Strumigenys hathor

Not known from many collections, these are unusual in being from two disparate habitats: montane rainforest and savanna grassland. Samples were from litter, rotten logs and a pitfall trap.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the exiguaevitae complex in the Strumigenys leptothrix-group. S. hathor is the most easily differentiated species within the hoplites-complex. It separates from the other 3 species by its long scapes (SI 80-83, as opposed to SI 59-68 in the others combined), and its vestigial lateral petiolar lobes. Apart from this, hathor lacks the 4 setae arranged in a square around the highest point of the vertex that distinguishes Strumigenys exiguaevitae and Strumigenys serket, and has about half the length of the propodea1 teeth free of the lamella, which in the other two species extends almost to the very tips of the teeth. In Strumigenys seti the lateral petiolar spongiform lobes are intermediate in size between the tiny vestiges seen in hathor and the extensive lobes developed in hoplites and serket, but they are still very distinct in seti. Beside this seti also has a marked rim bounding the posterior margin of the scrobe (absent in hathor) and is much more densely hairy. S. seti has numerous hairs projecting laterally from the side of the head behind the eye (absent in hathor), has many more than 3 pairs of erect hairs on the promesonotum (3 pairs at maximum in hathor), and possesses a spaced row of projecting hairs ventrally on each femur (absent in hathor).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Nomenclature

 *  hathor. Pyramica hathor Bolton, 2000: 346 (w.q.) MADAGASCAR. Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 121

Worker
Holotype. TL 3.0, HL 0.74, HW 0.49, CI 66, ML 0.10, MI 14, SL 0.39, SI 80, PW 0.32, AL 0.80. Characters of hoplites-complex. Dorsum of head with sparse short erect simple hairs behind highest point of vertex. Dorsolateral margin of head in full-face view without laterally projecting hairs; one or two short hairs project posteriorly from the occipital margin. Antennal scrobe smooth and shining, its posterior margin merely demarcated by a shallow impression of the surface, without a rim or edge marking the boundary of the scrobe. Eye with 7 ommatidia in the longest row. Short erect simple hairs present dorsally as follows: 2 pairs anteriorly on pronotum, one pair on mesonotum, 2 pairs on petiole node, 2 pairs on disc of postpetiole, 1 0 or more on first gastral tergite. Similar hairs also project forward in a spaced row down the anterior face of the front coxa, and sparse similar but suberect to subdecumbent hairs occur dorsally on the basal half to two-thirds of each femur. Pronotum transversely convex; posterior half of mesonotum and entire propodeum laterally marginate in dorsal view. Propodeal teeth elongate, narrow and acute apically; at least half the length of each tooth is free of the lamella. Anterior face of petiole node confluent with the elongate convex dorsum. Lateral spongiform lobes of petiole vestigial and almost invisible in profile; in dorsal view seen to be confined to a tiny outgrowth on each side at the posterolateral angles. Ventral spongiform curtain of petiole in profile scarcely deeper than the maximum depth of petiole itself. Ventral lobe of postpetiole slightly smaller than the exposed cuticular area of the disc. Whole body smooth and shining. Petiole laterally with feeble punctulate sculpture and both waist segments may have a few weak costulae laterally.

Paratypes. TL 3.0-3.1, HL 0.74-0.76, HW 0.48-0.50, CI 65-66, ML 0.11, MI 14-15, SL 0.40, SI 80-83, PW 0.30-0.33, AL 0.78-0.84 (2 measured). As holotype but both with pronotal hairs lost by abrasion so that only a single anterior hair remains in each.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Madagascar: 9.2 km. WSW Befingotra, Res. Anjanaharibe-Sud, 14°45'S, 49°28'E, 1180 m., 7.xi.1994, ex rotten log, montane rainforest, #1167 (B.L. Fisher).

Paratypes. 2 workers and 1 queen (dealate) with same data as holotype.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
 * Fisher B. L. 2003. Formicidae, ants. Pp. 811-819 in: Goodman, S. M.; Benstead, J. P. (eds.) 2003. The natural history of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, xxi + 1709 pp.