The ant genus Stenamma Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) redefined, with a description of a new genus Propodilobus
Author
Branstetter, Michael G.
text
Zootaxa
2009
2221
41
57
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.190065
ff6281cd-edec-483a-b003-f83d2c35fd82
1175-5326
190065
AFB7BDC6-2973-482F-BEB5-4878BCBFA4B3
Propodilobus
gen. n.
(
Figures 41–44
)
Type
species:
Stenamma pingorum
DuBois
(replacement name for
Stenamma orientale
, junior homonym).
Gender:
Masculine
Etymology:
The name is descriptive of the prominent propodeal lobes found on the
type
specimen. It is a combination of propodeum, which is the first abdominal segment in apocritan
Hymenoptera
, and
lobus
, L., meaning lobe.
Diagnosis of worker.
With characters of the Myrmicinae as described by
Bolton (2003)
, and the following more specific features:
1. Mandibles elongate triangular with 6 teeth which decrease in size irregularly from apex to base; teeth on basal half reduced and poorly defined.
2. Palp formula 3,2.
3. Apex of anterior clypeal margin smoothly convex.
4. Anterior clypeal margin lacking a strong isolated median seta.
5. Median portion of clypeus lacking longitudinal carinae.
6. Posteromedial margin of clypeus narrowed and prolonged backward between frontal lobes.
7. Frontal lobes small and closely approximated, not entirely covering antennal insertions.
8. Antennal scrobes and frontal carinae absent.
9. Antenna 12 segmented and terminating in a distinct 3-segmented club (ACI 74-75).
10. Promesonotum convex and prominent in profile.
11. Metanotal groove present.
12. Propodeum armed with a pair of well-developed spines.
13. Propodeal lobes present and elongate, bluntly triangular in shape and directed posterodorsally; space between lobes and propodeal spines distinctly U-shaped.
14. Middle and hind tibiae lacking spurs.
15. Pretarsal claws small, simple.
16. Petiole with a long, anterior peduncle; anteroventral process lacking.
17. Postpetiole broader than long.
Discussion.
Propodilobus
can be distinguished from
Stenamma
by the reduced palp formula (3,2 versus 4,3), smoothly convex anterior clypeal margin, distinct 3-segmented antennal club (ACI 74-75 versus 60-70), and elongate propodeal lobes. In addition, the postpetiole is broader than long and the scape and funiculus of
Propodilobus
have a more robust appearance than in
Stenamma
.
Propodilobus
may be confused with
Lordomyrma
since
Lordomyrma
is morphologically diverse and currently lacks an adequate diagnosis. It is possible that when a more comprehensive morphological review of
Lordomyrma
is undertaken or the phylogenetic position of
Propodilobus
is tested with molecular data,
Propodilobus
will be synonymized under
Lordomyrma
or a related genus. Despite this, from the diagnoses listed in
Sarnat (2006)
and
Taylor (2009)
,
Propodilobus
can be distinguished from
Lordomyrma
by its lack of longitudinal carinae on the clypeus, lack of scrobes and frontal carinae, the presence of an elongate petiolar peduncle, and the presence of elongate propodeal lobes.
Describing a new genus from a few specimens of one species should generally be avoided. However, no currently described genera have the above combination of characters and in an effort to create a monophyletic
Stenamma
, I believe that this action is defensible. In addition, by erecting a new genus, there might be greater interest in discovering new material for future systematics studies.
Distribution.
As
reported in
DuBois (1998)
,
P. pingorum
is known only from two localities on the island of Borneo in
Sarawak
,
Malaysia
. These are the
type
locality (listed below) and Fourth Division, Gunong Mulu National Park (
Feb 1978
, N.M. Collins, BMNH).