Strumigenys leptothrix

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Taiwan. Palaearctic Region: Japan.

Nomenclature

 *  leptothrix. Strumigenys (Cephaloxys) leptothrix Wheeler, W.M. 1929g: 55, fig. 7 (w.) TAIWAN. Terayama & Kubota, 1989: 787 (q.). Combination in Smithistruma (Weberistruma): Brown, 1948e: 107; in Weberistruma: Brown, 1949d: 8; in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1673; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 122. See also: Bolton, 2000: 435.

Worker
Length nearly 3 mm.

Head 1 2/3 times as long as broad, at the clypeus only 3/5 as broad as its greatest posterior width, rounded behind, without posterior lobes, with only slightly concave but distinctly marginate occipital border. Eyes small, behind the middle and far down on the sides. Clypeus convex, nearly as long as broad, semicircular in front, its posterior border angular in the middle and concave on each side. Frontal carinae very short but continued back on each side of the head as a sharp margination bounding the antennal scrobe and joining the transverse occipital margination. Mandibles small, triangular, convex, nearly three times as long as broad, their apical borders with a series of nearly a dozen, slender crowded teeth, which grow gradually longer towards the base. Antennal scapes reaching to the posterior fifth of the head; funicular joints 2 and 3 subequal, longer than broad, together equal to the fourth, which is half as long as the terminal joint. Thorax long, with long, shallow mesoepinotal constriction, somewhat flattened above, high through the epinotum, very low through the pronotum. Seen from above the pronotum is regularly elongate-elliptical, longer and broader than the remainder of the thorax, with a distinct median carina. Promesonotal and mesoepinotal sutures represented by transverse impressions. Mesonotum and base of epinotum rectangular, parallel-sided, the former longer, the latter shorter than broad and both with a strong lateral margination which is continued back to the epinotal teeth. These are rather small, triangular, longer than broad at their bases and directed backward. Declivity of epinotum perpendicular, about as long as the base, marginate and furnished with a low spongiform lamella on each side. Petiole, with a low convex node, somewhat longer than broad and as long as the peduncle. Postpetiole broader than long, transversely elliptical. Both nodes are surrounded laterally and posteriorly with abundant spongiform material and the ventral surfaces of their segments have dependent spongiform masses fully as deep as the segments that bear them. Gaster elongate-elliptical, with straight; transverse anterior border. Legs rather long.

Shining; mandibles opaque, very finely and indistinctly striate; clypeus very finely longitudinally rugulose; head densely punctate, its surface uneven, with loose, interrupted and rather feeble longitudinal rugae. Sides of thorax very smooth and shining, dorsum of pronotum obscurely longitudinally striate; epinotum and petiole opaque and densely punctate; postpetiolar node shining, with several small longitudinal impressions. Gaster very smooth and shining; first segment with several short, coarse striae at the extreme base.

Hairs pale yellow, fine and conspicuously long, but not very abundant, erect both on the body and the extensor surfaces of the femora and tibiae. Hairs on the mandibles and clypeus very small and appressed, those on the latter squamiform.

Yellowish ferruginous; antennae, legs and gaster somewhat paler and more yellow; mandibles and border of clypeus brown.

Type Material
A single specimen from Funkiko, Formosa.