Stictoponera fontana

A collection of this ant was taken from a wet forest litter-sample.

Identification
Lattke (2004) - This species may be confused with Stictoponera binghamii, but in lateral view the occipital lamella in S. binghamii is much narrower, its eyes are not as protuberant, and the ridges between the foveolae are sharply crested, not rounded as in S. fontana. The acute posterior angle of the subpetiolar process in S. fontana is not found in S. binghamii and the setae opposite the fore tarsal strigil in S. binghamii tend to be more slender than in S. fontana. Stictoponera gabata is different in the sharp angles separating the concave posterior cephalic margin from the sides when seen in frontal view, while in S. fontana the posterior cephalic margin is relatively straight and the occipital lamella is inconspicuously visible in the background as a pair of small horns. Stictoponera gabata has smaller eyes, and the anterior margin of the clypeal lamella forms an obtuse and blunt median angle. The subpetiolar process of S. gabata is more triangular, without an acute posterior angle, and the propodeum has prominent posterolateral crests.

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

Castes
Queens and males are unknown.

Nomenclature

 * . Gnamptogenys fontana Lattke, 2004: 108, fig. 22 (w.) BORNEO (East Malaysia: Sabah).
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 1 paratype worker.
 * Type-locality: holotype Malaysia: Sabah, Poring Hot Springs, 900 m., 12.v.1987, no. 22a (D. Burckhardt & I. Löbl)); paratype with same data.
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * 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).

Head subquadrate in frontal view, lateral margins broadly convex gradually curving onto broadly concave posterior margin, anterior margin of clypeal lamella forming very obtuse blunt angle. Occipital lamella relatively broad, convex, anterior extremely curved, posterior extremely angular.

Worker
Metrics. [Holotype] Paratype: HL [1.11] 1.11, HW [0.95] 0.92, ML [0.62] 0.58, SL [1.01] 0.98, ED [0.25] 0.22, WL [1.54] 1.54 mm. CI [0.86] 0.83, SI [1.06] 1.07, MI [0.65] 0.63, OI [0.26] 0.24. Head subquadrate in frontal view, lateral margins broadly convex gradually curving onto broadly concave posterior margin, anterior margin of clypeal lamella forming obtuse blunt angles laterally, medially with modest convex lobe; frons mostly foveolate over smooth cuticle, frons rugulosefoveolate; frontal lobe evenly convex, barely covering radicle; clypeus longitudinally strigulose with broad smooth areas; foveolae on cephalic sides denser than on dorsum; occipital lamella broad and convex, anterior end curved, posterior end angular. Scape mostly smooth with scattered punctae and occasional strigulae.

Mesosoma mostly foveolate over smooth cuticle in lateral view; mesosomal dorsum foveolate, with smooth area on posteromedian pronotum and part of mesonotum; promesonotal suture poorly impressed, sometimes present as transverse series of punctulae, laterally indistinct; metanotal sulcus well impressed; metapleuron posteroventrally with transverse ridges; propodeal declivity concave with raised posteromedian area. Petiolar node with anterior margin longer than posterior margin in lateral view; dorsum foveolate over smooth cuticle; ventral process subquadrate with acutely angular posterior corner; postpetiolar dorsum mostly smooth with scattered piligerous punctae, punctae deeper and more elongate posterad, posterior margin with narrow band of longitudinal strigulae; foveolae on postpetiolar sides deeper than on dorsum; postpetiolar sternum with low transverse strigulae; dorsum of abdominal segment 4 mostly smooth with piligerous punctulae, posterolaterally with narrow band of longitudinal striae and brief carinae anterad of spiracle. Fore coxa transversely strigulose in lateral view; fore tarsus opposite strigil with row of stout setae; metacoxal tooth straight, without lateral ridge. Dorsum of thorax and abdominal segments 1-4 with scattered erect to subdecumbent hairs. Head, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster black; mandibles, antennae, legs brown.

Type Material
Holotype worker. Malaysia, Sabah, Poring Hot Springs, 900m, 12-v-1987, D. Burckhardt & I. Löbl 22a. Deposited in. Paratype. One worker on same pin as holotype in. The holotype of S. fontana is the top specimen on the pin and has the point marked in red.

Etymology
The species name is derived from the Latin term for "of a spring," fontanus, which itself is derived from fons (m.) and alludes to the type locality, Poring Hot Springs.

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