Dilobocondyla Santschi

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 : 15

Dilobocondyla Santschi , 1910

Taxonomy. The genus Dilobocondyla is assigned to the tribe Formicoxenini (Bolton 1994, 2003). A key to the described species was given by Wheeler (1924). Workers of Vietnamese species have the following features.

Worker monomorphic; head in full-face view subrectangular; preoccipital carina distinct laterally; posterolateral corner of head with a small acute angle or denticle exterior to preoccipital carina; frontal carina distinct; antennal scrobe shallow but distinct; median portion of clypeus broadly inserted between frontal lobes; anterior clypeal margin weakly convex and with a weak emargination at midpoint; median clypeal seta, if present, indistinct; mandible triangular, with 6 teeth on masticatory margin; antenna 12-segmented, with conspicuous 3-segmented club; eye relatively large; promesonotum in lateral view hardly or weakly raised; promesonotal suture absent dorsally; metanotal groove weakly impressed dorsally; propodeum in lateral view weakly swollen posterodorsad, unarmed; propodeal lobe well developed; femora strongly and abruptly incrassate in distal two thirds; petiole elongate, cylindrical, slightly arcuate in lateral view; subpetiolar process distinct, tooth-like, located anteroventrally near articulation with mesosoma; postpetiole in lateral view with acute anteroventral angle; gaster short, oval in dorsal view.

The worker of Dilobocondyla is easily distinguished from that of other myrmicine genera known from Vietnam by posterolateral corner of head with a small acute angle or denticle exterior to preoccipital carina, propodeum unarmed, femora strongly and abruptly incrassate, and petiole elongate and sylindrical.

Vietnamese species. One species has been described from Vietnam: fouqueti Santschi (type locality: Ha Noi). Two additional species have been recognized by us from Vietnam: sp. eg-1 (Da Lat); sp. eg-2 (Tay Ye n Tu).

Bionomics. We have rarely encountered foraging workers of Dilobocondyla on leaves in undergrowth of natural and man-made forests.