Strumigenys mayri

On New Guinea, all of the records from lower elevations are based on collections of strays made in rain forest leaf litter, or nests and nest fragments taken from rotten logs. At middle altitudes (1300 m: Bandong and Yunzain to Joangeng) nests were taken under moss-covered rocks in moist soil; both of these montane samples included winged forms (IV-V. 1955). At the highest elevations (2000 m and over), strays were taken in forest litter berlesate. (Brown 1973)

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the mayri complex in the Strumigenys mayri-group. See notes under Strumigenys akhtoi. Most of the variation in pilosity and postpetiole disc sculpture noted above was recorded by Brown (1973c). Beside this, separate populations currently assigned to mayri show some changes in width and degree of curvature of the mandibles. These variations may suggest that more than one species resides under the name. For the present I regard all as variations within a single species, but recommend a more detailed analysis when more material is present.

Brown (1973) - Distinctive characters are the moderate size (samples from the New Guinea highlands are largest in body size), only moderately long mandibles and antennae, and short propodeal teeth (not longer than the distance between the centers of their bases). Sides of trunk reticulate-punctulate, but the sculpture tends to be effaced on much of the mesopleura, and usually also on part of the metapleura; these surfaces consequently smooth and shining. Postpetiolar node finely reticulate and opaque in some samples, but in others, it is obscurely, finely longitudinally costulate or with sculpture effaced discad and smooth. Reclinate ground pilosity more abundant and widespread than in Strumigenys hoplites, Strumigenys ferocior or the szalayi-group species, at least on head and pronotum, but still not very conspicuous. The specialized erect hairs are very fine and vary considerably in length from one series to the next; some samples from the highlands of New Guinea and from near Lae have these hairs moderate in length and blunt-tipped, while examples from Papua and Cape York usually have some or all of the hairs long, fine and flagelliform. Prevailing color is light to medium ferruginous, with gaster either concolored or brownish to piceous. Some highland series are concolorous dark reddish brown. The sample from Benaga is exceptionally large and dark-colored, and has unusually long mandibles, and although it approaches the S. ferocior types in some respects, I consider it as an ecotype of S. mayri.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia. Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia, Micronesia (Federated States of), New Guinea.

Biology
Bolton (2000) - The species has been recorded once from Bogor Botanical Gardens, Java, where it was probably an introduction.

Nomenclature

 *  mayri. Strumigenys mayri Emery, 1897c: 579, pl. 14, fig. 12 (w.q.) NEW GUINEA. Brown, 1973c: 265. Senior synonym of bismarckensis: Brown, 1973c: 264. See also: Bolton, 2000: 887.
 * bismarckensis. Strumigenys mayri var. bismarckensis Forel, 1901b: 10 (w.) NEW GUINEA (Bismarck Archipelago). Junior synonym of mayri: Brown, 1973c: 264.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 1.7-1.8, HL 0.52-0.60, HW 0.37-0.41, CI 68-73, ML 0.25-0.30, MI 47-53, SL 0.32-0.38, SI 85-93, PW 0.23-0.25, AL 0.50-0.56 (25 measured).

Characters of the mayri-complex. Preapical tooth spiniform, its length usually slightly greater than maximum width of mandible. Apicoscrobal hair present, without similar long projecting hairs on upper scrobe margin anterior to it. Cephalic dorsum with 4-6 erect simple hairs along the occipital margin and a similar pair at level of highest point of vertex. With head in full-face view most or all of the eye visible, the upper scrobe margin above the eye not so broadly expanded as to obscure most of the eye. Preocular notch present, variable in width and depth between populations but always disinct; ventral surface of head with preocular transverse impression short, may be shallow but usually conspicuous. Pronotal humeral hair usually flagellate, apparently simple and sinuous in some but this may the result of damage. Pronotum otherwise without erect hairs; mesonotum with one pair of erect simple to flagellate hairs. Dorsal alitrunk evenly reticulate-punctate. Dorsal surfaces of waist segments and gastral tergites with hairs that are fine and simple to flagellate. Pleurae and side of propodeum mostly to entirely smooth. Propodeum armed with a pair of short spines, length of spine equal to or slightly greater than distance separating their bases but less than dorsal width of petiole node. Dorsal (outer) surface of hind basitarsus without long fine erect hairs. Petiole in profile with anterior face of node not markedly less than length of dorsum, in dorsal view petiole node broader than long. Disc of postpetiole varying from finely and densely reticulate-punctate to almost entirely smooth.

Brown (1973) - TL 2.1-2.5, HL 0.55-0.65, ML 0.26-0.32, WL 0.55-0.66 mm; CI 70-76, MI 44-50.

Male
Brown (1973) - (Bandong, New Guinea): TL 2.4, HL 0.46, greatest diameter of compound eye 0.17, WL 0.73, forewing L about 2.4 mm. Head without depressed occipital portion seen in Strumigenys szalayi; males. Mandibles curved, falcate, edentate, tapered to acute apices and apparently not opposable. Notauli obliterated except for their anterior extremities. Propodeal teeth broad, subrectangular. Petiolar peduncle rising gradually to nodal summit. Spongiform processes obsolete, represented by a thin transparent rim on caudal margin of postpetiole. Body finely reticulate-punctulate, opaque; mesepisterna and gaster smooth and shining. Both surfaces of head and gaster, and dorsa of trunk and nodes, with a few long, fine hairs, mostly paired bilaterally. Color blackish-brown, trunk more brownish; appendages and gastric apex sordid yellowish-brown. Forewing veins (in both sexes) reduced to the costal-subcostal elements plus only the basal vein, M+ CuA, CuA and the radial crossvein (2r). Hind wing with 4 submedian hamuli.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Syntype workers and queen, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Madang ( = Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen), and Aitape ( = Berlinhafen) (L. Biro) [examined].



References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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