Dolichoderus squamanodus

Little is known about the biology of . The types were collected in seasonal rain forest and mountain rain forest.

Identification
Xu (2001) - This new species is close to Dolichoderus brevis from Laos, but propodeum elevated and formed a horizontal plane, almost as high as pronotum, dorsum as broad as long or slightly broader than long. The new species is also close to Dolichoderus carbonarius from West Malaysia, but mandibles brown; scapes of antennae and legs with standing hairs.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  squamanodus. Dolichoderus squamanodus Xu, 2001b: 357, figs. 22-24 (w.) CHINA.

Worker
Holotype. TL 3.5, HL 0.97, HW 0.93, CI 97, SL 0.80, SI 86, PW 0.67, AL 1.23, ED 0.27.

Head as broad as long, distinctly narrowed forward. Occipital margin nearly straight, occipital corners rounded, lateral sides evenly convex. Anterior margin of clypeus shallowly concave in the middle. Mandible multi-dentate on inner and masticatory margins, inner margin with 7 teeth, masticatory margin with 11 ones. Scape of antenna surpassed occipital corner by about 1/7 of its length, segments 2-8 longer than broad. Dorsum of pronotum plane, anterior border marginate, the shoulder corners strongly convex, promesonotal suture distinct and shallowly impressed. In profile view mesonotum convex and lowered down posteriorly, metanotal groove deeply notched. Propodeum elevated and formed a horizontal plane, almost as high as pronotum, anterior face nearly vertical, posterodorsal corner protruding in an acute angle, declivity roundly concave and about 1.4 times as long as dorsum. In dorsal view posterior margin of propodeum roundly convex. In profile view petiolar node relatively thin and erect, scale-like, both anterior and posterior faces weakly convex, in front view upper margin straight. Mandibles with dense micro-punctures. Head finely and weakly punctured, clypeus sparsely' and longitudinally striate. Thorax densely foveolate, interface formed coarse ruga-reticulation, dorsum of pronotum coarsely and longitudinally rugose. Lateral side of pronotum densely and finely punctured. Lateral side of metanotum and declivity smooth and shining. Petiolar node and gaster with dense micro-punctures, relatively shining. Dorsum of body with abundant erect hairs and decumbent pubescence, Scapes and tibiae with sparse erect hairs and abundant decumbent pubescence. Head and alitrunk black, petiolar node and gaster brownish black. Mandibles, clypeus, antennae and legs yellowish brown.

Paratypes. TL 2.7-3.7, HL 0.78-0.93, HW 0.80-0.93, CI 100-102, SL 0.60-0.80, SI 75-86, PW 0.53-0.67, AL 0.90-1.20, ED 0.20-0.27 (5 workers measured). As holotype, but in some individuals with head, petiolar node and gaster very weakly punctured and relatively shining or smooth and shining.

Type Material
Deposited in the Insect Collection, Faculty of Resources, Southwest Forestry College, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. Holotype. worker, No. A96-590, 760 m, Bubang Village, Mengla County, Yunnan Province, 11 Mar. 1996, collected in the seasonal rain forest by Du Yong-Chao. Paratypes: 5 workers, with same data as holotype; 6 workers, with same data as holotype, but Nos. A96-628, A96-632, collected by Chen Zhi-Ping; 2 workers, with same data as holotype, but No. A96- 694, collected by Yang Zhong-Wen; 9 workers, with same data as holotype, but No. A97-3217, 790m, 13 Dec. 1997, collected by Hu Gang; 6 workers, No.A97-3008, 1000m, Mangang Village, Menglun Town, Mengla County, Yunnan Province, 9 Dec. 1997, collected in the mountain rain forest by Hu Gang; 9 workers, with same data as No. A97-3008, but No. A97-3015; 7 workers, No. A97-886, 1120 m, Guanping Village, Jinghong City, Yunnan Province, 7 Aug. 1997, collected in the mountain rain forest by He Yun-Feng; 9 workers, with same data as No. A97-886, but No. A98-965, 1100 m, 5 Mar. 1998, collected by Xu Zheng-Hui.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Chen Y., C. W. Luo, H. W. Li, Y. J. Liu, H. F. Zheng, and F. C. Yang. 2013. Investigation of ant species and distribution on Wuliang Mountain. Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences 42(5): 118-122.
 * Fontanilla A. M., A. Nakamura, Z. Xu, M. Cao, R. L. Kitching, Y. Tang, and C. J. Burwell. 2019. Taxonomic and functional ant diversity along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in southwest China. Insects 10, 128; doi:10.3390/insects10050128
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Li Q., Y. Chen, S. Wang, Y. Zheng, Y. Zhu, and S. Wang. 2009. Diversity of ants in subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest in Pu'er City, Yunnan. Biodiversity Science 17(3): 233-239.
 * Lu Z., B. D. Hoffmann, and Y. Chen. 2016. Can reforested and plantation habitats effectively conserve SW China’s ant biodiversity? Biodivers. Conserv. DOI 10.1007/s10531-016-1090-1
 * Song Y., Z. Xu, C. Li, N. Zhang, L. Zhang, H. Jiang, and F. Mo. 2013. An Analysis on the Ant Fauna of the Nangun river Nature Reserve in Yunnan, China. Forest Research 26(6): 773-780.
 * Xu Z. 2001. Two new species of the ant genus Dolichoderus Lund from Yunnan, China (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 26(3): 355-360
 * Yan X.B. 2007. A Taxonomy Study on the Ant Genus Dolichoderus Lunder (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae) from China. Guangxi Normal University, Guangxi, China. 49 pages.