Stictoponera lacunosa

Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Identification
Lattke (2004) - Pronotum laterally with rugosities along posterior margin, mesosomal dorsum with low longitudinal strigae, evenly foveolate. Petiolar node with dorsal margin relatively evenly convex in lateral view; postpetiolar tergite mostly smooth with sparse punctae or punctulae in lateral view.

Most species of the laevior group have a mostly smooth longitudinal median band on the mesosoma and frons, in contrast to the regularly foveolate sculpturing of S. lacunosa. Some specimens of Stictoponera polytreta have a bluntly angular anterior clypeal lamella margin. Besides differences stated in the key, S. polytreta can be separated by the foveolae that cover over half of the postpetiolar tergite in lateral view and a very broadly convex dorsal petiolar node margin. The angle formed between the dorsal and declivitous propodeal margins in lateral view is not as obtuse in S. polytreta as it is in S. lacunosa, approaching nearly a right angle in S. polytreta. The coarsely strigose mandibular base of S. lacunosa may approximate that of Stictoponera rugodens, but the rugosities are deeper in S. rugodens, which has a wider (HW > 0.75 mm) and broader (CI > 0.80) head and relatively smaller eyes (OI < 0.25).

Distribution
Known only from Sabah.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia.

Castes
Queen and male unknown.

Nomenclature

 * . Gnamptogenys lacunosa Lattke, 2004: 198, figs. 47c, 48a, 55 (w.) BORNEO (East Malaysia: Sabah).
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 5 paratype workers.
 * Type-locality: holotype Malaysia: Sabah, Crocker Range, 1600 m., 18.v.1987 (I. Löbl & D. Burckhardt); paratypes: 2 workers with same data, 3 workers Sabah, Kinabalu, 1560-1660 m., 24.iv.1987, no. 30a (I. Löbl & D. Burckhardt).
 * Type-depositories: MHNG (holotype); BMNH, MIZA (paratypes).
 * Combination in Stictoponera: Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 12.
 * Status as species: Pfeiffer, et al. 2011: 35; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 12.
 * Distribution: Malaysia (Sabah).

Worker
Worker. Metrics. [Holotype] Paratypes (n = 5): HL [0.91] 0.85-0.96, HW [0.70] 0.64-0.71, ML [0.41] 0.36-0.42, SL [0.60] 0.58-0.67, ED [0.22] 0.19-0.24, WL [1.23] 1.13-1.30 mm. CI [0.77] 0.74-0.76, SI [0.86] 0.86-0.95, MI [0.59] 0.55-0.64, OI [0.31] 0.32-0.34. Head with subparallel, broadly convex sides in lateral view, posterolateral corners bluntly angular; frons foveolate; clypeus longitudinally strigulose, strigulae extend onto lamella, with median area raised above rest of clypeus, not delimited by crest or abrupt slopes; anterior margin of lamella slightly scabrose, ending in median blunt point; mandibular dorsum strigulose-punctate, lateral margin straight, not sinuate; occipital lamella evenly convex in lateral view, posterior end more curved. Pronotum laterally with anterior and ventral margins separated by blunt angle, side foveolate with low longitudinal strigulae, strigulae more concentrated along posterior margin; anepisternum smooth with few punctae; katepisternum with low strigulae and foveolae, especially ventrally, anteroventral flange bordered by deep and broad sulcus, posterior ventral edge of katepisternum laterally raised, higher than metapleuron; mesopleural suture impressed as transverse line or series of contiguous depressions; propodeum with dorsal and declivitous margins forming blunt obtuse angle in lateral view, spiracle slightly elevated, sculpture strigulose-foveolate; mesosomal dorsum evenly foveolate, interspersed with low longitudinal strigae.



Dorsum of petiolar node sparsely foveolate, mostly smooth, laterally foveolate-strigulose; subpetiolar process convex, projecting anterad; postpetiole laterally with broady convex dorsal margin, ventral margin broadly convex after process, not sinuate; postpetiole smooth with sparse punctae on anterior one-third or less of tergite, sparse and shallow punctulae posteriorly, some strigulae present around spiracle; postpetiolar dorsum mostly smooth with sparse punctae, abdominal tergite 4 sparsely punctulate. Fore coxae transversely strigulose. Dorsum of thorax and abdominal segments 1-4 with scattered erect to subdecumbent hairs. Body ferruginous brown; antennae, legs ferruginous.

Type Material
Holotype worker. Malaysia, Sabah, Crocker Range, 1600m, 18-v-1987, I. Löbl & D. Burckhardt. Deposited in. Paratypes. Two workers in from the holotype nest. Two workers in BMNH, 1w in from Malaysia, Sabah, Kinabalu, 1560-1660m, 24-iv-1987, I. Löbl & D. Burckhardt, 30a.

Etymology
The species name is derived from the Latin term for “hole” or “opening,” lacuna (f.), and alludes to the depressions formed by the ant's foveolate cuticle.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Lattke J. E. 2004. A taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis of the ant genus Gnamptogenys Roger in Southeast Asia and Australasia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae). University of California Publications in Entomology 122: 1-266.
 * Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58