Ponera testacea Emery, 1895

From Csősz & Seifert (2003) [1]

Worker  –  Average body length 2.5–3.0 mm. Colour light ochraceous yellow to brownish yellow. Whole body covered with thick decumbent hairs. Mandibles triangular, with 3 apical teeth at the tip of the masticatory border, followed by a regular series of 9–14 minute denticles. Clypeus produced anteriorly, with a rather distinctly raised longitudinal carina. Eyes very small, or invisible, with 0–3 minute facetes. Scape with subdecumbent and suberect hairs. Tibiae frequently with short, decumbent hairs only. Alitrunk relatively lower than in coarctata. Furrow between the mesonotum and anepisternum often missing, or hardly visible. Petiole low and stubby in profile with the anterior and posterior surface running almost parallele. Dorsal surface of petiole large and flat viewed from above, forming more approaching to a half circle than in coarctata. The subpetiolar tooth-like process of petiole forms a well-visible caudoventral triangular projection. Subpetiolar fenestra slightly larger than in coarctata. First gaster tergite with very dense hairs. Average distance of the fine cuticular foveolae on first gaster tergite 16.4 (14.7–18.7) µm. 

Gyne  –  Similar to the worker. Average body length 3.0 mm. Colour light ochraceous yellow to brownish yellow. Whole body with thick decumbent hairs. The frontal furrow clearly reaches the anteriormost ocellus. Scape with subdecumbent and suberect hairs. Tibiae with exuberant short, decumbent hairs only. Alitrunk relatively lower than in coarctata. Metanotal furrow between the katepisternum and anepisternum not so deep, hardly visible, or sometimes missing. Petiole low and stubby in profile, the anterior and posterior surface running almost parallel in profile. The subpetiolar tooth-like process of petiole often forms a well-visible triangular caudoventral projection. First gaster tergite with very dense hairs, similar to the worker.

Male –  Average body length smaller than 3.00 mm. Colour always black. Whole body with thick decumbent hairs. Head with sparse shorter hairs. Eyes with long hairs among the facetes. Alitrunk less robust inprofile view thanin coarctata.

References