Podomyrma chasei

Identification
Heterick (2009) – Podomyrma chasei resembles Podomyrma adelaidae but lacks the pair of white maculae. The propodeum is unarmed.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  chasei. Podomyrma chasei Forel, 1901h: 58 (w.m.) AUSTRALIA. Senior synonym of nuda: Taylor, 1999: 173.
 * nuda. Podomyrma nuda Crawley, 1922b: 441, fig. 7 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Crawley, 1925b: 591 (q.). Junior synonym of chasei: Taylor, 1999: 173.

Queen
Crawley (1925) - Length 10 mm.

Colour similar to that of the worker, but paler; head, pronotum, petiole, and sides of thorax castaneous; mandibles, antellnm, legs, and rest of dorsum of thorax dark brown; gaster nearly black. Wings tinted with yellow, nervures brown.

Pilosity rather more abundant and finer.

Head large, 2.2 broad by 2.5 mm. long, as broad in front as behind, sides almost parallel, slightly contracted in the middle at the eyes. Occipital angles rounded, the border concave. The surface of the head is excavate between the end of the frontal carinae and the eyes, thus forming more of a scrobe than in the worker.

Thorax considerably narrower than the head, the anterior angles less acutely dentate than in the worker. Petiole somewhat longer in proportion, and no tooth, only an angle, at the top.

Shining; sculpture of head siniilar but coarser than in the worker. Pronotum transversely reticulate-rugose, more reticulate at the angles. Scutum longitudinally striate, postscutellurn shining, superficially longitudinally striate with a few punctures. Base of epinotum, transversely striate, declivity smooth and shining. Pleurae longitudinally striate. Petiole smoother, otherwise as in the worker. Postpetiole and gaster similar.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Heterick B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of south-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 76: 1-206.
 * Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.