Rhytidoponera versicolor

This species forages on vegation during daylight hours.

Identification
Holotype [MCZ] from near the Dumbea Road, just below Montagne des Sources, New Caledonia. This locality is mixed forest, mainly angiosperm evergreens, but with large Araucaria and Agathis prominent in the upper story, surrounding the head-waters of the Dumbea River; altitude ca. 800 meters. (E.O. Wilson leg., XII-17-1954, No. 185). The holotype and several paratype workers were collected from the vegetation at the forest border during daylight hours. Another collection from Montagne des Sources (Wilson, No. 169) was made on the same day higher up (ca. 1000 m.) in second-growth Araucaria forest, where the workers were taken foraging on a small angiosperm shrub in the understory during mid afternoon.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: New Caledonia.

Biology
The holotype and several paratype workers were collected from the vegetation at the forest border during daylight hours. Another collection from Montagne des Sources was made in second-growth Araucaria forest, where the workers were taken foraging on a small angiosperm shrub in the understory during mid afternoon.

Nomenclature

 * . Rhytidoponera versicolor Brown, 1958g: 292, fig. 40 (w.) NEW CALEDONIA.
 * Type-material: holotype worker, paratype workers (number not stated, “several”).
 * Type-locality: holotype New Caledonia: Montange des Sources, nr Dumbéa Road, ca 800 m., 17.xii.1954, acc. no. 185 (E.O. Wilson); paratypes with same data.
 * Type-depository: MCZC.
 * Status as species: Ward, 1984: 169 (redescription); Taylor, 1987a: 72; Bolton, 1995b: 381.
 * Distribution: New Caledonia.

Description
Holotype worker: TL 4.5, HL 1.04, HW (excluding eyes) 0.92 (CI 89), WL 1.38, scape L 0.90, max. diameter eye 0.22 mm. Similar to numeensis, but smaller and less robust. Occipital border of head feebly and broadly concave in full-face view, but occipital angles gently rounded; as seen from the side, the posteroventral corners a bit better developed and more nearly rectangular. Clypeal apron distinct, translucent, forming a bluntly rounded angle in the middle. alitrunk lower and more slender, in profile forming a single convextiy, with only the propodeal declivity breaking the outline slightly as it falls off steeply from the dorsum. Petiolar node much lower than in numeensis, and with the ventral process very long and slender, like that of pulchella. Seen from above, the node is only slightly broader than long (much broader than long in numeensis).

Head, alitrunk and petiole coarsely reticulopunctate throughout; a few of the dorsomedian rugules on the head forming longitudinal costulae (including a median carinula), but the sculpture otherwise without definite orientation, and without the interspersed striation so widespred in numeensis. Gaster smooth and shining, with scattered samll piligerous punctures; postpetiol with a few indistinct striae arching from the sides across the anterior face. Erect pilosity much as in numeensis, the hairs fine, whitish, abundant on all parts, uneven in lenght. Appressed pubescence extremely sparse except on extremities of antennae and legs. Head, alitrunk and petiole deep mahogany (nearly black to naked eye). Gaster bright orange-yellow. Legs, antennae and manibles clear yellow.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Brown W. L., Jr. 1958. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. II. Tribe Ectatommini (Hymenoptera). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 118: 173-362.
 * CSIRO Collection
 * Jennings J. T., L. Krogmann, and C. Burwell. 2013. Review of the hymenopteran fauna of New Caledonia with a checklist of species. Zootaxa 3736(1): 1-53.
 * Jourdan H., J. Konghouleux. 2005. Bilan entomologique des noyaux forestiers dits, S2 à S5, à Prony, définies par Goro Nickel SA. Rapport d'Expertise IRD / Goro Nickel SA, 15 pages.
 * Jourdan H., and Joel Konghouleux. 2005. Bilan entomologique des noyaux forestiers dits, « S2 et S5 », à Prony, définies par Goro Nickel SA. IRD 16 pages
 * Le Breton J., J. Chazeau and H. Jourdan. 2002. Expression de Wasmannia dans une forêt dense humide et impact sur la myrmécofaune native de litière. P 57-63. In Etude de l'invasion de la Nouvelle-Calédonie par la fourmi pionnière Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger): modalités, impact sur la diversité et le fonctionnement des écosystèmes, moyens d'une maîtrise de la nuisance. Programme INWASCAL, Conventions Sciences de la Vie, Zoologie Appliquée 13.
 * Le Breton J., J. Chazeau, and H. Jourdan. 2003. Immediate impacts of invasion by Wasmannia auropunctata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on native litter ant fauna in a New Caledonian rainforest. Austral Ecology 28: 204209.
 * Le Breton, J., H. Jourdan, J. Chazeau, J. Orivel and A. Dejean. 2005. Niche Opportunity and Ant Invasion: The Case of Wasmannia auropunctata in a New Caledonian Rain Forest. Journal of Tropical Ecology 21(1):93-98
 * 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.
 * Ward P. S. 1984. A revision of the ant genus Rhytidoponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in New Caledonia. Aust. J. Zool. 32: 131-175.
 * Ward P. S. 1985. Taxonomic congruence and disparity in an insular ant fauna: Rhytidoponera in New Caledonia. Systematic Zoology 34: 140-151.