Strumigenys marleyi group

Strumigenys marleyi group Bolton (2000)

Afrotropical

 * Strumigenys marleyi
 * Strumigenys pallestes

Worker Diagnosis
Apical fork of mandible without intercalary teeth. Apicoventral tooth subtended by a shorter tooth (about half length of apicoventral) that arises from its ventral base; a minute denticle usually present between the two but this may be absent from the right mandible. Mandible with two preapical teeth, the proximal longer than the distal. Base of fully closed mandible broad and with an accentuated basal-external angle, mandible narrowing toward apex. MI 33-37.

Scape weakly dorsoventrally flattened and short, SI 57-63.

Eyes with maximum diameter about equal to or greater than maximum width of scape.

Ventrolateral margin of head without trace of a preocular notch, the ventrolateral margin continuous in front of the eye; no preocular transverse groove on ventral surface of head but a shallow postbuccal groove present.

Ventral surface of petiole with a conspicuous spongiform strip or curtain; lateral lobe of petiole and spongiform lobes of postpetiole well developed but first gastral sternite without a basal spongiform pad.

Pilosity. Pronotal humeral hair absent or present. Apicoscrobal hair absent; upper scrobe margin fringed by a continuous row of small hairs. Cephalic ground-pilosity conspicuous and scale-like. Cephalic dorsum without standing hairs or with a transverse row of 4 short erect hairs near occipital margin. First gastral tergite with short standing hairs that are thickened apically; flagellate hairs always absent.

Sculpture. Head and alitrunk, including entire side of alitrunk, reticulate-punctate; pronotum may have longitudinal or oblique rugulae or costulae. Gaster unsculptured except for basigastral costulae.