Emeryopone melaina

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
This new species is close to Emeryopone buttelreepeni but body in colour black; in full face view occipital margin deeply concave; posteroventral angle of subpetiolar process without a denticle. (Xu 1998)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  melaina. Emeryopone melaina Xu, 1998a: 122, figs. 1, 2 (w.) CHINA.

Worker
Holotype: TL 4.9, HL 1.10, HW 0.80, CI 80, SL 0. 83, SI 104, PW 0.63, AL 1.47, ED 0.10, ML 0.80, MI 80, PNL 0. 37, PNW 0. 53. Head longer than broad, lateral sides slightly convex, occipital margin roundly depressed, occipital corners bluntly protruding. Clypeus with longitudinal central carena, anterior margin extruding into a blunt dent in the middle. Mandibles long and narrow, inner margin with 5 long teeth, apical tooth slender and curved. Eyes small, in full face view placed on the lateral margins, close to bases of mandibles. Antennal scapes just reach to occipital corners. In profile view, dorsum of alitrunk weakly convex, lowering down backward. Promesonotal suture distinct, metanotal groove disappear. Dorsum of propodeum very weakly convex, nearly straight; declivity obliquely truncate, shorter than dorsum. Petiolar node thick, in profile view rectangular, anterior and posterior faces slightly convex, dorsal face roundly convex; subpetiolar process rectangular, with a subtransparent oblique slit, anteroventral angle obliquely truncate, posteroventral angle blunt. Gaster conical, apical half curved downward. Sting long and strong. Mandibles smooth and shining. Head and gaster with moderately dense uniform large punctures, distance between two punctures shorter than diameter of a puncture. Dorsum of alitrunk and petiolar node finely and densely punctate, lateral sides of alitrunk with sparse large punctures and microrugae. Dorsum of head, antennae, and legs with abundant depressed pubescences, without hairs. Dorsa of occiput, alitrunk, petiolar node, and gaster with abundant suberect short hairs and rich depressed pubescences. Body in colour black; mandibles, antennae, legs, and apex of gaster reddish brown.

Queen
Paratype dealate: TL 5.1, HL 1.03, HW 0.83, CI 81, SL 0.83, SI 100, PW 0.70, AL 1.60, ED 0.17, ML 0.87, MI 84, PNL 0.37, PNW 0.53 (n=1).

Similar to holotype, but body larger; eyes larger, with 3 ocelli; occipital margin weakly depressed; alitrunk with tegulae, mesopleuron with an oblique furrow; head, pronotum, and gaster dark reddish brown.

Type Material
Holoytpe: Worker, Sanchahe, 960 m, Mengyang Town, Jinghong County, Yunnan Province, Feb. 27, 1997, No. A97-54 (Tiansheng Li). Paratype: 1 dealate female, with same data as holotype, No. A97-51 (Zhenghui Xu). The type specimens are deposited in the Insect Collection, Department of Forest Protection, Southwest Forestry College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * 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.
 * Xu Z. 1998. Two new record genera and three new species of Formicidae (Hymenoptera) from China. Entomologia Sinica 5: 121-127.
 * Xu Z. H., B. L. Yang, and G. Hu. 1999. Formicidae ant communities in fragments of montane rain forest in Xishuangbanna, China. Zoological Research 20(4): 288-293.
 * Xu Z. 1998. Two new record genera and three new species of Formicidae (Hymenoptera) from China. Entomologia Sinica 5(2): 121-127.
 * Zhang N. N., Y. Q. Chen, Z. X. Lu, W. Zhang, and K. L. Li. 2013. Species diversity, community structure difference and indicator species of leaf-litter ants in rubber plantations and secondary natural forests in Yunnan, southwestern China. Acta Entomologica Sinica 56(11): 1314-1323.