Nothomyrmecia

This ant was a myrmecological mystery for many decades after its description in 1934. The original type specimens were the only samples collected until the ant was rediscovered in more recent times. Besides some vague locality data and Clark's statement about a 2,500 km stretch of southern Australia: "beyond those collected by Miss Baesjou very few species of ants have been seen from the great stretch of country lying between Albany, Western Australia, and Port Lincoln, South Australia" it was not clear where the types were even found.

Identification
Near Myrmecia from which it is readily separated by the form of the head, mandibles, clypeus, eyes and the lack of ocelli as well as the postpetiole which is not constricted behind to form a second node. (Clark 1934)

Species richness
Species richness by country based on regional taxon lists (countries with darker colours are more species-rich). View Data



Nomenclature

 *  NOTHOMYRMECIA [Myrmeciinae: Prionomyrmecini]
 * Nothomyrmecia Clark, 1934a: 17. Type-species: Nothomyrmecia macrops, by original designation.
 * Nothomyrmecia junior synonym of †Prionomyrmex: Baroni Urbani, 2000: 479.
 * Nothomyrmecia revived from synonymy: Bolton, 2003: 30, 133; Ward & Brady, 2003: 375.

Worker - Slender. Head broader behind than in front. Mandibles elongate, not as long as head, broad and rather flattened; inner borders straight to basal fourth then abruptly reduced to base, forming a short, concave, edentate, basal border, inner border furnished with ten or twelve small sharp teeth equally spaced from the very sharp apex to basal angle, between these teeth are minute denticles. Maxillary palpi with six segments. Labial palpi with four segments. Clypeus large, convex, produced and convex in front. Labrum produced beyond clypeus, sharply pointed in front. Frontal area large. Frontal carinae erect, narrow and almost parallel, not covering the antennal insertions: Antennae long and slender, twelve segments; scapes longer than head, slightly thickened toward apex; funiculus filiform, second segment longest. Eyes large and convex, placed at middle of sides of head. No ocelli. Thorax not margined. Pro-mesonotal suture sharply impressed. Meso-epinotal suture deep and wide. Petiole elongate, with a large node behind; ventral surface with a strong sharp tooth-like projection in front. Post petiole united with gaster without traces of a constriction, bell-shaped in front; the ventral surface with a long sharp tooth-like projection in front. Gaster ovate, longer than broad. Sting very long and stout. Legs rather long and robust. Anterior tibiae with one long broad pectinate spur and two short stout bristles. Middle tibiae with two long sharp bristle-like spurs. Posterior tibiae with one long broad pectinate spur and one long thin bristlelike spur. Fourth segment of all tarsi bilobed. Claws stout, bidentate.