Strumigenys racabura

Known from rainforest habitats, specimens have been collected in litter-samples and from rotten logs.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the mayri complex in the Strumigenys mayri-group. See notes under Strumigenys montu. The sculpture of the postpetiole disc varies considerably in this species, as in Strumigenys mayri. Most individuals have weak punctulate sculpture, generally with a few feeble costulae at least anteriorly. Some from New Guinea have quite strong reticulate-punctate sculpture, almost as strong as the sculpture on the petiole node. Others, especially Australian specimens, tend to have the postpetiole sculpture reduced and faint or even effaced in the centre of the disc.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia. Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea.

Nomenclature

 *  racabura. Strumigenys racabura Bolton, 2000: 890 (w.) NEW GUINEA.

Worker
Holotype. TL 2.0, HL 0.54, HW 0.36, CI 67, ML 0.23, MI 43, SL 0.34, SI 94, PW 0.23, AL 0.52. Characters of the mayri-complex. Preapical tooth spiniform, equal to or slightly longer than maximum width of mandible. Cephalic dorsum with 4-6 erect hairs along the occipital margin, the pair nearest the midline usually curved or weakly sinuate; a similar pair present at level of highest point of vertex. Preocular notch present (generally somewhat deeper and more incised in Australian than in New Guinean material); ventral surface of head with a broad shallow preocular transverse impression posterior to the narrowly and deeply incised postbuccal groove. Pronotal humeral hair flagellate, pronotum otherwise without erect hairs; mesonotum with one pair of erect flagellate hairs. Dorsal alitrunk reticulate-punctate. Dorsal surfaces of waist segments and first gastral tergite with flagellate hairs. Katepisternum smooth, metapleuron with a smooth patch anteriorly; posterior to this the side usually faintly reticulate-punctate but a few specimens with side mostly smooth. Propodeum armed with a pair of short straight spines, elevated at about 45°, not markedly upcurved, the length of one of which is equal to or slightly greater than distance separating their bases. Dorsal (outer) surface of hind basitarsus with 1-2 long erect flagellate hairs. Petiole in profile with anterior face of node shorter than length of dorsum, in dorsal view petiole node as broad as long or slightly broader than long. Disc of postpetiole superficially sculptured with fine punctulae or costulae (almost smooth in Australian specimens), usually not as densely sculptured as dorsum of petiole node. In dorsal view basigastral costulae about as long as disc of postpetiole.

Paratypes. TL 2.0, HL 0.56-0.57, HW 0.38, CI 67-68, ML 0.24, MI 42-43, SL 0.34-0.35, SI 89-92, PW 0.23, AL 0.56 (2 measured).

Dimensions of non-paratypic workers. HL 0.55-0.60, HW 0.37-0.41, CI 65-71, ML 0.24-0.26, MI 42-46, SL 0.34-0.36, SI 87-94 (15 measured).

Type Material
Holotype worker, Papua New Guinea: Ambunti, 4.13°S, 142.49°E, 50 m., 2.vii.1980, ex rotten log, lowland rainforerst, #4651 (P. S. Ward). Paratypes. 2 workers with same data as holotype.



References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
 * CSIRO Collection
 * Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.