Meranoplus digitatus

Known from the Murray-Darling basin.

Identification
Schödl (2007) - Distinct from Meranoplus naitsabes and Meranoplus convexius by the more or less digitate posterior mesonotal projections which only seldomly are fused by lamellate material. Rather uniformly ferrugineous with gaster and appendages usually only feebly brighter than remainder of body.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  digitatus. Meranoplus digitatus Schödl, 2007: 384, figs. 30, 31, 67, 84 (w.) AUSTRALIA.

Worker
Holotype. TL 6.30, HL 1.70, HW 1.88, FC 1.41, CS 1.79, SL 0.80, SI1 43, SI2 45, PML 1.15, PW 1.50, PMD 1.65, PMI2 110, ML 1.38, PSL 0.70, PTLL 0.45, PTLH 0.63, PTI 72, PTDW 0.61, PPLL 0.43, PPLH 0.65, PPI 66, PPDW 0.61, PT/PP 100.

Mandible with three teeth. Clypeal projection similar to that of preceding species. Frontal carinae broad, distinctly sinuately narrowed towards clypeus (FI 123). Head wider than long (CI 110), preoccipital margin similar to that of preceding species. Antennal scrobe scarcely surpassing middle of lateral sides of head and posterior ocular margin, anteriorly glossy, transversely carinulate at rear, posteriorly indistinctly demarcated from remainder of head. Genae and ventrolateral sides of head rugose, preoccipital lobes reticulate-foveolate. Eyes relatively larger (EL 0.31, REL 0.18, with 19 ommatidia in the longest row), situated anteriorly to middle of lateral sides of head, dorsal ocular margin not reaching ventral scrobal margin. Head in posterior half distinctly reticulate to reticulate-foveolate, in between ridges of rugoreticulation with very faint microsculpture.

Promesonotal shield vaulted, distinctly wider than long (PMI 130), only pronotal lateral sides translucently margined, mesonotal posterolateral and posterior projections digitate, dorsally irregularly rugoreticulate, with the meshes elongate and longitudinally orientated. Propodeal declivity partly overhung by posterior mesonotal margin. Propodeal spines relatively long (PSL 0.70) situated above middle of length of declivity, straight, acute and moderately diverging when seen from above.

Petiole in lateral view higher than long (PTI 72), with anterior face straight, meeting convex posterior face in a crest. Postpetiole nodiform with a small anterio-basal tooth.

Gaster entirely microreticulate, with occasional glossy spots inbetween. Surface covered with evenly distributed pilosity consisting of shorter decumbent and longer more or less erect arcuate stiff hairs.

(n = 9). TL 5.40-6.30, HL 1.40-1.70, HW 1.55-1.88, FC 1.20-1.41, FI 128-137, CI 107-112, CS 1.48-1.79, SL 0.71-0.80, SI1 41-47, SI2 43-48, PML 0.95-1.15, PW 1.26-1.50, PMI 130-138, PMD 1.33-1.60, PMI2 103-111, ML 1.23-1.38, PSL 0.55-0.70, PTLL 0.36-0.45, PTLH 0.55-0.63, PTI 66-74, PTDW 0.48-0.61, PPLL 0.35-0.43, PPLH 0.50-0.65, PPI 64-75, PPDW 0.48-0.63, PT/PP 92-105, EL 0.26-0.31, REL 0.16-0.20, with 17-19 ommatidia in the longest row.

Type Material
Holotype worker, New South Wales: 'N.S.W. Goolgowi 18.vii.1979 BBLowery Red soil \ ANIC ANTS VIAL 68.123'. Paratypes. 8 workers, same data as holotype (ANIC, ).

Etymology
The name refers to the digitate projectons on the mesonotal hind margin.