Strumigenys anderseni group

Strumigenys anderseni group Bolton (2000)

Species

Austral

Worker Diagnosis

Mandibles in full-face view and at full closure stoutly triangular; masticatory margins engage throughout their lengths or at most a small diastema present between basal tooth and basal lamella. In ventral view outer margin of mandible without, or with a slight, inflected prebasal angle. MI 18-22.

Dentition . Mandible with 6 slightly recurved strong conical teeth only, without denticles; total dental count 6.

Basal lamella of mandible massively elongate-rectangular, longer than high, largely visible in front of clypeus in full-face view even when the mandibles are fully closed.

Labrum broadly bilobate apically, the flat lobes separated by a V-shaped anteromedian impression.

Clypeus with anterior margin broad, transverse to shallowly convex. Outer margins of fully closed mandibles intersecting anterior clypeal margin at anterolateral angles.

Clypeal dorsum with small appressed spatulate hairs present.

Preocular carina visible in full-face view.

Ventrolateral margin of head bluntly marginate in front of eye. Postbuccal impression conspicuous.

Cuticle of side of head within the scrobe mostly or entirely smooth, not uniformly reticulate-punctate.

Eyes relatively large and visible in full-face view, their outer convexities projecting beyond the outline of the upper scrobe margins.

Scape short and stout, SI 59-64, slightly dorsoventrally flattened and with a sharp leading edge that is evenly shallowly convex.

Leading edge of scape hairless or with minute subappressed to appressed hairs that are all directed toward the apex of the scape.

Propodeal declivity with a spongiform lamella on each side that is free dorsally, not incorporating teeth or spines.

Spongiform appendages of petiole and postpetiole well developed. Base of first gastral sternite with a distinct pad or crest of spongiform tissue.

Pilosity. Pronotal humeral hair absent or present; flagellate hairs absent from head and body.

Sculpture. Dorsum of head behind clypeus shagreenate to reticulate-punctate. Pleurae, side of propodeum and disc of postpetiole smooth and shining.

Notes

The three known species of this group are minute (HW 0.34-0.36) and are apparently confined to the Northern Territory of Australia. The single known member of the xenomastax group, from New Guinea, is apparently directly derived from this group.

References

Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028.