Hypoponera mesoponeroides ( Radchenko, 1993 ) Dang & Yamane & Nguyen & Eguchi, 2018

Dang, An Van, Yamane, Seiki,, Nguyen, Anh D., & Eguchi, Katsuyuki, 2018, New combination and redescription of Brachyponera mesoponeroides Radchenko, 1993 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae), Revue suisse de Zoologie 125 (2), pp. 221-229 : 224-227

Hypoponera mesoponeroides ( Radchenko, 1993) comb. nov.

Figs 2-5

Brachyponera mesoponeroides Radchenko, 1993: 81 . ‒ Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014: 80.

Pachycondyla mesoponeroides . ‒ Bolton, 1995: 307.

Type materials examined: Brachyponera mesoponeroides ; MIZ; 2 paratype workers; Vietnam, Ninh Binh, Cuc Phuong ; 05.06.1966; R. Bielawski & B. Pisarski leg.

Nontype materials examined: IEBR; Vietnam, Ninh Binh, Cuc Phuong , 20.29472°N 105.64500°E - 20.30250°N 105.65611°E, ca. 231 m alt.; 1 worker (colony AD17CP16), 1 worker (AD17CP30), 1 worker, 1 dealate queen (AD17CP31), 1 worker (AD17CP34), 1 worker (AD17CP37), 1 worker (AD17CP38), 1 worker (AD17CP41), 1 worker (AD17CP43); 22.03.2017; Dang V.A. leg. – MHNG; Vietnam, Ninh Binh, Cuc Phuong , 20.29472°N 105.64500°E - 20.30250°N 105.65611°E, ca. 231 m alt.; 1 worker (colony AD17CP16); 22.03.2017; Dang V.A. leg. – IEBR; Vietnam, Ninh Binh: Cuc Phuong , 20.35000°N 105.57805°E - 2 0.35861°N 105.59333°E, ca. 366 m alt.; 1 worker, 1 dealate queen (AD17CP57), 1 worker (AD17CP58), 1 worker (AD17CP60), 1 worker (AD17CP74); 23.03.2017; Dang V.A. leg. – MHNG; Vietnam, Ninh Binh: Cuc Phuong , 20.35000°N 105.57805°E - 20.35861°N 105.59333°E, ca. 366 m alt.; 1 worker (AD17CP74); 23.03.2017; Dang V.A. leg. – IEBR; Vietnam, Ninh Binh, Cuc Phuong , 20.35861°N 105.59333°E, 212 m alt.; 1 worker (AD17CP87); 24.03.2017; Dang V.A. leg. – MHNG; Vietnam, Ninh Binh, Cuc Phuong , 20.35861°N 105.59333°E, 212 m alt.; 1 worker (AD17CP87); 24.03.2017; Dang V.A. leg. – IEBR; Vietnam, Tuyen Quang, Na Hang Nature Reserve, Ban Chu ; limestone forest; 22.49389°N 105.42111°E, 90-185 m alt.; 1 worker (Eg 13iii15-16), 1 worker (Eg 13iii15-25); 13.03.2015; Eguchi K. leg. – IEBR; Vietnam, Lang Son, Van Lang , 20.39055°N 105.86889°E, 967 m alt.; 1 worker (ADLS0027); 21.04.2016; Dang V.A. leg. – MHNG; Vietnam, Lang Son, Van Lang , 20.39055°N 105.86889°E, 967 m alt.; 1 worker (ADLS0027); 21.04.2016; Dang V.A. leg.

Worker measurements and indices (nontypes, n=10): HL 0.85-0.93 mm; HW 0.77-0.85 mm; HS 0.81- 0.89 mm; SL 0.71-0.79 mm; ML 0.31-0.34 mm; EL 0.07-0.10 mm; PrW 0.56-0.62 mm; WL 1.18-1.36 mm; PeH 0.58-0.69 mm; PeNL 0.26-0.28 mm; PeNW 0.38- 0.41 mm; PeS 0.41-0.46 mm; ML 0.37-0.43 mm; CI 89-91; MI 33-38; SI 91-98; PeNI 64-69; LpeI 41-47; DPeI 136-154.

Worker description ( Figs 2-4 ): Head in full-face view subrectangular, distinctly longer than wide, with posterior margin very weakly concave or almost straight, with lateral margin weakly convex, in lateral view with dorsal margin straight and ventral margin slightly convex; mandible triangular; masticatory margin of mandible with large apical and two distinct preapical teeth followed by a series of smaller teeth; outer basal portion of mandible without a pit or groove; median portion of clypeus produced anteriad, with anteromedian margin weakly concave; compound eye located on the side of head close to the mandibular insertion, small (EL 0.07-0.10 mm), consisting of 12-16 ommatidia in total; antenna 12-merous; antennal scape when laid backward extending beyond posterolateral corner of head by length of antennal segment II; II almost as long as total length of III and IV; III-V almost identical in length; VI-XII gradually increasing in length towards apex, not forming a distinct club. Pronotum in lateral view with steep anterodorsal outline; mesonotum in lateral view slightly convex; promesonotal suture and mesonotal-mesopleural suture distinct; metanotal groove conspicuous across mesosomal dorsum, deeply incised; mesopleuron not divided by distinct transverse sulcus; meso-metapleural suture distinct; propodeum in lateral view with dorsum short and faintly convex or almost straight, and posterior declivity almost straight; propodeal spiracle elliptical; propodeal lobe absent; apicoventral part of meso- and metatibia with a single pectinate spur. Petiolar node in lateral view squamiform and thin; subpetiolar process developed well as a lobe, without an anterior fenestra, in lateral view with a weak concavity on the ventral margin, without a posterior shelf-like process. Abdominal tergite III as long as or slightly longer than IV. Prora present as a distinct U-shaped ridge below helcium.

Head, pronotum, mesonotum and dorsum of propodeum and petiole entirely covered with fine, hair-bearing punctures; mandible smooth; mesopleuron largely smooth and shiny; metapleuron largely smooth and shiny, with posteriormost part finely striate; pretergite IV almost smooth and shiny, with fuzzy transverse striations. Body covered with appressed to subdecumbent background pubescence which is sparser in mesopleuron and metapleuron than in the remainder of body; clypeus with several erect setae; compound eye with short hairs between ommatidia; antenna covered relatively desenly with very short, appressed to suberect pubescence; abdominal segments III-VII with many erect to suberect setae among background pubescence.

Body dark-brown to reddish brown; mandibles, antenna and legs paler.

Queen measurements and indices (n=2): HL 0.98- 0.99 mm; HW 0.88 mm; HS 0.93-0.94 mm; SL 0.84- 0.87 mm; ML 0.38-0.4 mm; EL 0.20-0.22 mm; PrW 0.77-0.78 mm; WL 1.65-1.67 mm; PeH 0.79-0.80 mm; PeNL 0.36-0.37 mm; PeNW 0.46-0.48 mm; PeS 0.54- 0.55 mm; ML 0.47-0.48 mm; CI 95; MI 48; SI 90-93; PeNI 60-62; LpeI 46; DPeI 128-130.

Queen description ( Fig. 5 ): In general appearance queen similar to worker. Body larger than in the worker; gaster sometimes distinctly larger than in the worker. Compound eye large (EL 0.20-0.22 mm), with short hairs between ommatidia ( Fig. 5C ); ocelli present; distance between median and lateral ocelli as long as distance between lateral ocelli. Mesosoma with main sclerites associated with wing function ( Fig. 5B ); mesoscutum with conspicuous parapsidal lines, without notauli, in lateral view with slightly convex anterodorsal outline; dorsal outline of mesonotum in lateral view weakly depressed between mesoscutum and mesoscutellum; mesopleuron with a well-developed transverse sulcus that divides it into upper and lower portions; propodeum in lateral view with dorsum short and gradually sloping posteriad, and posterior declivity almost straight. Apical part of petiolar node in lateral view tapering sharply more than in the worker.

Bionomics: This species inhabits in secondary and primary forests from the lowland to the highland (up to an approximately 1,000 m alt.), and nests in the leaf litters, soil, rotting logs and rotting wood fragments, and under rocks.

Distribution: Known from northern Vietnam.

Figures

Fig. 2. Hypoponera mesoponeroides (Radchenko, 1993) comb. nov., paratype workers. (A) Head in full-face view. (B) Head in lateral view. (C) Mesosoma in lateral view. (D) Body in dorsal view. (B), (C), (D) specimen code: IMG20160605-01; (A) IMG20160605-02.

Fig. 3. Hypoponera mesoponeroides (Radchenko, 1993) comb. nov., paratype workers. (A) Body in lateral view. (B) Petiole in lateral view. (C) Mandible and gena in lateral view. (D) Metatibial spur. (E), (F) Labels of a paratype. (A), (F) specimen code: IMG20160605-01; (B), (C), (D), (E) IMG20160605-02.

Fig. 4. Hypoponera mesoponeroides (Radchenko, 1993) comb. nov., nontype worker. (A) Head in full-face view. (B) Body in lateral view. (C) Antenna. (D) Petiole. (E) Body in dorsal view. (A), (B), (C), (D) colony code: AD16CP60, specimen code: CAP20171220-01; (E) AD16CP58, CAP20170714-01.

Fig. 5. Hypoponera mesoponeroides (Radchenko, 1993) comb. nov., nontype queen, colony code:AD16CP57; specimen code: CAP20170716-01. (A) Head in full-face view. (B) Body in dorsal view. (C) Antenna. (D) Body in lateral view. (E) Compoud eye. (F) Mesosoma in lateral view.