Dilobocondyla

We have rarely encountered foraging workers of Dilobocondyla (in Vietnam) on leaves in undergrowth of natural and man-made forests. (Eguchi, Bui and Yamane 2011)

Identification
Zettel and Bruckner (2013) - Worker (modified from Bolton 1994, General & Alpert 2012): Head massive, with posterior corners angulate or dentate. Frontal carinae well-developed. Antennal scrobe present dorsal of eye. Clypeus medially slightly emarginated, with stout median seta. Mandible striated, with six teeth on masticatory margin, with unarmed basal margin. Antenna twelve-segmented, apically with moderately widened three-segmented club. Pronotum with toothed corners. Propodeum without teeth; propodeal lobes large and rounded in Philippine species. Petiole almost cylindrical, lacking a distinct node, anteroventrally toothed. Head and mesosoma with rugous, often coarse sculpture; gaster with microsculpture. Entire body including scape, femora, tibiae, and first tarsomeres with erect, stout setae.

Yellowish to light brown. Posterior margin of head concave. Frontal carinae strong, reaching posterior corners of head. Sculpture on head coarse, on mesosoma moderately coarse; interspaces on head reticulated and matt, on mesosoma, petiole, and postpetiole usually smooth, only mesosoma dorsally with reduced micropuncturation and petiole anterodorsally reticulated. Petiole very slender; PtI 202 - 210.

Eguchi, Bui and Yamane (2011) - Worker monomorphic; head in full-face view subrectangular; preoccipital carina distinct laterally; posterolateral corner of head with a small acute angle or denticle exterior to preoccipital carina; frontal carina distinct; antennal scrobe shallow but distinct; median portion of clypeus broadly inserted between frontal lobes; anterior clypeal margin weakly convex and with a weak emargination at midpoint; median clypeal seta, if present, indistinct; mandible triangular, with 6 teeth on masticatory margin; antenna 12-segmented, with conspicuous 3-segmented club; eye relatively large; promesonotum in lateral view hardly or weakly raised; promesonotal suture absent dorsally; metanotal groove weakly impressed dorsally; propodeum in lateral view weakly swollen posterodorsad, unarmed; propodeal lobe well developed; femora strongly and abruptly incrassate in distal two thirds; petiole elongate, cylindrical, slightly arcuate in lateral view; subpetiolar process distinct, tooth-like, located anteroventrally near articulation with mesosoma; postpetiole in lateral view with acute anteroventral angle; gaster short, oval in dorsal view.

The worker of Dilobocondyla is easily distinguished from that of other myrmicine genera known from Vietnam by posterolateral corner of head with a small acute angle or denticle exterior to preoccipital carina, propodeum unarmed, femora strongly and abruptly incrassate, and petiole elongate and sylindrical.

Biology
Wheeler's remarks, from 1924, still largely sum up what we know about these ants: All the species of Dilobocondyla seem to be rare and very local ants and are therefore known mostly from single specimens. Like the species of the allied genus Podomyrma they nest as rather small colonies in the wood of living trees.

Nomenclature

 *  DILOBOCONDYLA [Myrmicinae: Formicoxenini]
 * Dilobocondyla Santschi, 1910h: 283. Type-species: Atopomyrmex selebensis, by subsequent designation of Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 162.
 * Dilobocondyla senior synonym of Mesomyrma: Emery, 1912b: 102.
 * MESOMYRMA [junior synonym of Dilobocondyla]
 * Mesomyrma Stitz, 1911a: 363 [as subgenus of Podomyrma]. Type-species: Podomyrma (Mesomyrma) cataulacoidea, by monotypy.
 * Mesomyrma junior synonym of Dilobocondyla: Emery, 1912b: 102; Emery, 1924d: 240.