Simopone grandidieri

Bolton, Barry & Fisher, Brian L., 2012, Taxonomy of the cerapachyine ant genera Simopone Forel, Vicinopone gen. n. and Tanipone gen. n. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) 3283, Zootaxa 3283 (1), pp. 1-101 : 14

Characters of grandidieri species group (workers)

1 Palp formula 5,3 ( elegans , grandidieri ).

2 With head in profile the parafrontal ridge almost reaches the anterior margin of the eye (i.e. it is not confined to the area immediately behind the clypeus).

3 Outer margins of frontal carinae diverge from the line of the frontal lobes at their point of junction.

4 A distinct, impressed transverse sulcus is present on the mesopleuron that conspicuously divides the sclerite into an upper anepisternum and a lower katepisternum; this sulcus is continuous posteriorly with the sulcus that separates the mesopleuron from the metapleuron.

5 Propodeal spiracle is subcircular.

6 Propodeal dorsum and declivity are separated by an angle or blunt carina.

7 Anterior and dorsal surfaces of AII (petiole) are separated by a transverse carina.

8 Apex of pygidium is not hypertrophied and not isolated; dorsum of apex equipped with 4–6 small teeth.

9 Generally medium-sized species, worker HW 0.58–0.97.

Pilosity is sparse on dorsum except at apex of abdomen: sides of head between posterior clypeal margin and posterior corner lack setae; typically the dorsal mesosoma is without setae except for one at each pronotal humeral angle; tergite of abdominal segment IV at most with a basal pair and an apical pair only (reduced pilosity does not apply to bakeri , one of the extralimital species that belong to this group).