Brachyponera pilidorsalis

This species has been found in forest habitat nesting in rotting wood.

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

Queen
Males have yet to be collected.

Nomenclature

 *  pilidorsalis. Pachycondyla pilidorsalis Yamane, 2007: 655, figs. 7, 9-11 (w.q.) WEST MALAYSIA. Combination in Brachyponera: Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014: 80.

Worker
holotype in parentheses: HW 0.96-0.98 (0.96); HL 1.00-1.05 (1.00); SL 1.07-1.09 (1.08); EL 0.19-0.20 (0.19); MSL 0.11-0.13 (0.11). SL/HL 1.03-1.08 (1.08); Number of ommatidia along long axis of eye ca.12.

Very similar to Brachyponera nigrita and Brachyponera batak. Mesopleuron usually with a transverse groove. Posterior faces of propodeum and petiole constantly punctate. Dorsum of mesosoma usually with more than ten standing hairs, some of which are longer than width of antennal segment 2. Gastral tergites 1 and 2 each with more than ten long standing hairs.

Queen
Similar to B. batak in body size and distinctly punctate metapleuron (in B. nigrita metapleuron almost smooth). Specimens from Malay Pen. tend to be larger than those from Borneo (HW: 0.83-0.91 vs. 1.04-1.06 mm). Mesosoma dorsally and gastral tergites with numerous long standing hairs.

Type Material
Holotype: worker, Ulu Gombak (ca. 250 m alt.), Selangor Prov., Malaysia., 5 vii 1999, F. Ito (FI99-291). Paratypes: 10w, 2q, from the same colony as holotype. The holotype is deposited in the Entomological Collection at Forest Research Institute, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and paratypes in SKY Collection, Kagoshima University, Natural History Museum, London , Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University and Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Etymology
The name refers to the presence of numerous standing hairs on the dorsum of the bodies of the queen and worker.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Fayle T. M., E. C. Turner, J. L. Snaddon, V. Khen Chey, A. Y. C. Chung, P. Eggleton, and W. A. Foster. 2010. Oil palm expansion into rain forest greatly reduces ant biodiversity in canopy, epiphytes and leaf-litter. Basic and Applied Ecology 11: 337345.
 * Kishimoto-Yamata K., F. Hyodo, M. Matsuoka, Y. Hashimoto, M. Kon, T. Ochi, S. Yamane, R. Ishii, and T. Itioka. 2012. Effects of remnant primary forests on ant and dung beetle species diversity in a secondary forest in Sarawak, Malaysia. Journal of Insect Conservation DOI 10.1007/s10841-012-9544-6
 * Mezger D., and M. Pfeiffer. 2011. Partitioning the impact of abiotic factors and spatial patterns on species richness and community structure of ground ant assemblages in four Bornean rainforests. Ecography 34: 39-48.
 * Mezger D., and M. Pfeiffer. 2011. Partitioning the impact of abiotic factors and spatial patterns on species richness and community structure of ground assemblages in four Bornean rainforest. Ecography 34: 39-48.
 * Pfeiffer M., D. Mezger, and J. Dyckmans. 2013. Trophic ecology of tropical leaf litter ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a stable isotope study in four types of Bornean rain forest. Myrmecological News 19: 31-41.
 * Pfeiffer M., and D. Mezger. 2012. Biodiversity Assessment in Incomplete Inventories: Leaf Litter Ant Communities in Several Types of Bornean Rain Forest. PLoS ONE 7(7): e40729. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040810
 * Pfeiffer M., and D. Mezger. 2012. Biodiversity Assessment in Incomplete Inventories: Leaf Litter Ant Communities in Several Types of Bornean Rain Forest. PLoS ONE 7(7): e40729. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040936
 * Pfeiffer M., and D. Mezger. 2012. Biodiversity Assessment in Incomplete Inventories: Leaf Litter Ant Communities in Several Types of Bornean Rain Forest. PLoS ONE 7(7): e40729. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041004
 * Pfeiffer M., and D. Mezger. 2012. Biodiversity Assessment in Incomplete Inventories: Leaf Litter Ant Communities in Several Types of Bornean Rain Forest. PLoS ONE 7(7): e40729. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041118
 * 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
 * Yamane S. 2007. Pachycondyla nigrita and related species in southeast Asia (pp. 650-663). In Snelling, R.R., Fisher, B.L. & Ward, P.S. (eds). Advances in ant systematics: homage to E.O. Wilson  50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80: 690 pp.
 * Yamane, S. "Pachycondyla nigrita and related species in Southeast Asia." In Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, edited by R. R. Snelling, B. L. Fisher and P. S. Ward, 651-663. Vol. 80. Advances in ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): homage to E. O. Wilson  50 years of contributions 80., 2007. Abstract