Stictoponera grammodes

A denizen of New Guinea rainforests. Some collections of this species have been made from rotten logs.

Identification
Modified from Lattke (2004) - Keys out close to Gnamptogenys biroi. Gnamptogenys grammodes may be closely related to biroi based on similarities in the occipital lamella and the shape of the subpetiolar process. The postpetiolar dorsum of G. grammodes differs from that of G. biroi in having a posterior strip of longitudinal carinulae and smoother cuticle anterad with punctae and no foveolae as in G. biroi. G. grammodes has a mostly smooth fourth abdominal tergite and is a smaller ant (HL > 1.2 mm;WL > 1.60 mm) than G. biroi.

Distribution
Based on current collection records this ant is endemic to New Guinea.

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

Nomenclature

 *  grammodes. Gnamptogenys grammodes Brown, 1958g: 310, fig. 41 (w.) NEW GUINEA. Lattke, 2004: 118 (q.m.).

Lattke (2004) - Head with convex lateral margins that curve gradually onto straight to slightly convex posterior margin in frontal view; occipital lobe lacking, occipital lamella forming blunt, triangular lobe. Postpetiolar dorsum with scattered foveolae over mostly smooth background sculpturing, posterior one-third up to one-half with longitudinal parallel carinulae.

Worker
Lattke (2004) - Metrics (n = 5): HL 1.04-1.14, HW 0.90-0.96, ML 0.53-0.58, SL 0.91-1.02, ED 0.23-0.29, WL 1.41-1.53 mm. CI 0.83-0.87, SI 1.01-1.06, MI 0.55-0.62, OI 0.24-0.31. Head with convex lateral margins curving gradually onto straight to slightly convex posterior margin in frontal view, anterior margin of clypeal lamella with median convex lobe; frons longitudinally strigulose-foveolate; vertex mostly smooth; clypeus longitudinally strigulose. Scape mostly smooth with longitudinal strigulae; occipital lobe lacking, occipital lamella forming blunt, triangular lobe. Pronotum foveolate with smooth posteromedian area; mesometanotum longitudinally rugose-foveolate; katepisternum mostly rugulose-foveolate; metapleuron anterodorsally mostly smooth, posteroventrally longitudinally strigulose; propodeum foveolate with scattered longitudinal to oblique undulations and rugulae, propodeal dorsum foveolate with low transverse undulations and strigulae, propodeal dorsum curves gradually onto mostly smooth declivity.

Petiolar node with anterior margin forming gradual convexity in lateral view, higher posterad than anterad; dorsum mostly smooth with scattered lateral foveolae; ventral process projecting anterad as small, acute triangular lobe; postpetiole mostly smooth laterally with scattered foveolae, each foveola abruptly impressed anterad and gradually sloping posterad, posterior margin with longitudinal strigulae; pospetiolar dorsum with scattered foveolae over background sculpturing ranging from mostly smooth to transversely strigulose, posterior one-third up to one-half with longitudinal parallel carinulae; dorsum of abdominal segment 4 mostly smooth with scattered punctulae, posterolaterally with narrow band of longitudinal striae, sternum rugulose. Fore coxa transversely strigulose in lateral view; fore tarsus opposite strigil with single stout seta followed apically by row of slender setae; metacoxal tooth triangular and slender. Dorsum of thorax and abdominal segments 1-4 with scattered erect to subdecumbent hairs. Head, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster dark brown; mandibles, antennae, legs ferruginous brown.

Queen
Lattke (2004) - Metrics (n = 1): HL 1.25, HW 1.06, ML 0.65, SL 1.03, ED 0.36, WL 1.79 mm. CI 0.85, SI 0.97, MI 0.61, OI 0.34. Pronotum foveolate in lateral view, foveolae irregularly distributed among smooth areas; mesonotum with scattered foveolae and low longitudinal strigulae; mesoscutum longitudinally strigulose-punctulate; lateral propodeal face transversely rugulose-punctate; petiolar node with smooth median area and transverse strigulae on anterior and posterior margins in dorsal view. Postpetiole with transverse strigulae along anterior one-third, longitudinally strigulose along posterior two-thirds.

Male
Lattke (2004) - Metrics (n = 1): HL 0.84, HW 0.77, ML 0.43, SL 0.28, ED 0.31, WL 1.48 mm. CI 0.92, SI 0.36, MI 0.56, OI 0.40. Frons irregularly areolate on low rugulae; median longitudinal ridge extends from posterior clypeal margin to between antennal insertions on elevated area; frontal triangle relatively wide and flat bottomed; clypeus strigulose; mandible longitudinally strigulose. Pronotum, mesopleuron mostly smooth with scattered shallow foveolae in lateral view; metapleuron, lateral propodeal face rugulose; mesonotum with large smooth areas and irregularly scattered shallow foveolae; scutellum strigulose. Fourth abdominal tergite with low, fine longitudinal undulations, slightly colliculate; fourth abdominal sternite strigulose.

Type Material
Lattke (2004) - Holotype worker: Papua New Guinea, Bisianumu, near Sogeri (Wilson) [Examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Brown W. L., Jr. 1958. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. II. Tribe Ectatommini (Hymenoptera). Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 118: 173-362.
 * 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.
 * Sagata, K., A.L. Mack, D.D. Wright and P.J. Lester. 2010. The influence of nest avaiability on the abundance and diversity of twig-dwelling ants in a Papua New Guinea forest. Insectes Sociaux 57:333-341
 * Snelling R. R. 2000. Ants of the Wapoga river area, Irian Jaya, Indonesia. In Mack, Andrew L. and Leeanne E. Alonso (eds.). 2000. A Biological Assessment of the Wapoga River Area of Northwestern Irian Jaya, Indonesia. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 14, Conservation International, Washington, DC.
 * Wilson Edward O. 1959. Adaptive Shift and Dispersal in a Tropical Ant Fauna. Evolution 13(1): 122-144