Meranoplus Smith

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 : 19

Meranoplus Smith , 1853

Taxonomy. The genus Meranoplus is assigned to the tribe Meranoplini by Emery (1914a). The Oriental species were revised by Schödl (1998). The worker of the single known Vietnamese species ( M. bicolor ) has the following features.

Worker monomorphic; head in full-face view subtrapezoidal, posteroventrally with an acute angle; frontal lobe and frontal carina well developed horizontally, reaching near posterolateral corner of head and overhanging sides of head in frontal view; antennal scrobe extremely deep, running above eye; median portion of clypeus anterolaterally with an angle or denticle; posteromedian portion of clypeus widely inserted between frontal lobes; mandible triangular, with 4 teeth; antenna 9-segmented, with 3-segmented club; eye large and strongly convex laterad, located behind midlength of sides of head in full-face view; mesosoma in lateral view short and high; promesonotum laterally margined with flange which in dorsal view overhangs sides of mesosoma; lateral margin indented at level of promesontal suture; anterolateral corner of promesonotal dorsum forming an acute, laterally projecting tooth; posterolateral corner of dorsum forming a long, posteriorly projecting spine; posterior margin of dorsum forming a translucent lamella between spines; ventral margin of promesonotum forming a lamella which partly covers base of forecoxa; promesonotal suture and metanotal groove absent dorsally; dorsum of propodeum sloping posteriad; propodeal spine well developed as a posterolaterally projecting horn; propodeal lobe poorly developed; petiole in lateral view triangular, without distinct anterior peduncle; subpetiolar process absent; postpetiole in lateral view much higher than long, extremely swollen dorsad; gaster in dorsal view elongate-cordiform. The worker of Meranoplus is easily separated from that of other Vietnamese myrmicine genera by the morphology of head and mesosoma.

Vietnamese species. One species has been recognized by us from Vietnam: bicolor ( Guérin-Méneville) [sp. eg-1] (Nui Chua, Tam Dao, Pu Mat).

Bionomics. Meranoplus bicolor inhabits bare lands, grasslands and sparse forests, and nests in soil. Workers forage on the ground.