Cardiocondyla Emery

Eguchi, K., Viet, B. T. & Yamane, S., 2011, Generic synopsis of the Formicidae of Vietnam (Insecta: Hymenoptera), Part I - Myrmicinae and Pseudomyrmicinae., Zootaxa 2878, pp. 1-61 : 13

Cardiocondyla Emery , 1869

Taxonomy. The genus Cardiocondyla is assigned to the tribe Formicoxenini by Bolton (1994, 2003). The Afrotropical species were revised by Bolton (1982), and the elegans-, bulgarica-, batesii-, nuda-, shuckardi-, stambuloffii-, wroughtonii-, emeryi- and minutior-groups were revised by Seifert (2003). Workers of Vietnamese species have the following features.

Worker monomorphic; head in full-face view subrectangular; frontal lobe small and narrow; frontal carina and antennal scrobe absent; median portion of clypeus prominently extended forward, and fused to the flattened lateral portions to form a shelf which hides basal part of mandibles in full-face view but is elevated away from the dorsal surface of mandibles in lateral view; posteromedian portion of clypeus relatively broadly inserted between frontal lobes; median clypeal seta present; mandible triangular, with 5 teeth which decrease in size from apex to base; palp formula 5,3; stipes of maxilla with a transverse crest at about midlength; antenna 12-segmented, with 3-segmented club; eye generally large and conspicuous; promesonotal dorsum in lateral view flattened to slightly convex; promesonotal suture absent dorsally; metanotal groove absent or distinctly impressed dorsally; propodeum nearly unarmed to strongly bispinose; propodeal lobe roundly extended posteriad; petiole pedunculate anteriorly and with distinct node; subpetiolar process present but small; postpetiole in lateral view dorsoventrally flattened, in dorsal view very broad, much broader than petiolar node; gastral shoulder indistinct or distinct; dorsa of head, mesosma, waist and gaster lacking standing hairs.

The worker of Cardiocondyla is similar to Monomorium and Temnothorax , but in the latter two genera the postpetiole is as broad as or only a little broader than the petiolar node, and the dorsa of head, mesosoma, waist and gaster bear at least a few standing hairs.

Vietnamese species. Five species have been recognized by us from Vietnam: kagutsuchi Terayama [= sp. eg- 3; = nuda (Mayr) in Eguchi et al., 2005] (Cuc Phuong, Tam Dao); minutior Forel [= sp. eg-2; = emery Forel in Eguchi et al., 2005] (Ba Vi, Cuc Phuong, Tam Dao); wroughtonii Forel [= sp. eg-1] (Tam Dao); sp. eg-4 (Tay Yen Tu); sp. eg-5 (Binh Chau-Phuoc Buu).

Bionomics. Cardiocondyla species inhabit open and man-made habitats such as around settlements and in gardens. Workers are frequently found on the ground surface.