Lordomyrma 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 : 18

Lordomyrma Emery , 1897

Taxonomy. The genus Lordomyrma is assigned to the tribe Stenammini (Bolton 1994, 2003). The genus was recently overviewed by Taylor (2009). Although Lordomyrma as recognised by Taylor (2009) is morphologically heterogeneous, the worker of the single known Vietnamese species has the following features.

Worker monomorphic; head in full-face view subrectangular; frontal lobe large; antennal scrobe very deep, surrounded dorsally by frontal carina and ventrally by genal carina; posteroventral face of head laterally margined by a weak carina; median portion of clypeus forming steep anterior face, with distinct submedian carinae; posteromedian part of clypeus relatively narrowly inserted between frontal lobes; mandible triangular; masticatory margin with 7 or more teeth decreasing in size from apex to base; antenna 12-segmented, with 3-segmented club; eye medium sized; promesonotum in lateral view weakly elevated above anterior border of propodeal dorsum, in dorsal view with angulate humeri; promesonotal suture absent dorsally; metanotal groove distinct dorsally; propodeal spine long and slender; propodeal lobe well developed, triangular, expanding posterodorsad; petiole consisting of short peduncle and moderately elevated node; petiole higher than long; gastral shoulder absent; head, mesosoma and waist segments heavily sculptured.

Lordomyrma bhutanensis (Baroni Urbani) and L. sinensis (Ma, Xu, Makio & DuBois) 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 ).

Vietnamese species. A single colony of Lordomyrma has been found from Vietnam: sp. eg-1 (Sa Pa).

Bionomics. The single known colony of Lordomyrma sp. eg-1 was found in the soil under stone in a relatively well-developed lower montane forest (1,600-1,700 m alt.).