Strumigenys scelesta

Known from few collections, this Fijian endemic has been found in forest habitat.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the smythiesii complex in the Strumigenys godeffroyi-group. Known only from the poorly preserved holotype. The combination of short mandibles, outline shape of dorsal alitrunk, distribution of pilosity and apparent lack of long hairs on head and alitrunk, isolate this Fijian endemic.

The possibility must be born in mind that the apparent lack of specialised projecting hairs on the dorsolateral margin of the head, and lack of standing hairs on the alitrunk, may be the result of abrasion. What is quite certain is that Mann's (1922) comment “fine short erect hairs moderately abundant on body” is either incorrect or refers only to the gaster. He also describes the dorsal alitrunk as densely punctate, which is not so.

Pilosity of the legs, not mentioned above, is equivocal. Most of the legs are in poor condition and not well displayed, but the left middle tibia and right hind tibia each have a fine flagellate hair on the dorsal (outer) surface. The presence of a flagellate hair on the hind basitarsus cannot be confirmed because of the condition of the specimen, but considering the morphology of the species and its relatives it seems most likely that one should be present, and Strumigenys scelesta is so treated in the key to species.

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

Nomenclature

 *  scelesta. Strumigenys scelestus Mann, 1921: 463, fig. 22 (w.) FIJI IS. See also: Bolton, 2000: 812.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 2.3, HL 0.57, HW 0.42, CI 74, ML 0.21, MI 37, SL 0.32, SI 76, PW 0.25, AL 0.60. Characters of smythiesii-complex. Mandible in full-face view quite short (MI 37), broadest basally and tapering distally. Anterior clypeal margin transverse, straight. With head in full-face view occipital margin only shallowly concave; hairs on dorsolateral margin of head dense and uniform, all short simple and anteriorly curved; no differentiated apicoscrobal hair. Cephalic dorsum finely reticulate-punctate. Head in profile with eye small (3-4 ommatidia in total); cephalic dorsum with only a single pair of standing hairs, short and straddling midline at occipital margin; dorsum otherwise with closely applied fine dense ground-pilosity only. Dorsal alitrunk with short curved ground pilosity only, without any standing hairs; a fine hair present at pronotal humerus that is flattened down and pressed into the ground-pilosity (probably displaced). With alitrunk in profile its dorsal outline an even shallow convex curve, without trace of metanotal groove; posterior mesonotum plus propodeum not depressed behind convex pronotum plus anterior mesonotum as is usual in this group. Side of pronotum smooth except for anterior margin; pleurae and side of propodeum smooth and highly polished. Dorsum of pronotum and propodeum almost smooth, sculpture nearly to entirely effaced; mesonotum more obviously but still only weakly sculptured. Propodeal tooth acute and elevated, subtended by a lamella that is confluent with the basal margin of the tooth for most of its length. Posterior (free) outline of lamella concave immediately below the tooth but below the level of the propodeal spiracle markedly convex. With petiole in profile the lateral spongiform lobe small, restricted to posterior margin of node. Petiole node in dorsal view broader than long. Disc of postpetiole smooth. First gastral tergite with a few simple fine hairs, 1-2 erect and the remainder flattened down (apparently damaged, probably all hairs should be erect); no stiff or spatulate hairs present.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker, FIJI IS: Taveuni (W.M. Mann) [examined].