Ponera kohmoku Terayama, 1996

Leong, Chi-Man, Guénard, Benoit, Shiao, Shiuh-Feng & Lin, Chung-Chi, 2019, Taxonomic revision of the genus Ponera Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Taiwan and Japan, with a key to East Asian species, Zootaxa 4594 (1), pp. 1-86 : 36-39

Ponera kohmoku Terayama, 1996

( Fig. 41 : worker; Fig. 42 : dealate queen)

Ponera kohmoku Terayama, 1996: 9 (w. q.). Type locality: Japan, Kagoshima Pref., Yaku-shima, Kurio .

Ponera scabra: Santschi, 1937: 364 (misidentification).

Type material examined: JAPAN. Paratypes, 6 workers and 1 dealate queen, Kurio, Yaku-shima , Kagoshima Pref., 23 III 1981, M Terayama leg (MTC: LCM_MT-Ponera-13, LCM_MT-Ponera-14, LCM_MT-Ponera-15). 1 worker, Sata-Misaki , Kagoshima Pref., 10 III 1981, M Terayama leg ( LCM _MT-Ponera-16) .

Diagnosis (worker). Ponera kohmoku can be easily distinguished by the large eye, consisting of about 20 indistinct facets.

Measurements (mm) and indices. Workers (n=6): HL 0.83–0.89; HW 0.70–0.77; SL 0.61–0.68; A06L 0.05; A07L 0.05; A08L 0.08; A09L 0.10; A10L 0.11; PrW 0.57–0.65; WL 1.06–1.29; PeH 0.62–0.65; PeNL 0.34–0.37; PeW 0.44–0.51; ATL 0.63–0.71; ATW 0.76–0.80; CI 80–87, SI 82–91, PeI 73–82, LPeI 54–58, DPeI 124–143, ATI 81–89.

Queen (n=1): HL 0.94; HW 0.81; SL 0.71; A06L 0.06; A07L 0.06; A08L 0.09; A09L 0.11; A10L 0.11; PrW 0.75; WL 1.52; PeH 0.74; PeNL 0.37; PeW 0.55; ATL 0.80; ATW 0.90; CI 86, SI 88, PeI 74, LPeI 50, DPeI 150, ATI 88.

Description of worker. Head. In full-face view, head subrectangular and distinctly longer than broad (CI: 80–87), with straight posterior margin, moderately convex lateral margins, and bluntly rounded posterolateral corners ( Fig. 41C ). Eye large; composed of a total of 18–22 indistinct facets. Anterior clypeal margin with strong and blunt medial tooth. Masticatory margin of mandible with a series of about ten indistinct denticles, and three large teeth on the apical part. Antennal scape, when laid backward, exactly reaching the posterolateral corner; average ratio of the length of antennomeres = 1.16: 1.68: 1.98: 2.24 (n=6).

Mesosoma. Mesosomal dorsum in lateral view slightly convex ( Fig. 41A ). Pronotum in dorsal view with broadly convex anterior margin, and moderately convex lateral margins ( Fig. 41B ). Metanotal groove deeply and broadly incised. Lateral mesopleural suture clearly incised. Propodeal dorsum in dorsal view narrow, with straight lateral margins. Propodeal corner in lateral view angular; propodeal dorsum and declivity forming approximatively a 130 degree angle.

Metasoma. Petiolar node in dorsal view subcircular and thick, with well convex anterior margin, and moderately convex posterior margin ( Fig. 41B ). Petiolar node in dorsal view well thick and subtrapezoid, with straight anterior and posterior margins, and slightly convex dorsal margin ( Fig. 41A ). Subpetiolar process thick with medium-sized and oval fenestra, anteroventral corner blunt, straight ventral margin, and posteroventral corner concave with a pair of medium-sized teeth. Third abdominal tergum broader than long (ATI: 81–89) and narrow anteriad, with broadly convex anterior margin, and well convex lateral margins.

Sculpture. Head densely punctate. Mandible sparsely punctate. Mesosomal dorsum in dorsal view evenly punctate. Mesopleuron, metapleuron and propodeum evenly striate. Propodeal declivity smooth and shining. Lateral face of petiole evenly punctate, posterior face smooth, dorsum rough and evenly punctate. The third and fourth abdominal segments densely punctate, other segments smooth and shining with few punctures.

Pubescence. Head, antennae, mesosoma, petiole, and gaster with evenly distributed short hairs. Mesopleuron, metapleuron, propodeum and lateral face of petiole with scattered short hairs. Dorsal and ventral faces of head, anterior margin of clypeus, sides of mandibles, dorsum of petiolar node and gaster with many long erect hairs. Subpetiolar process with a few long erect hairs.

Color. Body color dark. Mandible, clypeus, antennae, legs, and apex of gaster orange.

Description of queen. Head. ( Fig. 42C ) Similar to worker caste, but with large and oval Eye, maximum diameter of each eye about 0.21 mm with 15 ommatidia along the maximum diameter. Three ocelli present, and forming a subequilateral triangle. In full-face view, scape similar to worker; average ratio of the length of antennomeres = 1.07: 1.53: 1.80: 1.85 (n=1).

Mesosoma. Mesosomal dorsum in lateral view broadly convex ( Fig. 42A ). Pronotum in dorsal view with convex anterior margin, and broadly convex lateral margins ( Fig. 42B ). Scutum suboval and narrow posteriad, with moderately convex anterior margin, and slightly convex posterior margin. Transcutal suture distinct and broad. Scutellum suboval. Anapleural sulcus clearly incised. Propodeal-metapleural suture weakly incised. Propodeal dorsum in dorsal view broad, with straight lateral margins. Propodeal corner rounded; propodeal dorsum and declivity forming approximatively a 120 degree angle.

Metasoma. Petiolar node in dorsal view thick and arched, broader than long, with broadly convex anterior margin, and slightly convex posterior margin ( Fig. 42B ). Petiolar node in lateral view subrectangular and moderately thick, with straight anterior and posterior margins ( Fig. 42A ). Subpetiolar process with large and oval fenestra, anteroventral corner blunt, ventral margin straight, and posteroventral corner concave with a pair of small teeth. The third abdominal segment similar to worker caste (ATI: 88).

Sculpture. Similar to worker caste.

Pubescence. Similar to worker caste.

Color. Similar to worker caste.

Description of male. Unknown.

Distribution. Japan (Kagoshima Pref.).

Remark. A specimen collected from KiuShiu, Shiroyama, Japan, is mistakenly labeled as a type of Ponera scabra at NHMB (AntWeb images, specimen CASENT0915299). Ponera scabra was described from Mt. Maya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Santschi (1937: 364) identified the KiuShiu specimen as a gynecoid worker of P. scabra . However, this specimen can be easily identified as P. kohmoku Terayama, 1996 by the combination of the following characters: large compound eye (ca. 30 facets), distinct metanotal groove and subcircular petiolar node in dorsal view; in contrast to P. scabra , which has small compound eye (ca. 5 facets), an indistinct metanotal groove and an arched petiolar node in dorsal view. Thus, there are no records of gynecoid workers in Ponera after the exclusion of Santschi’s record.

Figures

FIGURE 41. P. kohmoku paratype worker (LCM_MT-Ponera-13b), A: body, lateral view, B: body, dorsal view, C: head, fullface view, D: specimen label.

FIGURE 42. P. kohmoku paratype dealate queen (LCM_MT-Ponera-14c), A: body, lateral view, B: body, dorsal view, C: head, full-face view, D: specimen label.