Gauromyrmex Menozzi

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 : 15-16

Gauromyrmex Menozzi , 1933

Taxonomy. Gauromyrmex was treated as a junior synonym of Vollenhovia by Brown (1973b) and subsequent authors, but was reinstated as a distinct genus and assigned to the Nesomyrmex genus group of the Formicoxenini by Bolton (2003). The following description is based on Bolton 2003 with minor modification.

Worker variable in size or weakly polymorphic; head in full-face view subrectangular with round posterior corner, in lateral view flattened dorsoventrally; frontal carina and antennal scrobe absent; median portion of clypeus extends anteriorly as a short truncated lobe that overlaps and is closely applied to mandiblar dorsum, anterior margin of lobe shallowly evenly concave, angulate anterolaterally; posteromedian portion of clypeus relatively broadly inserted between frontal lobes; mandible short, with 6 teeth; antenna 11-segmented, with 3-segmented club; eye medium sized; promesonotum very weakly convex dorsally, a little higher than anterior border of propodeum; promesonotal suture absent dorsally; metanotal groove impressed dorsally; propodeal spine triangular; propodeal spiracle positioned high on side, at about midlength of sclerite; middle and hind femora incrassate; petiole in lateral view without distinct anterior peduncle, but with triangular node with dorsolateral corners forming acute angles or denticles, ventral face of petiole with a large process; gastral shoulder present.

Vietnamese species. A single Vietnamese species, acanthina , was described by Karavaiev (1935) as the nominotypical species of "Solenomyrmex" [junior synonym of Gauromyrmex : Brown 1953]. The type localities are: Bana, 1400 m alt. [Mt. Ba Na, Da Nang Province] and Col de Nuage, 600-700 m alt. [Hai Van Pass, Hue Province].

Bionomics. All known species of Gauromyrmex are arboreal (Bolton 2003). Brühl (2003) reported that an undetermined Bornean species used resin to build nests on tree trunks at a height of about 15 to 18 m from the ground. The nests had a grayish, hard surface and were smoothly attached to the bark of the trees. A few tiny holes about one millimetre wide led inside the nest. Within the nest were many hollows and recognizable tunnels. There were between two and four nests of varying sizes on a tree trunk, suggesting a possible polydomous colony structure.