Colobostruma papulata

This rare species is known from a single collection from the sand plain heath of south-western Western Australia. Nothing is known of its biology.

Identification
This species is similar to Colobostruma froggatti in form of sculpture and narrow, elongate mandibles. It differs in having the ridges above the eyes diverging anteriorly rather than converging (Shattuck 2000).

Key to Australian Colobostruma Species

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  papulata. Colobostruma papulata Brown, 1965a: 21, fig. 1 (w.) AUSTRALIA. See also: Shattuck, in Bolton, 2000: 43.

Worker
Shattuck (2000) - TL 2.4, HL 0.63, HW 0.49, CI 78, ML 0.18, MI 29, SL 0.29, SI 59, PW 0.32, AL 0.61. Anterior region of head rounding gradually from the dorsal to lateral surfaces, not phragmotic. Ridges immediately in front of eyes straight or nearly so, diverging anteriorly. Frontal lobes and lateral margins of clypeus smooth relative to the surrounding surface of the head. Mandibles relatively thin and elongate, their outer margins very weakly concave. Hairs absent from dorsum of head. Posterior margin of head shallowly concave. Antenna with 6 segments, the scape elbowed and with a well developed subbasal lobe. In dorsal view the widest point of the pronotum is at the humeral angles. Propodeum high, its posterior face approximately the same height as the petiolar node and with broad, thin lamellae; in profile the pronotum and mesonotum each flat, meeting in a slight angle. Lateral postpetiole drawn outwards into thin flange-like wings, the wings with translucent windows along their posterior margins only, the windows small. First gastral tergite with weak, indistinct reticulate sculpture and a limited number of low, widely spaced carinae on the anterior one-quarter. Body colour pale honey yellow, the head very slightly darker.

Type Material
Shattuck (2000) - Holotype and paratype worker, AUSTRALIA: Western Australia, Esperance, Dempster Head, 4-6.ii.1955 (E.O. Wilson) [examined].