Diagnosis
Lordomyrma sukuna can be distinguished from L. striatella by the lack of sculpturing on its face and pronotum. There is considerable variation within the material described here as L. sukuna. The most morphologically distinct specimens are the type series collected from Mt. Naqaranibuluti and a series collected from nearby Mt. Tomanivi, both of which possess a larger size and a less sculptured face than specimens from other localities. This observation is counter to the general pattern in which sculpture tends to increase with size for individuals within a population.
Additionally, the geographic distribution of the morphological differences is counter to what one might expect. Despite being taken from the same mountain range as the two aforementioned series, the specimens from the Navai Foresty Camp share greater morphological similarity with the singletons collected from the islands of Ovalau and Taveuni. Furthermore, the Navai and Ovalau specimens exhibit sparse, short transverse carinae behind their eyes and no carinae mesad of the frontal carinae, whereas the Taveuni specimen exhibits a strongly developed network of carinae behind their eyes and posterior in addition to the presence of carinae immediately mesad of the frontal carinae. To further confuse matters, the Ovalau and Taveuni specimens were taken at a relatively low elevation of 300m, whereas all of the Viti Levu series were taken from the tallest mountain range in the archipelago. Although no elevation is recorded for the Navai series, it is unlikely to be taken from below 700m, and the other two series were collected from 950m and 1050m.
Considering the variability in facial sculpture observed among the Navai, Ovalau and Taveuni specimens, the unreliability of size as a discriminating character and the failure of morphometric bivariate regressions assign clear separations, I have decided to treat all of the series as belonging to a single species. Further elucidation of the morphological variability and its peculiar geographic distribution will depend upon additional evidence, such as future collections and genetic analysis.
Measurement Table
| n = 19 | HL | ||||||||
| min | 3.48 | 0.78 | 0.65 | 0.81 | 0.78 | 0.20 | 0.76 | 1.02 | 0.81 |
| max | 4.14 | 0.91 | 0.75 | 0.85 | 0.87 | 0.25 | 1.02 | 1.13 | 0.95 |
Distribution & Biology
The Viti Levu specimens from the Navai region were taken from logs and under stones while the Ovalau and Taveuni specimens were collected from sifted litter, suggesting these ants are components of the ground fauna. The type series is from a colony collection of 30 workers that was made from a nest in soil beneath a stone, identifiable by excavated earth adjacent to the entrance.
Distribution Table
| x | - | x | - | - | x | - | - |
Type specimens
Holotype. Worker, Mt. Naqaranibuluti 1.3 km W Emperor Gold Mine Rest House, Naitasiri Prov., Viti Levu, Fiji, 17°34'10″S 177°58'20″E, 1050m, 24.vi.2005, nesting under stone (E. M. Sarnat #2143).
Paratypes. 15 workers, same data as holotype.
Citation of original description
Sarnat, E. M. (2006). Lordomyrma (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Fiji Islands. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 90: 9-42.
Synonyms
none
Classification
Vespoidea: Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Stenammini