Strumigenys obliqua

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys silvestrii-group. The oddly formed basigastral costulae, which occur in both queens as well as in the workers, are immediately diagnostic of this species.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Ecuador.

Nomenclature

 *  obliqua. Strumigenys obliqua Bolton, 2000: 555 (w.q.) ECUADOR.

Worker
Holotype. TL 1.7, HL 0.43, HW 0.34, CI 79, ML 0.24, MI 56, SL 0.28, SI 82, PW 0.25, AL 0.43. Preapical tooth of mandible separated from apicodorsal tooth by a distance greater than its own length. A tiny preapical denticle present that is very obviously proximal of mandibular midlength. Scape with an obtuse but conspicuous subbasal bend; curved hairs on leading edge of scape spatulate, the longest of them about equal to the maximum width of the scape. Apicoscrobal hair flagellate. Ground-pilosity of cephalic dorsum dense and narrowly spatulate, in profile elevated and strongly curved anteriorly. Close to occipital margin is a pair of slightly longer, more erect straighter hairs. Ground-pilosity of promesonotum not as dense as on head but also elevated, curved and very conspicuous. Pronotal humeral hair flagellate; an erect pair of hairs on the mesonotum. Hairs on first gastral tergite dense, in profile curved posteriorly; basal section of each hair slender, part or most of shaft distal of this somewhat flattened and expanded, shaft then narrowing again to an acute apical section. Similar hairs present on petiole and postpetiole. Second and third gastral tergites each with a pair of flagellate hairs. Propodeum with a pair of small teeth, subtended by narrow lamellae. Petiole in profile without spongiform tissue ventrally and without a lateral spongiform lobe; node with height of anterior face greater than length of dorsal surface (discounting posterior collar). In dorsal view petiole node broader than long. Disc of postpetiole mostly smooth. Basigastral costulae fine and dense, transverse to strongly oblique, present on at least basal half of the sclerite.

Paratype. TL 1.7, HL 0.44, HW 0.35, CI 80, ML 0.24, MI 55, SL 0.29, SI 83, PW 0.25, AL 0.44.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Ecuador: Sucua, 19.vii.1978, #798, no. 0890 (on underside of label) “in between old seed pods of palm, forest, some larvae may be in w/ Prionopelta” (G. J. Caphrey).

Paratypes. 1 worker and 2 alate queens with same data as holotype (MCZ, ).