Strumigenys morisitai group

Strumigenys morisitai group Bolton (2000)

Malesian-Oriental-East Palaeartic

 * Strumigenys morisitai

Worker Diagnosis
Mandibles in full-face view and at full closure elongate and bizarre, divided into radically differently shaped proximal and distal portions, the latter accounting for about the apical third of the total length. Proximal portion of mandible: narrow basally, expanding apically into a club-like shape; inner margins are edentate and shallowly convex, separated basally and enclose a small triangular gap between themselves and the clypeal margin. Distal of the basal gap the inner margins meet and run parallel before diverging again close to their apices. Distal portion of mandible: projects downwards anteroventrally from the club-shaped proximal portion; narrow and forceps-like, with the outer margin shallowly convex and with an edentate gap between them. Distal of the gap the apices of the mandibles have a few minute teeth whose apices do not quite meet; terminally the extreme apices of the mandibles engage. In profile the mandible is downcurved almost at a right-angle at about its midlength, the point where proximal and distal specialised portions meet. MI 30-33.

Dentition. See above.

Basal lamella not visible (mandibles fully closed).

Labrum terminates in a pair of elongate narrow lobes.

Clypeus with anterior margin narrowly rounded, continuous with the sides; outer margins of the fully-closed mandibles flank the lateral clypeal margins in full-face view. In ventral view lateral margins of clypeus do not extend beyond outer margins of mandibles.

Clypeal dorsum with numerous anteriorly directed small appressed spatulate hairs. Lateral margins of clypeus without projecting hairs.

Preocular carina conspicuous in full-face view.

Cuticle of side of head within scrobe finely reticulate-punctate.

Scape subcylindrical, shallowly curved near base, SI 61-69.

Leading edge of scape with a row of narrowly spatulate hairs that curve toward the apex of the scape.

Pronotal dorsum not marginate, without a median carina.

Propodeum with a pair of small triangular teeth, subtended by an approximately straight lamella that is not expanded into propodeal lobes ventrally.

Spongiform appendages of waist segments large, well developed. Base of first gastral sternite in profile with a narrow arcuate crest of spongiform tissue.

Pilosity. Pronotal humeral hair absent. Apicoscrobal hair present, flagellate. Subappressed narrowly spatulate curved hairs numerous on head and dorsal alitrunk. Hairs on first gastral tergite also narrowly spatulate but longer and mostly strongly arched toward the midline.