Strumigenys bartolozzii

The types were collected from leaf litter in secondary forest.

Identification
Rigota (2006) - A member of the Strumigenys rogeri group. From its mandibular dentition and scape pilosity this new species might look close to Strumigenys londianensis; yet it is very different from the latter in its much smaller size, alitrunk pilosity (with a pair of hairs between the humeral pair and an additional pair close to the promesonotal suture), its distinctly toothed propodeum and lower MI. The mandibular dentition and pilosity combined make this ant different from any other Afrotropical Strumigenys.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Ethiopia.

Nomenclature

 *  bartolozzii. Strumigenys bartolozzii Rigato, 2006: 106, figs. 4  6 (w.) ETHIOPIA.

Worker
Holotype (worker). TL 2.4, HL 0.59, HW 0.43, CI 73, ML 0.28, MI 47, SL 0.35, SI 81, PW 0.30, AL 0.62

A species belonging in the rogeri-group (see Bolton, 2000).

Head relatively robust; mandibles slightly bowed outward. Left mandible with 1 long and spiniform preapical tooth; right mandible with 2 preapical teeth: the proximal one similar to that of the left mandible, the distal one much smaller. Apical fork of the right mandible with apicodorsal and apicoventral tooth close to one another; left mandible with one intercalary minute denticle. This denticle is shifted outward from the concavity between the apical teeth; so it is well visible looking at the fork in a slightly diagonal view. Apicodorsal tooth of both mandibles distinctly longer than the apicoventral one. In full face view anterior clypeal margin straight; occiput widely notched and with protruding occipital carina in the middle. Frontal carinae strongly sinuate. Postoral and preocular grooves deep and narrow. Scape slightly and gradually thickened from the basal fourth. Scrobe shallow; its dorsal and especially ventral edges poorly developed.

Alitrunk in profile humped: the pronotum and anterior mesonotum convex and overhanging the surface formed by the straight posterior mesonotum and the weakly convex propodeal dorsum. Propodeal spines strong; their ventral edges run downward as a lamella along each side of the propodeal declivity.

Petiole with a short peduncle; node a low dome. Petiolar spongiform appendage forming a collar around the posterior face of the node; a posterior spongiform process is present on the petiolar sternite. Postpetiole wider than long and about twice as wide as the petiole. Postpetiolar spongiform appendage large, especially laterally and below; a thin fringe runs along the tergal-sternal suture.

Gaster basally with an anteriorly protruding tergal spongiform crest fitting the postpetiolar one.

Sculpture. Head, alitrunk, petiole and postpetiole mostly matt, finely reticulate-punctate. Pronotum with superimposed rugulae: on the pronotal disc they are irregular, short and tend to converge anteriorly; laterally the rugulae are more regularly arranged and mostly parallel. Mandibles smooth; mesopleuron, metapleuron and side of the propodeum widely smooth in the middle. Postpetiole weakly sculptured above, somewhat shining and very superficially longitudinally striolate. Gaster smooth except the first tergite, which is longitudinally costulate about on its basal 1/4.

Pilosity. Anterior clypeal margin, head dorsum and leading edge of the scape bearing curved, narrowly spoon-shaped hairs. Those on the scape are arranged as follows: 2-3 proximal directed toward the apex of the scape; 3-2 around midlength directed toward the base, the remaining apicalmost hairs directed toward the apex. Hairs on the head dorsum are strongly bent forward and distinctly raised from the surface; the frons posteriorly bears a pair of widely separate, standing, slightly clavate hairs that shortly arise in profile above the surrounding spoon-shaped ones. Pronotum with a pair of long, flagellate humeral hairs plus a pair of long remiform hairs on the anterior margin; a pair of similar hairs on the margins of the descending mesonotum and a pair of slightly shorter hairs occur at the promesonotal suture. A sparse decumbent coarse pubescence occurs on the promesonotum. Petiolar node with two pairs of slightly clavate hairs, the posteriormost pair distinctly longer. Postpetiole with 3 pairs of clavate hairs: one pair anteromedial and short and 2 pairs close to the articulation with the gaster, the mid pair longer. Gastral tergites with regularly arranged, scattered, long, standing clavate hairs; sternites and gastral apex with several decumbent to subdecumbent simple hairs. Pubescence quite long and abundant on the appendages only and somewhat raised on the extensor surfaces of femurs and tibiae.

Colour testaceous.

Type Material
Ethiopia, Ilubador Region, Buno Bedele: nr. Bedele, (approx. 8°27’ N – 36°21’ E), 2000 m ca., 29/31.VII.2002 A. Sforzi & L. Bartolozzi legit, sifting leaf litter of secondary forest.

Etymology
This species is dedicated to Luca Bartolozzi, curator of MZUF and collector of this new ant.