Meranoplus: Patchy 8 — Life in a Southern Forest

Shield extends well beyond sides of thorax and also extends as a shelf above the propodeum. There are sclerotised projections (yellow arrows) with thinner, translucent patches (stars) between them. The propodeum bears a pair of long spines which are just visible dorsally (dotted green arrows).

The extent of the overhanging, partly translucent edges of the promesonotal shield (yellow arrows) are most evident when viewed laterally.
(dotted green arrow = propodeal spine)

"Translucent fenestrae or flanges generally pesent on sides of promesonotal shield; fenestrae and/or flanges always present on posterior margin of promesonotal shield (e.g. Figure 568)" (Hederick 2009 p. 151).

Frontal carina (arrows) extends to vertex, even beyond the antennal scrobe (star).
The eye is positioned toward rear of the head.

"Frontal carinae long, extending to or near to vertex of head; ehes placed well behind mid-line" (Andersen 2006 p. 159)

Petiole cuboidal in profile (not triangular) and without anteroventral tooth.
Posterior face of postpetiole concave (not convex).

see Andersen 2006 p 159 key steps 2 & 6

Posterior face of petiole sculptured throughout and dull (not smooth & shiny).

see Andersen 2006 p 159 key steps 2 & 6

Head width about 1.2mm

"HW ≤ 1.2mm; in dorsal view ... head not extending beyond humeral angles" (Heterick 2009, p. 151)

Overall length about 3.5mm

Clypeus not projecting beyond apices of frontal (antennal) lobes. It is concave and has an incurved margin.

"Clypeus not projecting beyond apices of frontal lobes, with the dorsal face rounding into a transversely concave, laterally rounded anterior face that at most feebly projects beyond anterior clypeal margin" Andersen 2006 p 159 key step 6

Frontal (antennal) lobes broad (stars), largely hiding the eyes.

"In full-face view, clypeus strongly incurved, weakly tapered anteriad, emarginate in appearance and extended only slightly beyond apces of the antennal lobes; antennal lobes broad, often hiding most of the eye" (Heterick 2009 p. 151)

extract from Andersen 2006 (p. 163)

Promesonotal conspicuously sculptured, not with a 'generally smooth appearance'.

Posterior margin of shield with "uniformly extensive translucent flanging". Without "prominent pair of medial projections" (see Anderson 2006 p. 163

Petiole cuboidal, with a vertical anterior face and a relatively long dorsal face.

extract from Andersen 2006 (p. 160)

holotype