Strumigenys mododonta

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the caniophanes complex in the Strumigenys caniophanes-group. Within the group only 6 species, Strumigenys lebratyx, Strumigenys lopotyle, Strumigenys macerina, mododonta, Strumigenys natynion and Strumigenys nothomopyx have the following four characters in combination.

1 Inner margin of mandible without a cuticular lamella.

2 Preapical tooth or denticle present on mandible.

3 Dorsal (outer) surfaces of middle and hind tibiae and basitarsi with freely projecting long hairs.

4 Katepisternum completely sculptured, without a smooth shining area.

Of the six lopotyle is immediately isolated by the massive bonnet-like development of spongiform tissue that completely covers the sides and dorsum of the petiole node. Of the remainder S. nothomopyx is the only species to lack suberect/erect fine hairs on the dorsum of the hind femur. Also in this species the mandible has only a minute preapical denticle rather than a distinct tooth; its head is broad (CI 82-83) and its scapes short (SI 63), but its mandibles remain relatively long (MI 48-49).

Of the remainder two species, lebratyx and macerina, are characterised by short mandibles, MI 36-38 (as opposed to MI 45-50 in mododonta and natynion). The scapes of lebratyx are much shorter (SI 65) than those of macerina (SI 83-87), and in the latter the long hairs that project from the dorsolateral margin of the head arise from strong triangular tubercles.

Of the final two species the scapes of mododonta are distinctly longer (SI 85) than in natynion (SI 71-77) and the cephalic dorsum of the former has erect hairs relatively widely distributed, arising from the level of the eye to the occipital margin; in natynion erect hairs are either restricted to the occipital margin or at most there may be a pair between the margin and the highest point of the vertex, but erect hairs never arise anterior to this.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines.

Nomenclature

 *  mododonta. Strumigenys mododonta Bolton, 2000: 761 (w.) BORNEO.

Worker
Holotype. TL 3.1, HL 0.82, HW 0.54, CI 66, ML 0.38, MI 46, SL 0.46, SI 85, PW 0.34, AL 0.84. Mandible with a preapical tooth. Dorsolateral margin of head in full-face view with 5-6 freely laterally projecting filiform hairs and also with a number of shorter hairs that are directed dorsally. Cephalic dorsum with erect fine hairs present from in front of level of eye to occipital margin. Ventral surface of head with a few shorter erect hairs. Dorsum of head finely and densely punctate-rugulose. Apical funicular segment moderately tapered basally. Promesonotal dorsum finely densely punctate-rugulose. Pleurae and side of propodeum everywhere densely punctate to reticulate-punctate. Pronotal humeral hair long, filiform and shallowly curved. Dorsal alitrunk with numerous erect simple hairs; 4-5 pairs on pronotum and 6 or more on mesonotum. Waist segments and first gastral tergite with numerous similar hairs. Dorsal and ventral surfaces of hind femur with suberectlerect hairs; dorsal (outer) surfaces of hind tibia and basitarsus each with long erect freely projecting hairs. Propodeal teeth long and slender, much longer than basal width in profile and approximately straight. Petiole in profile claviform, in dorsal view much longer than broad.

MISC The non-paratypic specimen (NMV) has dimensions HL 0.81, HW 0.52, CI 64, ML 0.31, MI 38, SL 0.44, SI 85. Its mandibles are shorter than the holotype. It also has a distinctly longitudinal costulate component to the sculpture of the postpetiole disc that is absent from the holotype and its basigastral costulae are somewhat longer. However, the overall similarity is so striking that I regard these features as geographical variation within a single species.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Malaysia: Sarawak, 4th Div., Gn. Mulu N. P., v-viii. 1978, BM 1978-49 (P.M. Hammond & J. E. Marshall).