Strumigenys basiliska

The type material was collected from a rainforest litter sample.

Identification
Bolton (2000) – A member of the Strumigenys biroi-group. Very easy to distinguish by its lack of a lamella on the propodeal declivity and extremely reduced sculpture and pilosity. Both Strumigenys biroi and Strumigenys pulchra have the head and dorsal alitrunk densely sculptured, have a broad spongiform lamella on the propodeal declivity and have erect flagellate hairs present on the hind basitarsi. In Strumigenys undras the alitrunk is smooth but the cephalic dorsum is densely reticulate-punctate with abundant very broadly spatulate ground pilosity.

It also has a broad propodeal lamella and the lateral spongiform lobe on the petiole is restricted to the posterior half of the node.

In fact, basiliska is so different from the other species of this group that I suspect it resembles them by convergent shortening and broadening of the mandibles and loss of cephalic and pronotal specialised hairs; its origin remains equivocal.

Sarnat and Economo (2012) - Strumigenys basiliska is a distinctive species that can be recognized by the highly polished dark reddish brown color, reduced pilosity, very short arcuate mandibles, and lack of propodeal lamellae. Although the overall appearance of this species is relatively uniform across the archipelago, the number of erect setae on the mesosoma varies among specimens. It is difficult to ascertain, however, how much of the observed variation reflects true taxonomic differences rather than the result of specimen damage. There are some relatively large series in which the number and placement of erect setae are consistent among all specimens. For example, all the specimens known from Gau have a pair of erect setae at the posterior margin of the promesonotum but lack a pair of erect setae on the humeri. The same condition is found on most of a nest collection from Mt. Tomanivi (Viti Levu). However, there are specimens from Vanua Levu and Koro with erect setae on both the posterior margin of the promesonotum and the humeri, and there are also specimens from many islands on which no erect hairs can be seen.

Distribution
Fiji. Sarnat and Economo (2012) - widespread throughout the inner islands of the archipelago, though no records from Taveuni or Kadavu are known.

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

Nomenclature

 *  basiliska. Strumigenys basiliska Bolton, 2000: 750 (w.) FIJI IS.

Worker
Holotype. TL 2.7, HL 0.68, HW 0.50, CI 74, ML 0.20, MI 29, SL 0.34, SI 68, PW 0.32, AL 0.74. Dorsolateral margin of head merely with minute simple ground pilosity, without spatulate hairs, without freely laterally projecting hairs anywhere on margin. Cephalic dorsum without standing hairs, with minute inconspicuous ground pilosity that is sparse and closely applied to the surface. Pronotal humeral hair absent; mesonotum with a single pair of stiff erect hairs. Ground-pilosity on pronotum as on head but slightly longer and very sparse. Dorsum of head unsculptured except for fine superficial reticular patterning; side of head within scrobe with weak reticulate-punctate sculpture, more strongly sculptured than cephalic dorsum; ventral surface of head with a few widely spaced foveolate punctures. Dorsum and sides of alitrunk entirely smooth and shining. Propodeum with a pair of triangular teeth that are subtended down the declivity only by very narrow carinae; without a lamella on declivity. Dorsal (outer) surfaces middle and hind tibiae and basitarsi without long erect hairs. Anterior coxae smooth and shining. Dorsum of petiole node and disc of postpetiole entirely smooth. With petiole in profile the anterior face of the node shorter than the long, shallowly convex dorsum; lateral spongiform lobe extends the length of the node at about its midheight. Standing hairs on first gastral tergite short, simple and sparse. Basigastral costulae superficial but long, extending over the basal third or so of the tergite and longer than the postpetiole disc.

Paratypes. TL 2.5-2.7, HL 0.64-0.68, HW 0.46-0.50, CI 72-74, ML 0.18-0.20, MI 28-30, SL 0.32-0.33, SI 67-70, PW 0.29-0.32, AL 0.68-0.74 (3 measured).

Type Material
Holotype worker, Fiji Is: Viti Levu, Nadarivatu Reserve, 11.vii.1987, QM Berlesate no. 775, 17.34'S, 177.57'E, 800 m., rainforest, sieved litter (G. Monteith).

Paratypes. 3 workers with same data as holotype (ANIC, ).