Stenamma sinensis

Collection localities for the type material are open woodland or sunny slope with moderate temperature and humidity, and some of them are beside a small river. Most individuals were collected from leaf litter. Collection methods included hand collecting, pitfall trapping, and especially Winkler extraction. (Ma et al. 2007)

Identification
Ma et al. (2007) - Compound eyes, significant punctuation, stalk of petiole approximately 1/2 length of petiole, and base of first gastral tergite with carinas extending from the juncture with posteptiole.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  sinensis. Stenamma sinensis Ma, Xu, Makio & DuBois, 2007: 372, figs. 1-4 (w.) CHINA. Combination in Lordomyrma: Branstetter, 2009: 49.

Taxonomic Notes
Eguchi, Bui and Yamane (2011) - Lordomyrma bhutanensis and L. sinensis which were recently transfered to Lordomyrma from Stenamma by Branstetter (2009) represent the named species of Lordomyrma known from mainland Asia. The two species differ in several important ways from other Asian species: (1) frontal carinae and scrobes absent; (2) apex of the anterior clypeal margin with a small tooth; (3) ventrolateral margin of the head not delineated by a short carina; (4) propodeal spines short; and (5) petiolar peduncle relatively long and slender. Thus, the generic limits between Lordomyrma and Lasiomyrma need re-examination (see notes under Lasiomyrma).

CHINA: Mr. Qinling, Shaanxi, 7-18 September 2005, 1-13 August 2006, Li-Bin Ma. The geographic coordinates of the type locality is about 107° 48’ E by 33° 39’ N, and the elevation of collections range from 1580m to 1641m.

Holotype worker is deposited in Institute of Zoology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China. 26 paratype workers are deposited as follows: Institute of Zoology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China, 10 paratype workers, College of Biology Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China, 10 paratype workers. Mark DuBois Personal Collection, 116 Burton St., Washington, IL 61571 U.S.A, four paratype workers. Museum of Comparative Zoology, two paratype workers.

Holotype specimen bears a red, partly handwritten label: Lordomyrma sinensis Holotype. Paratype workers bear yellow, partly handwritten labels: Lordomyrma sinensis Paratype.

Worker
TL 3.05 (2.89-3.32); HL 0.74 (0.68-0.87); HW 0.63 (0.61-0.66); CI 86.23 (75.76-89.29)%; SL 0.50 (0.47-0.53); SI 78.4 (75-82.61)%; EL 0.13 (0.11-0.13); EW 0.11 (0.10-0.12); OI 17.24 (14.29-19.23)%; AL 0.89 (0.83-0.97); PRW 0.43 (0.42-0.45); PL 0.35 (0.33-0.39); PH 0.24 (0.21-0.26); PW 0.22 (0.21-0.24); PPL 0.19 (0.18-0.24); PPH 0.20 (0.18-0.24); PPW 0.23 (0.21-0.25); EBM 10.18 (0.14-0.21); ETO 0.38 (0.35-0.43).

Holotype: TL 3.0, HL 0.71, HW 0.63, CI 88%, SL 0.47, SI 75%, EL 0.13, OI 18%, AL 0.89, PRW 0.42, PL 0.34, PH 0.24, PPL 0.18, PPH 0.21, PPW 0.24.

Head. Head longer than broad, longer than scape, narrowed toward occiput. Eyes maximum diameter 1/6 length of HL, with six facets in greatest diameter. Scape stout, shorter than HW, compressed at base, thickened near apex. Mandible with seven to nine teeth, two apical teeth largest, gap after second apical tooth before denticles start; mandibles shining, with basal fine rugulose, finely and sparsely punctate. Clypeus smooth, anterior clypeal margin lightly convex and arcuate with median of clypeal margin conspicuously produced a single dentation, exceeding clypeal margin. Depressed frontal area and clypeus shining; frontal lobes rugose; remainder of head with longitudinal rugulae, forming reticulae on sides.

Alitrunk. Pronotal neck punctulate at anterior edge and becoming rugulose towards alitrunk and with transverse carinula at slope. Pronotum, dorsum with longitudinal rugae, mostly moderately coarse, somewhat wavy, widely and unevenly spaced; interspaces shining; laterally with a few rugae, interspaces shining. The posterior ventral edge of the pronotum with a large pit, and a similar pit between the bases of the meso- and metacoxae; both not lined with micro-setae. Promesonotum without a suture in dorsal view. The median of posterior edge of the propleuron with large dentations towards rear. Sides of propodeum with rugae, dorsum with transverse carinula from basal face to declivitous face, interspaces shining. Spines short and blunt, rectangular in lateral view. Coxae with faintly transverse carinula, remainder of leg smooth.

Petiole. Petiole cuneate in profile view, dorsal face flat, punctulate, sides rugulose. Petiole venter with short blunt tooth at anterior part. Postpetiole, in dorsal view, slightly broader than long, rugulose. Petiole height to length ratio about 0.70.

Gaster. First tergite with basal striae as long as 1/5 to 1/4 length of postpetiole; first sternite base glassy-smooth with small striae which not extended onto gaster. Remainder of gaster glassy-smooth.

Pilosity. With scattered subdecumbent hairs, longest on clypeus and promesonotum. Head and gaster with numerous decumbent hairs; those of frons short.

Color. Ferrugineous, but variable, usually head and gastric segments dark brown.

Etymology
This new species is named after the country where the type locality is located.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Branstetter M. G. 2009. The ant genus Stenamma Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) redefined, with a description of a new genus Propodilobus. Zootaxa 2221:41-57.
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Ma L.B.; S.Q. Xu, T. Makio, M. DuBois. 2007. A new species of the genus Stenamma (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from China. Sociobiology 50: 371-377.