Rhytidoponera nodifera

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  nodifera. Ectatomma (Rhytidoponera) convexum var. nodiferum Emery, 1895g: 348 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Clark, 1936: 69 (m.). Combination in Rhytidoponera: Emery, 1911d: 38. Raised to species and senior synonym of mediana, pronotalis, rothneyi: Clark, 1936: 68.
 * rothneyi. Ectatomma (Rhytidoponera) rothneyi Forel, 1900b: 56 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in Rhytidoponera: Emery, 1911d: 38. Junior synonym of nodifera: Clark, 1936: 68.
 * mediana. Rhytidoponera rothneyi subsp. mediana Viehmeyer, 1924a: 224 (w.m.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of nodifera: Clark, 1936: 68.
 * pronotalis. Rhytidoponera pronotalis Crawley, 1925b: 588 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Junior synonym of nodifera: Clark, 1936: 68.

Worker
Crawley (1925) - Length 8.5 to 9 mm.

Dark brown; mandibles, funiculi, apices of scapes, legs, and extremity of gaster dark red.

Scapes and tibiae with fine short erect pilosity, the rest glabrous.

Head as broad as long, slightly broader in front than behind, the sides feebly convex. Occiput almost straight, slightly depressed in the centre. Inferior angles ending in a sharp projection. Mandibles finely dentate, the terminal border one-fifth longer than the basal. The anterior border of clypeus evenly convex, depressed. Frontal carinse three-fifths as wide behind as in front. Eyes placed just behind the middle of sides.

Pronotum, seen from above, wider behind where the lateral angles are prominent; in profile these angles are seen more distinctly. The inferior angles of pronotum end in small teeth. Dorsum of thorax impressed at both sutures. Epinotum feebly convex, the declivity small, flattened: Petiole from above longitudinally oval, with a faint impression down the centre; in profile the node is thick, parallel-sided, the top slightly oblique; forming an acute angle with the anterior border and a rounded one with the posterior. Postpetiole broader than long, with a faint short impression in front; first segment of gaster larger, the constriction moderately deep.

Semi-opaque. Mandibles finely striate with superficial points. Whole of upper surface of head coarsely reticulate-punctate, the punctures shining. Sides and under surface covered with a fine longitudinal striation interspersed with scattered punctures, smaller than those on head. The back of the occiput has a superficial transverse striation with scattered punctures. Scapes longitudinally striate.

Pronotum covered with a fine ground striation, mostly transverse, In addition the segment is punctured, the punctures being smaller, rounder, and less shining than on the head, sparse in front and in centre, more abundant on the posterior angles. Mesonotum with similar striation and scattered punctures; base of epinotum similar but the punctures more abundant. The junction of the meso- and epinotum has transverse ground sculpture only. Declivity transversely striate. Node of petiole from above with a transverse ground striation and a few superficial punctures in front, the back smooth and shining, the sides longitudinally striate with punctures.

Postpetiole with fine transverse slightly arched striae, more pronounced at base, and some small superficial points; first segment of gaster similarly striated, but more finely. Femora with faint circular striae, tibiae with traces of longitudinal striation and superficial punctures.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Clark J. 1936. A revision of Australian species of Rhytidoponera Mayr (Formicidae). Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria 9: 14-89
 * Emery C. 1895. Descriptions de quelques fourmis nouvelles d'Australie. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 39:345-358.
 * 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.