Rhytidoponera versicolor

This species forages on vegation during daylight hours.

Identification
Holotype [MCZ] from near the Dumbea Road, just below Montagne des Sources, New Caledonia. This locality is mixed forest, mainly angiosperm evergreens, but with large Araucaria and Agathis prominent in the upper story, surrounding the head-waters of the Dumbea River; altitude ca. 800 meters. (E.O. Wilson leg., XII-17-1954, No. 185). The holotype and several paratype workers were collected from the vegetation at the forest border during daylight hours. Another collection from Montagne des Sources (Wilson, No. 169) was made on the same day higher up (ca. 1000 m.) in second-growth Araucaria forest, where the workers were taken foraging on a small angiosperm shrub in the understory during mid afternoon.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: New Caledonia.

Biology
The holotype and several paratype workers were collected from the vegetation at the forest border during daylight hours. Another collection from Montagne des Sources was made in second-growth Araucaria forest, where the workers were taken foraging on a small angiosperm shrub in the understory during mid afternoon.

Nomenclature

 *  versicolor. Rhytidoponera versicolor Brown, 1958g: 292, fig. 40 (w.) NEW CALEDONIA. See also: Ward, 1984: 169.

Description
Holotype worker: TL 4.5, HL 1.04, HW (excluding eyes) 0.92 (CI 89), WL 1.38, scape L 0.90, max. diameter eye 0.22 mm. Similar to numeensis, but smaller and less robust. Occipital border of head feebly and broadly concave in full-face view, but occipital angles gently rounded; as seen from the side, the posteroventral corners a bit better developed and more nearly rectangular. Clypeal apron distinct, translucent, forming a bluntly rounded angle in the middle. alitrunk lower and more slender, in profile forming a single convextiy, with only the propodeal declivity breaking the outline slightly as it falls off steeply from the dorsum. Petiolar node much lower than in numeensis, and with the ventral process very long and slender, like that of pulchella. Seen from above, the node is only slightly broader than long (much broader than long in numeensis).

Head, alitrunk and petiole coarsely reticulopunctate throughout; a few of the dorsomedian rugules on the head forming longitudinal costulae (including a median carinula), but the sculpture otherwise without definite orientation, and without the interspersed striation so widespred in numeensis. Gaster smooth and shining, with scattered samll piligerous punctures; postpetiol with a few indistinct striae arching from the sides across the anterior face. Erect pilosity much as in numeensis, the hairs fine, whitish, abundant on all parts, uneven in lenght. Appressed pubescence extremely sparse except on extremities of antennae and legs. Head, alitrunk and petiole deep mahogany (nearly black to naked eye). Gaster bright orange-yellow. Legs, antennae and manibles clear yellow.

Additional References
[[Media:Brown 1958g.pdf|Brown, W. L., Jr. 1958g. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. II. Tribe Ectatommini (Hymenoptera). Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 118: 173-362]]

[[Media:Ward 1984.pdf|Ward, P. S. 1984. A revision of the ant genus Rhytidoponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in New Caledonia. Aust. J. Zool. 32: 131-175]]