Lordomyrma stoneri (Mann) Sarnat, E. M., 2006

Sarnat, E. M., 2006, Lordomyrma (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Fiji Islands., Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 90, pp. 9-42 : 25-27

Lordomyrma stoneri (Mann) , stat. n.

(Figs. 12, 13)

Rogeria tortuosa subp. stoneri Mann , 1925: 5.

Description. Worker. TL 4.21-5.52, HL 0.95-1.00, HW 0.82-0.89, CI 0.85-0.87, SI 0.72- 0.76, REL 0.18-0.24, PSLI 0.96-1.11, MFLI 0.91-1.07, DPWI 1.00-1.07 (8 measured). A large shiny reddish brown species with a massive promesonotum, strong upcurved spines, and reduced sculpturing on face and body. In full face view, posterior margin of head evenly convex with rounded corners. Clypeus bearing one pair of weak carinae. Frontal carinae weakly carinate, terminating just after posterior level of eye. Antennal scrobe weakly impressed. Eyes of moderate size. In profile promesonotum massive, strongly convex, and bulging above the head and propodeum. Propodeal spines strong, triangular, divergent, and roughly as long as width of procoxae in profile when measured from, propodeal spiracle. Propodeal lobes of moderate size, triangular, stout. Petiole robustly built; anterior face strongly sloped and weakly concave; dorsal face more gently sloping and weakly convex; the rounded apex occurring at the anterior angle of node. Postpetiole with anterior and dorsal faces both evenly convex, apex occurring at midline. Mandibles smooth and shining with sparse, setigerous foveolae. Middorsum of head smooth and shining with scattered setigerous foveolae; several carinae mesad of frontal carinae; terminating just after posterior level of eyes. Frontal lobes with two pair of strong carinae in addition to the frontal carinae. In oblique lateral view, widely separated and weakly produced arcuate carinae above and below eye, mostly smooth and shining behind and in front of eyes. Promesonotum smooth and shining with scattered piligerous foveolae. Sides of mesonotum, metapleuron and propodeum overlain by coarse, widely spaced and occasionally intersecting rugae. In dorsal view, propodeum smooth and shining, without a transverse carina posterior to the metanotal groove; declivitous face smooth and shining. Petiole with smooth and shining anterior face, banded by coarse transverse rugae that cross the ventral face. Postpetiole coarsely rugoreticulate. Gaster smooth and shining. All shining surfaces laced with a delicate network of light etchings. All dorsal surfaces with an abundance of suberect to erect acuminate yellowish hairs, the longest of which equal or exceed the longest diameter of the eye. Head and mesosoma reddish brown, gaster and appendages lighter.

Type Material. Syntype, worker, Tamavua, Fiji (W.M. Mann) (NMNH) (examined).

Other Material Examined. FIJI: Viti Levu: Nakobalevu, 1.5 km NE Colo-i-Suva Village, 18°03'03"S 178°25'25"E, 340 m, 28.vii.2003, sifted litter (A. Rakabula); Tholo-I- Suva [= Colo-i-Suva], xii.1950 (N.L.H. Krauss); 4 km NE Monasavu Dam, 17°44'05"S 178°04'46"E, 600 m, 13.vii.2005, canopy fogging (Hilda Waqa); Waivudawa, 6 km NW Lami Town, 18°03'48"S 178°25'57"E, 300 m, 24.v.2002, sifted litter (M. Tokota'a).

Discussion. One of the larger species of Lordomyrma in Fiji, L. stoneri has an attractive and shining reddish brown integument and strong, upturned spines. The species lacks a carinate anterior margin on the dorsal face of its propodeum and all examined specimens possess a robustly produced promesonotum that bulges above the level of its head and propodeum. Of the other three Fijian species that possess these characters, L. stoneri can be distinguished from L. tortuosa by its weaker face sculpture, and from L. desupra and L. vuda by its strongly upturned propodeal spines. The only other species that has strongly upturned spines is L. curvata , which is almost half the size of L. stoneri , has a strongly carinate anterior margin of the dorsal face of its propodeum, and has a strong rugoreticulum on the posterolateral corners of its head.

Distribution and Biology. Lordomyrma stoneri appears to be constricted to a narrow range of mountains in southeastern Viti Levu, close to Suva. Little is known about the biology of this species, but it has been collected by litter sifting.