Strumigenys dispalata

Identification
Bolton (2000) - The only Neotropical representative of the Strumigenys pulchella-group. Known from a single specimen, dispalata is most closely related to the North American Strumigenys metazytes, and will run to the metazytes-abdita couplet in the key to Nearctic species. Details of sculpture and pilosity easily separate the two.

S. dispalata: Pronotum and propodeum smooth dorsally. Basigastral costulae shorter than maximum length of postpetiole disc. Long hairs on first gastral tergite flagellate. Vertex with a pair of flagellate hairs.

S. metazytes: Pronotum and propodeum reticulate-punctate dorsally. Basigastral costulae longer than maximum length of postpetiole disc. Long hairs on first gastral tergite not flagellate. Vertex without flagellate hairs.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Nomenclature

 *  dispalata. Pyramica dispalata Bolton, 2000: 213 (w.) MEXICO. Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 118

Worker
Holotype. TL 2.2, HL 0.58, HW 0.40, CI 69, ML 0. 1 0, MI 17, SL 0.32, SI 80, PW 0.25, AL 0.58. Mandibles in full-face view and at full closure triangular, teeth engage through length of dentate margin but a distinct edentate basal gap is present between basal tooth and anterior clypeal margin that is longer than the basal tooth. Basal lamella of mandible triangular, broad-based and slightly taller than the basal tooth, partially visible in full-face view with the mandibles fully closed. Basal lamella separated from basal tooth by a marked diastema that is longer than the basal tooth. Principal dental row with 4 sharp teeth. Tooth 1 (basal) and 2 subequal in length but basal slightly inclined proximally and somewhat stouter than tooth 2. Tooth 2 longer than 3 and tooth 4 also longer than 3. Tooth 4 followed by two smaller teeth, 4 minute denticles and a small apical tooth, giving a total dental count of 11. Anterior clypeal margin transverse. Hairs on dorsum of clypeus short and curved, broadly spatulate to narrowly spoon-shaped; not as large as the anteriorly curved spatulate hairs that fringe the lateral clypeal margins. Flagellate hairs conspicuous, distributed as follows: one in apicoscrobal position; a dorsally projecting pair posteriorly on the vertex; one at pronotal humerus and a pair on the pronotal dorsum; a pair on the mesonotum; several on each waist segment and on first gastral tergite; 1-3 on each of the middle and hind tibiae and basitarsi. Eye with only 4 ommatidia in total. Spongiform lobes of petiole and postpetiole all large and strongly developed, but base of first gastral sternites with a tuft of hairs rather than a spongiform pad. Mesonotum weakly reticulate-punctate; dorsa of pronotum, propodeum and postpetiole smooth; pleurae and side of propodeum smooth.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Mexico: Veracruz, Cordoba Paraje Nueve, Nacimiento, 7.viii.1969, trop. everg. for., Ber 176 (S. & J. Peck).