Strumigenys dontopagis

Identification
Bolton (2000) – A member of the excisa-complex in the Strumigenys excisa-group. S. dontopagis is a similarly sized but less densely sculptured and less hairy relative of Strumigenys excisa. On all dorsal surfaces the hairs in excisa are much more numerous, more erect and longer than they are in dontopagis. Critical differences in sculpture and pilosity are as follows.

S. dontopagis: Cephalic sculpture peripheral in full-face view, most of vertex smooth and shining. Promesonotal dorsum smooth and shining. Clypeal dorsum in profile with short curved subdecumbent hairs. Dorsal surfaces of antennal club segments without stiff erect hairs that are longer than the maximum width of the apical antennomere.

S. excisa: Cephalic sculpture extensive in full-face view, reticulate-rugose, only a narrow median longitudinal strip relatively smooth. Promesonotal dorsum with longitudinal rugulae. Clypeal dorsum in profile with suberect straight fine hairs. Dorsal surfaces of antennal club segments with stiff erect hairs that are longer than the maximum width of the apical antennomere.

Apart from these obvious differences, the labral lobes differ between the two species. In dontopagis each lobe is elongate and spatulate, distinctly longer than broad, with an evenly shallowly convex outer margin and a truncated apex. The cleft between the two lobes is deep, narrow and V-shaped and both inner and outer margins of the lobes diverge evenly from base to apex. In excisa each lobe is broadly and bluntly triangular, as broad as long, with an outer margin that angles medially at about its midlength and a bluntly pointed apex. The cleft between the two lobes is shallow, quite broad and U-shaped; inner margins of lobes are more or less parallel and outer margins of the lobes converge from base to apex.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica.

Nomenclature

 *  dontopagis. Pyramica dontopagis Bolton, 2000: 172, figs. 127, 173 (w.) COSTA RICA. Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 119

Worker
Holotype. TL 2.4, HL 0.62, HW 0.47, CI 76, ML 0.12, MI 19, SL 0.26, SI 55, PW 0.30, AL 0.66. Clypeus and most of dorsum of head glassy smooth except for minute pits from which hairs arise; periphery of dorsum, especially near dorsolateral margins, finely sculptured. Promesonotal dorsum and sides of alitrunk smooth and shining. Dorsum of petiole node with feeble sculpture, disc of postpetiole smooth. Basigastral costulae mostly lateral, area immediately behind postpetiole disc almost entirely smooth. Clypeal dorsum with fine short anteriorly curved decumbent simple hairs. Cephalic dorsum with fine curved simple pilosity; dorsolateral margins of head in full-face view with anteriorly curved simple projecting hairs, those near the occipital corners the longest. Pronotal humeral hairs similar to other pilosity of dorsal alitrunk but longer. Hairs on dorsal surfaces of alitrunk, waist segments and first gastral tergite curved, fine and simple, numerous. Dorsal (outer) surfaces of middle and hind tibiae with simple sub decumbent to decumbent fine hairs, without extremely long erect pilosity.

Paratype. TL 2.3-2.4, HL 0.60-0.63, HW 0.44-0.48, CI 73-78, ML 0.10-0.12, MI 16-19, SL 0.26-0.30, SI 55-60, PW 0.28-0.31, AL 0.62-0.66 (7 measured).

Type Material
Holotype worker (upper of two specimens on pin), Costa Rica: Provo Puntarenas, Monteverde, 1500 m., 10°18'N, 84°48'W, 14.xii.l987, cloud forest litter sample, ground, #1979-s (J. Longino).

Paratypes. 11 workers with same data as holotype; 6 workers with same data but 8.iv.1988, # 1994-s (INBIO,, , ,, , and in coll. Longino).