Hypoponera singaporensis (Viehmeyer, 1916) stat. n.

Ponera confinis var. singaporensis Viehmeyer, 1916: 115 (w.q.)

Combination in Hypoponera: Bolton, 1995: 216.

Subspecies of Hypoponera confinis: Chapman & Capco, 1951: 69; Bolton, 1995: 216.

Material examined. Labrador beach, 29 Apr 1985, D.H. Murphy leg., DHM-SG85- Hypo 1, ZRC _ ENT00027995 .

Material not physically examined. Types – FOCOL0356-357 (DEIC); queen and workers, FOCOL0985-988 (ZMHB) .

Literature. Type – Viehmeyer (1916). Overbeck (1924) [both as Ponera confinis singaporensis].

Localities. Bukit Timah Road [type]; Labrador beach.

Habitat/Ecology. Type specimens of this species were found in a garden, specifically in the wet pulp of a large fungus on a termite-infested tree, also in the rotten wood of a decaying branch. Individuals were also collected from a considerably rocky beach, in close proximity to coastal beach forest.

Remarks. Type locality in Singapore. Originally described as a subspecies of H. confinis, workers of H. singaporensis can be differentiated from those of the former by points (1) – (3) mentioned in Remarks under H. javana . In addition, H. singaporensis workers are darker in colour and visibly more shiny than those of H. confinis . The propodeal junction in H. singaporensis workers is also less sharply angular and more ill-defined than that of H. confinis, because of a slightly bulging sclerite.

Hypoponera singaporensis can be distinguished from H. javana based on the following ( H. javana traits in parentheses): 1) in workers, propodeum distinctly longer than wide, propodeal dorsum as long as or slightly longer than declivitous slope in profile (propodeal dorsum relatively shorter, not much longer than wide, propodeal dorsum shorter than declivitous slope), 2) in queens, propodeal junction mirrors that of workers, rounded and ill-defined (propodeal junction distinctly angulate and well-defined).