Hypoponera mixta Bolton & Fisher, 2011

Bolton, B. & Fisher, B. L., 2011, Taxonomy of Afrotropical and West Palaearctic ants of the ponerine genus Hypoponera Santschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 2843, pp. 1-118 : 72-73

Hypoponera mixta Bolton & Fisher sp. n.

(Figs 76 – 78)

WORKER (holotype in parentheses). Measurements: HL 0.68 – 0.74 (0.70), HW 0.56 – 0.60 (0.58), HS 0.620 – 0.665 (0.640), SL 0.50 – 0.54 (0.51), PrW 0.45 – 0.48 (0.47), WL 0.94 – 1.00 (0.96), HFL 0.52 – 0.54 (0.52), PeNL 0.20 – 0.22 (0.20), PeH 0.43 – 0.46 (0.45), PeNW 0.31 – 0.34 (0.32), PeS 0.313 – 0.333 (0.323) (12 measured). Indices: CI 78 – 83 (83), SI 87 – 93 (88), PeNI 68 – 72 (68), LPeI 43 – 49 (44), DPeI 145 – 170 (160).

Eyes absent. Apex of scape, when laid straight back from its insertion, fractionally fails to reach or just touches the midpoint of the posterior margin in full-face view; SL/HL 0.71 – 0.75. Cephalic dorsum finely reticulate-punctate. Pronotal dorsum almost smooth, obviously much less strongly and densely sculptured than cephalic dorsum. Metanotal groove absent from dorsum of mesosoma, though there may be a slight change of slope between mesonotum and propodeum. Mesonotal-mesopleural suture vestigial or absent from side of mesosoma. Propodeum weakly marginate between declivity and side. Posterior surface of petiole node with a series of very short cuticular ridges that radiate upward from the peduncle. Node of petiole in profile with the anterior and posterior faces weakly convergent dorsally, the dorsum shallowly convex. Petiole node in dorsal view with posterior face transverse and anterior face broadly convex, not thickly D-shaped. Subpetiolar process rounded or with a blunt ventral angle. Maximum width of first gastral tergite in dorsal view slightly greater than width of second gastral tergite at its midlength. Cross-ribs at base of cinctus of second gastral tergite short but conspicuous. Midline length of second gastral posttergite, from posterior margin of cinctus to apex, is slightly less than the width of the segment at its midlength. Disc of second gastral tergite with sharply incised small punctures that are relatively closely packed and separated by areas of glossy cuticle; the diameters of the punctures are equal to or slightly greater than the distances that separate the punctures. First gastral tergite in profile densely pubescent dorsally and with very few short setae that project above the level of the pubescence; the setae inconspicuous and not strongly differentiated from the pubescence.

Holotype worker (top specimen of three on pin), Kenya: Nyandarua, 10 km. SE Njabini, nr For. Sta., 2550 m., 9.xi.1977 (V. Mahnert & J.-L. Perret) (MHNG).

Paratypes. 8 workers with same data as holotype; 12 workers Kenya: Embu, Irangi For. Sta., 2000 m., 11.x.1977 (V. Mahnert & J.-L. Perret) (MHNG, BMNH, CASC).

H. mixta is very closely related to jeanneli but is larger (compare measurements) and has the first gastral tergite broader in relation to the second. See the notes under jeanneli and surda .

Non-paratypic material examined. Kenya: Nakuru, Lake Naivasha (V. Mahnert).