Strumigenys orchibia

Occurs in cloud forest. The types was collected from an orchid.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys schulzi-group. Closely related to Strumigenys schulzi but orchibia is a larger species with much denser and more extensive basigastral costulae and fewer standing hairs on the mesonotum. It is also close to Strumigenys metrix but this species is darker in colour (dark brown with blackish brown gaster) and has the mesopleuron smooth and shining. Also, in metrix the transverse row of standing hairs behind the highest point of the vertex contains 6 hairs that are relatively very short, only slightly longer and more erect than the ground-pilosity. In orchibia the transverse row contains 4 hairs that are very obviously erect and much longer and more conspicuous than the small appressed hairs of the ground-pilosity.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Colombia, Venezuela.

Nomenclature

 *  orchibia. Smithistruma (Smithistruma) orchibia Brown, 1953g: 105, pl. 2, fig. 24 (w.m.) VENEZUELA. Combination in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1673; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 125. See also: Bolton, 2000: 224.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 2.2-2.4, HL 0.60-0.64, HW 0.44-0.47, ML 0.09-0.10, MI 15-17, SL 0.26-0.28, SI 59-61, PW 0.30-0.34, AL 0.60-0.68 (4 measured). Anterior clypeal margin transverse to very feebly concave. Dorsum of head with ground-pilosity of small spatulate hairs that are closely applied to the surface, but behind highest point of vertex there is a transverse row of 4 much longer erect simple hairs that are straight or only very weakly curved. Apicoscrobal hair curved anteriorly, feebly clavate. Scape strongly dorsoventrally flattened, short and broad, its broadest point proximal of its midlength. Eye large, with 5-6 ommatidia in the longest row. Pronotal humeral hair straight, flattened apically; a single pair of erect hairs present on mesonotum. All dorsal and lateral surfaces of alitrunk reticulate-punctate, as are the dorsal surfaces of the petiole and postpetiole. Petiole in profile with dorsal length of node greater than the height of the anterior face of the node; petiole without a ventral spongiform strip. Dorsum of first gastral tergite with numerous short erect stout hairs that are simple or very slightly expanded apically. Basigastral costulae very numerous, fine and extremely closely packed across the entire basal width of the segment to give a uniformly striolate appearence, the costulae extend over the basal half of the sclerite.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker, paratype workers and males, VENEZUELA: in U.S. Plant Quarantine at San Francisco from an orchid plant, Cattleya mossiae, shipped from Caracas, Venezuela, the exact locality of collection unknown. Label dated 7.iii.1946, with quarantine no. SF 20295 46-2402. [examined].