thorax. The sides are covered with ground-sculpture and have a few superficial punctures only. Upper surface of petiole finely transversely striate with a few punctures, anteriorly almost smooth, sides punctate.

Postpetiole covered with fine transverse arched striae with a few small superficial points which are more abundant on the apical half. First segment of gaster similar, but the striae finer and becoming concentric on the apical border. The remaining segments reticulate only. Femora circularly reticulate-striate, tibiae longitudinally striate with small superficial punctures.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Heterick B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of south-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 76: 1-206.