Strumigenys ortholex

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the signeae complex in the Strumigenys godeffroyi-group. This species shares a marked reduction of standing pilosity and lack of a specialized humeral hair with Strumigenys forficata, Strumigenys degonya and Strumigenys esrossi; see under forficata.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea.

Nomenclature

 *  ortholex. Strumigenys ortholex Bolton, 2000: 825 (w.) NEW GUINEA.

Worker
Holotype. TL 2.2, HL 0.60, HW 0.41, CI 68, ML 0.28, MI 47, SL 0.38, SI 93, PW 0.24, AL 0.57. Characters of signeae-complex. Preapical tooth not adjacent to apicodorsal tooth, space between their bases about equal to length of preapical tooth. Apicoscrobal hair absent; dorsolateral margin of head in full-face view with a row of small, closely applied spatulate hairs, without freely laterally projecting hairs anywhere. Ventrolateral margin of head not concave in front of eye. Cephalic dorsum with strongly curved subreclinate spatulate ground-pilosity but without erect hairs, even the usual erect row near the occipital margin absent. Dorsal alitrunk with sparse, near-appressed ground pilosity, without standing hairs anywhere, without pronotal humeral hair. Dorsal surface of petiole without standing hairs but disc of postpetiole and first gastral tergite with sparse erect flagellate hairs: postpetiole disc with one pair, first gastral tergite with two pairs, one near base the other near apex. Second tergite with flagellate hairs. Entire dorsum and side of alitrunk finely densely reticulate-punctate. Propodeal lamella narrow, its posterior (free) margin concave and paralleling the shape of the edge of the declivity. With petiole in profile the lateral spongiform lobe is restricted to the extreme posterior margin of the node; in the same view anterior face of node subequal to length of dorsum. Petiole node in dorsal view slightly broader than long. Disc of postpetiole finely longitudinally costulate. Basigastral costulae sharply developed, longer than disc of postpetiole; spaces between costulae shining, not shagreenate.

Paratypes. TL 2.1-2.2, HL 0.60-0.63, HW 0.41-0.43, CI 68-71, ML 0.28-0.29, MI 46-48, SL 0.37-0.38, SI 87-93, PW 0.24-0.26, AL 0.57-0.61 (4 measured).

Type Material
Holotype worker, Papua New Guinea: N. Dist., Popondetta, 6.ix.1972, P. M Room coll. sp. 422 (P. M. Room).

Paratypes. 4 workers with same data as holotype (ANIC, ).