Loboponera nobiliae

Distribution
This taxon was described from Gabon.

Nomenclature

 *  nobiliae. Loboponera nobiliae Fisher, 2006: 113, figs. 5 - 8 (w.) GABON.

Worker
Characters of the L. vigilans group (Bolton and Brown 2002), specifically: mandible with four teeth between apical tooth and basal angle. Median portion of clypeus, anterior to frontal lobes, with low, longitudinal carina. Propodeal declivity with triangular tooth near base; margin above with small tooth. Sculpture coarse, dense and foveolate on dorsum of head, mesosoma, and A2 - A4. Surfaces of head behind frontal lobes, mesosoma, petiole node, and abdominal segments 2 and 3, with numerous fine suberect hairs arising from the center of each foveolate puncture. Scape with projecting hairs on leading edge.

In addition, the following characters: Maximum eye diameter 0.10 mm. A3 sternite with an anteriorly directed blunt tooth on each side of the anteroventral median process and without a median longitudinal carina. A3 tergite in dorsal view with bluntly rounded anterolateral corner. Propodeal declivity with broad, triangular tooth near base, margin above with another, smaller tooth near apex; dorsum of mesosoma rounds into propodeal declivity. Scape and entire femur and tibia with dense suberect pilosity that is slightly shorter and denser than hairs on cephalic dorsum. Petiole in dorsal view widest posteriorly. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with a combination of longitudinally costate-rugose sculputure or foveolate punctures. Foveolate component less developed on head and propodeum.

Measurements. Holotype: TL 7.5, HL 1.64, HW 1.19, CI 73, SL 1.31, SI 110, ML 2.25. Paratype (one measured): TL 6.5, HL 1.52, HW 1.17, CI 77, SL 1.23, SI 105, ML 2.16. Apart from being smaller in size, the paratype matches the holotype.