Bregmatomyrma carnosa

This is the only species in the genus Bregmatomyrma and is known from a few collections of single queens. Habitat details from these collection include limestone forest and rainforest habitats.

Identification
The general habitus of the insect somewhat resembles that of Pseudolasius and suggests that it might be placed, for the present, near the tribe Lasiini.

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

Castes
Only known from the queen caste.

Nomenclature

 *  carnosa. Bregmatomyrma carnosa Wheeler, W.M. 1929b: 4, fig. 2 (q.) BORNEO.

Queen
(dealated). —Length, 7 mm.

Head distinctly broader than long; very slightly narrower in front than behind, with straight sides; the posterior border broadly, deeply and arcuately excised, the posterior corners rounded and lobular, but thick; the front and ocellar region very high and convex, the surface falling abruptly and almost perpendicularly behind the posterior ocelli to the occipital foramen and less abruptly and concavely to each posterior lobe. The prominent eyes are nearly circular, distinctly shorter than their distance from the anterior corners of the head. Mandibles long and rather narrow with feebly concave external borders and subequal basal and apical borders, the latter oblique and 5-toothed, their terminal tooth long and curved, the others subequal and rather broad. The mandibles overlap but leave a space between their inner angles and the clypeus. Clypeus not reaching to the corners of the head, nearly twice as broad as long, somewhat convex in the middle, its anterior border entire and feebly rounded. Frontal area small and indistinct, triangular; frontal groove represented by a distinct, narrow ridge extending back to the anterior ocellus. Frontal carinae strongly diverging posteriorly. Antennal scapes curved only at the extreme base, otherwise straight, slightly dilated and flattened, extending about one-fourth their length beyond the posterior corners of the head; first funicular joint three times as long as broad; the remaining joints, except 'the last, gradually decreasing in length and all of the same thickness, the last joint somewhat more slender and as long as the two penultimate joints together. Thorax broader than the head, the mesonotum, scutellum and epinotum all broader than long; the pro- and mesonotum together as broad as long and nearly equalling the gteatest height of the thorax. Mesonotum anteriorly continuing the vertical outline of the pronotum, the posterior surface very feebly ridged in the middle, its outline in profile nearly straight and horizontal. Behind the mesonotum the outline of the scutellum and epinotum form a gently sloping curve, the epinotum being evenly convex, without a distinct base and declivity. Petiolar node half as broad as the epinotum and less than one and one-half times as broad as long; from above broadly elliptical. In profile the petiole is somewhat higher than long, its ventral surface with a median convexity, its node thick and erect, with subequal, convex anterior and posterior surfaces and bluntly rounded apex. Gaster broader than the thorax but shorter, its anterior border straight and transverse, rather sharply angulate on each side. Circumanal cilia long and bristly. Legs long, the femora, tibial and metatarsi distinctly flattened, the anterior femora not enlarged.

Mandibles, scapes, legs, gaster and petiole, except the anterior surface of the node, smooth and shining; mandibles coarsely punctate and along the dental border finely striolate. Head, thorax, coxae and anterior surface of petiolar node subopaque, very finely reticulate punctate.

Hairs yellowish, fine and short, absent on the body, except the clypeus, suberect and moderately numerous on the legs and mandibles, sparse on the anterior surface of the scapes. Head, thorax, coxae and anterior surface of the petiolar node covered with dense, fine, appressed, golden pubescence, which does not completely conceal the underlying integument though it produces a silky lustre. Antennal funiculi with longer, less appressed pubescence.

Deep blood-red; the head, thorax, coxae and anterior surface of the petiolar node darker and more blackish, but the sutures, wing-insertions and upper portions of the mesopleural paler and more ferruginous.

Type Material
Described from a single specimen taken by Dr. E. Mjoberg at Pajan, in Dutch East Borneo.

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
 * Wheeler W. M. 1929. Three new genera of ants from the Dutch East Indies. American Museum Novitates 349: 1-8.