Euponera rovana

Workers of this species were found foraging through leaf litter and colonies have been collected from rotten logs and under a mat of roots and litter on a rock. The forest habitat where these collections were made was located on the east facing slope of a mountain between 225 m and 715 m.

Identification
Rakotonirina and Fisher (2013) - Worker. Anteromedial clypeal margin broadly convex with median blunt denticle; series of sharp teeth or tubercles absent from posterolateral margins of propodeum and petiolar node; in dorsal view, petiole node nearly as long as broad; mesopleuron and metapleuron densely rugulose superimposed with punctures or foveolae.

Distribution
Known only from the Makirovana Forest near Sambava, in north east of Madagascar.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Castes
Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 *  rovana. Pachycondyla rovana Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2013: 472, figs. 17, 23, 55, 56, 57, 77 (w.) MADAGASCAR. Combination in Euponera: Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014: 87.

Worker
(7 specimens): HW: 1.01–1.14, HL: 1.13–1.26, CI: 89–91, SL: 0.81–0.92, SI: 77–82, PW: 0.77–0.89, WL: 1.58–1.77, NH: 0.61–0.70, NL: 0.47–0.52, NW: 0.65–0.81, DNI: 138–155, LNI: 127–135.

Head elongate; in full-face view sides broadly convex, not strongly converging from level of eyes toward the base of mandibles; posterior margin more or less straight. Frontal lobes broad, with generally rounded outer margins. Head dorsum densely and finely reticulate-punctate. Eyes small, composed of nine ommatidia. Antennal scape short, not reaching posterior cephalic margin. Anterior clypeal margin medially convex, with median small denticle. Mandibles smooth and shiny between sparse punctures; apical margins armed with nine teeth or denticles.

With mesosoma in dorsal view, metanotal groove indistinct or an incomplete line; dorsum of mesosoma densely and finely punctate, the surface towards midline with reduced punctures. In profile, mesopleural suture absent or incomplete; posterior margin of propodeum emarginated, bordered with narrow lamellae. Sides of pronotum reticulate-punctulate; mesopleuron and metapleuron rugulose-punctulate; sides of propodeum densely punctulate. In lateral view, petiolar node approximately as long as broad; anterodorsal angle slightly overhanging anterior face; posterior margin convex, without series of sharp teeth or tubercles; rugulose sculptures interspersed with sparse punctures present on lateral surface. In dorsal view, node broader than long, but width less than twice the length.

Erect, short, golden hairs numerous on dorsum of body, hairs much longer on petiole and gaster; dorsum of head and promesonotum with more abundant pubescence than dorsum of node and gaster. Integument dark brown in color; appendages and apex of gaster brown.

Type Material
Holotype worker: Madagascar, Antsiranana, Makirovana Forest, -14.16666, 49.95, 715 m, rainforest, ex rotten log, 2 May 2011, (B.L. Fisher et al.) collection code BLF26943, specimen code CASENT0242897. Paratypes: 2 workers with the same data as holotype but with the following specimen codes: CASENT0318040, CASENT0318041 (CASC).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Rakotonirina J. C., and B. L. Fisher. 2013. Revision of the Pachycondyla sikorae species-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Madagascar. Zootaxa 3683 (4): 447-485.