Strumigenys yaleopleura

Specimens have been collected from rainforest, most from litter samples. One is noted as collected from under a stone.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys yaleopleura-group. The mandibles and scapes of yaleopleura tend to average slightly longer (MI 33-35, SI 63-69) than in the other two Malesian species of the group (MI 30-33, SI 55-61), and the mandibles of yaleopleura are broader basally, less strongly bowed outwards and more strongly tapered from base to apex than in either Strumigenys dantalion or Strumigenys furfara. The distribution of flagellate hairs on the middle and hind legs of yaleopleura, with 2 on each tibia and 2 on each basitarsus, is unique in Malesian species of the group, but care should be taken with this character as these hairs are easily abraded. The lamella of the propodeal declivity is very narrow and insignificant in both dantalion and furfara, broad and distinct in yaleopleura. Apart from this dantalion has only a single flagellate hair on the dorsolateral margin of the head, the apicoscrobal, and its pronotum has flagellate hairs only at the humeri. Both furfara and dantalion lack flagellate hairs on the dorsal (outer) surfaces of the middle and hind tibiae. For differentiation of yaleopleura from the Australian endemic species of this group see under the Austral fauna.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia. Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea, Solomon Islands.

Nomenclature

 *  yaleopleura. Strumigenys yaleopleura Brown, 1988e: 41 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA. See also: Bolton, 2000: 914.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 1.7-1.9, HL 0.42-0.49, HW 0.32-0.38, CI 73-78, ML 0.14-0.18, MI 33-39, SL 0.21-0.24, SI 63-69, PW 0.20-0.22, AL 0.45-0.50 (27 measured).

Dorsolateral margin of head with a freely laterally projecting flagellate hair at level of eye and another in apicoscrobal position; a third is present posterior to this on dorsolateral margin of occipital lobe but this hair may be directed more vertically than laterally. Pronotal dorsum with a pair of flagellate hairs in addition to humeral pair. Pleurae and side of propodeum smooth. Basitarsus of hind leg with 2 long fine erect flagellate hairs on its dorsal (outer) surface and two similar hairs on dorsal (outer) surface of hind tibia; this pilosity also present on middle leg. Propodeal declivity with a distinct lamella, the lamella subtending two-thirds or more of length of tooth and its posterior (free) margin straight to extremely feebly concave. Disc of postpetiole smooth but some samples with a few very short longitudinal costulae immediately behind its anterior border.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker, AUSTRALIA: Queensland, Atherton Tableland, Malanda, 800 m., 5.xi.1950, in rotten root (W. L. Brown); paratype workers and queens, AUSTRALIA: Queensland, Kuranda, 350 m., 30.x.1950 (W. L. Brown); Qld, 10 miles from Atherton on Herberton Rd, 13.vi.1962, no. 1561 (R. W. Taylor); Iron Range, 14.vi.1971, ANIC 312 (Taylor & Feehan); Rocky River, NE of Coen, 1.vi.1958 (P. F. & P. J. Darlington) [examined].