Strumigenys murshila

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys scotti-group. Mandibles shallowly bowed outwards. Eyes small, with only 5-6 ommatidia in total; maximum diameter of eye less than maximum width of scape. Preocular notch absent. Disc of postpetiole longitudinally costulate-rugulose. Hairs on first gastral tergite slightly thickened apically.

Bolton (1983) - Known only from the holotype murshila is nonetheless a very distinctive species characterized by its cephalic pilosity, small eyes and lack of a preocular notch, sculptured postpetiole and slender antennal scapes.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Rwanda.

Nomenclature

 *  murshila. Strumigenys murshila Bolton, 1983: 380, fig. 77 (w.) RWANDA. See also: Bolton, 2000: 609.

Worker
Holotype. TL 2.3, HL 0.58, HW 0.44, CI 76, ML 0.28, MI 48, SL 0.34, SI 77, PW 0.27, AL 0.58.

Mandibular blades slender and shallowly but distinctly bowed outwards in full-face view. Apical fork of each mandible with a pair of spiniform teeth, without intercalary teeth or denticles. Two pre apical teeth present on each blade, the proximal longest and the distal tooth on the left mandible slightly smaller than that on the right. Length of left distal preapical tooth about equal to the distance separating its base from that of the proximal pre apical tooth. Upper scrobe margins narrow anteriorly, the preocular laminae prominent, strongly divergent and evenly convex posteriorly but without a projecting bordering rim or flange. Eyes only partially visible in full-face view. Eyes very small, with only 5-6 ommatidia, their maximum diameter less than the maximum width of the scape. Preocular notch and ventral preocular transverse impression absent. Antennal scapes slender and more or less cylindrical, very weakly bent near the base where they are slightly narrowed. Leading edges of scapes equipped with a row of apically curved narrow spatulate hairs. Ground-pilosity of cephalic dorsum and hairs bordering the upper scrobe margins the same; hairs approximately the same length and thickness on all parts of the head, curved and narrowly spatulate, conspicuous. Upper scrobe margins without a row of much broader larger hairs which contrast with the ground-pilosity. Dorsum of head with 6 standing hairs, arranged in a transverse row of 4 close to the occipital margin, and a more anteriorly situated pair close to the highest point of the vertex. Dorsum of head sharply reticulate-punctate. Pronotal humeri each with a long fine flagellate hair. Mesonotum with a single pair of stout standing hairs. Sparse ground-pilosity of dorsal alitrunk of slender spatulate hairs which are shorter and narrower than those on the head. Metanotal groove a narrow transverse impression across the dorsum. In profile the anterior mesonotum slightly raised above the level of the posterior pronotum. Posterior portion of mesonotum depressed behind the level of the standing hairs, the metanotal groove impressed and the propodeum raised and convex behind the groove. Propodeal teeth narrowly triangular, the infradental lamellae narrow, confluent with only the basal third or so of the tooth. Sides of pronotum, extreme upper portions of the pleurae and propodeum punctate, the sides of the alitrunk otherwise smooth. Entire dorsal alitrunk reticulate-punctate, the pronotum also with a few weak overlying rugulae which are irregularly longitudinal. Petiole node punctate dorsally, the postpetiole longitudinally costulate-rugulose. Spongiform appendages of pedicel segments strongly developed. In profile the petiole with a curtain-like ventral process, the postpetiole with large lateral and ventral lobes of which the latter is larger than the exposed area of the postpetiolar disc in profile. Disc of postpetiole surrounded on all sides by spongiform material in dorsal view, the lateral spongiform lobes strongly prominent at the sides and the posterior transverse strip broad. Basal strip of first gastral tergite lamellate spongiform, the basigastral costulae arising from it almost parallel and only weakly directed towards the midline, not conspicuously radiating from the lateral portions of the strip. Petiole, postpetiole and first gastral tergite with standing hairs which are slightly thickened apically. Colour brownish yellow, the gaster somewhat broader than the head and alitrunk.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Rwanda: Rangiro, 10.vii.1973, 1800 m (P. Werner).