Stictoponera niuguinensis

Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Identification
Lattke (2004) - Scape longitudinally strigulose; no occipital lobe; occipital lamella subquadrate. Fore coxa transversely strigose to strigulose in lateral view, femur mostly smooth with scattered low transverse strigulae that become longitudinal apically, meso- and metafemur with angular apical paired lobes. Postpetiolar dorsum transversely strigate anterad, curving posteriorly becoming longitudinal, laterally with transverse strigae anterad, obliquely strigate posterodorsad and strigulose posteroventrally.

This New Guinea endemic is apparently a sister species of Gnamptogenys macretes, sharing many of the general patterns of sculpturing and the lack of an occipital lobe. G. macretes differs from G. niuguinensis in the following characters: clypeal lamella protruding less, scape mostly smooth, occipital lamella convex, tibiae longitudinally strigulose punctate, femora and tibiae smooth, meso- and metafemora with convex apical paired lobes, fore tarsus opposite strigil with a single stout seta.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea.

Castes
Males are unknown.

Nomenclature

 *  niuguinensis. Gnamptogenys niuguinense Lattke, 2004: 136, fig. 130 (w.q.) NEW GUINEA (Papua New Guinea).

Worker
Metrics. [Holotype] Paratypes (n = 2): HL [1.18] 1.17, 1.25; HW [0.99] 0.99, 1.02; ML [0.67] 0.62, 0.64; SL [1.13] 1.06, 1.14; ED [0.35] 0.30, 0.39; WL [1.81] 1.69, 1.90 mm. CI [0.84] 0.82, 1.18; SI [1.14] 1.07, 1.14; MI [0.68] 0.63, 0.63; OI [0.35] 0.30, 0.38. Head with broadly convex lateral margins in frontal view, posterior margin relatively straight, anterior margin of clypeal lamella projecting anterad as blunt angle; frons longitudinally rugulose with abundant smooth-bottomed foveolae; clypeus longitudinally strigulose, strigulae more irregular than on frons and partially extending onto lamella; scape longitudinally strigulose; no occipital lobe; occipital lamella subquadrate. Lateral pronotal face longitudinally strigate with scattered foveolae, pronotum in dorsal view longitudinally strigate with foveolae laterally and anteriorly; mesonotum longitudinally strigate with scattered punctae; anepisterum rectangular with anteroventral triangular lobe, mostly strigulose with some foveolae; katepisternum longitudinally strigulose with foveolae; metapleuron anterodorsally strigulose and posteroventrally longitudinally costate; metanotum and propodeal dorsum transversely strigate with lateral foveolae; propodeal armature usually wanting, sometimes minute denticles present, declivity anteriorly rugulose-punctate and posteriorly mostly smooth.

Petiolar node dorsum foveolate with transverse strigae, ventral process forms two sharp denticles separated by broad concavity in lateral view; postpetiolar dorsum transversely strigate anterad, posteriorly becoming longitudinal, laterally with transverse strigae anterad, obliquely strigate posterodorsad and strigulose posteroventrally; postpetiolar sternum transversely strigulose with smooth median area; dorsum of abdominal segment 4 finely strigate except for fine anteromedian strip of transverse strigae, laterally with arching strigae. Fore coxa transversely strigose to strigulose in lateral view; femora mostly smooth with scattered low transverse strigulae that become longitudinal apically, meso- and metafemora with angular apical paired lobes; tibia longitudinally strigulose-punctate; fore tarsus opposite strigil with row of stout setae. Dorsum of thorax and abdominal segments 1-4 with few standing hairs, most restricted to promesonotum. Head, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster brown; mandibles, antennae, legs ferruginous brown.

Queen
Metrics (n = 1): HL 1.29, HW 1.14, ML 0.72, SL 1.15, ED 0.39, WL 0.88 mm. CI 0.63, SI 1.00, MI 0.63, OI 0.34. Pronotum transversely strigate on anterior face, arching around laterally becoming longitudinal; mesopleuron and mesonotum longitudinally striate with scattered foveolae; propodeum transversely strigate with scattered foveolae.

Etymology
The species name is derived from the Papuan Pidgin English name for New Guinea: Niu Guini.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * CSIRO Collection
 * Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
 * 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.