Strumigenys phytibia

Known from a worker series found in Philippine plants of Grammatophyllum multiflorum being processed through US plant quarantine, Honolulu.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the mjoebergi complex in the Strumigenys godeffroyi-group. This species has the longest scapes yet recorded in the complex. It is also the only species to have a flagellate humeral hair coupled with a longitudinally costulate postpetiole disc. These characters, together with its relatively long basigastral costulae, will serve to isolate the species. It is related to Strumigenys epyna, Strumigenys phoenix and Strumigenys zagan, all of which have a long flagellate humeral hair; see notes under epyna.

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

Nomenclature

 *  phytibia. Strumigenys phytibia Brown, 1957g: 117 (w.q.) PHILIPPINES. See also: Bolton, 2000: 803.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 2.3, HL 0.61, HW 0.40, CI 66, ML 0.28, MI 46, SL 0.38, SI 95, PW 0.26, AL 0.62. Characters of mjoebergi complex. Apicoscrobal hair flagellate. With head in full-face view the ventrolateral margin behind the level of the eye not visible. Small hairs that fringe dorsolateral margin of head, and on leading edge of scape, uniformly very fine, slender and curved, about equal-sized throughout. Pronotal humeral hair flagellate; mesonotum with a pair of erect flagellate hairs; dorsal alitrunk otherwise without standing hairs. Side of alitrunk reticulate-punctate except for a smooth patch on katepisternum. Propodeal tooth slender, subtended by a broad lamella, the free margin of which is more or less straight immediately below apex of tooth but thereafter convex. Lateral spongiform lobe of petiole small, in profile confined to posterior margin of node. Disc of postpetiole longitudinally costulate and with fine reticulate-punctate ground-sculpture. Basigastral costulae very coarse basally, extending about half the length of the tergite. First gastral tergite with sparse fine hairs that are flagellate or looped apically.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker, paratype workers and queen, PHILIPPINES: from plants intercepted by U.S. Plant Quarantine, Honolulu (No. 8807) [examined].