Strumigenys miccata

Identification
Bolton (2000) - Known only from the holotype, this small species has relatively long scapes and the shortest mandibles yet observed in the group. The basal 4-5 mandibular denticles are enlarged. Upper scrobe margin feebly developed; apicoscrobal hair absent. Vertex without standing long hairs that are distinctly differentiated from the ground-pilosity. Pronotal humerus with a short straight hair that is quite stout and clavate apically. Femoral gland bullae large and conspicuous on all legs.

Bolton (1983) - Although sharing with Strumigenys ludovici the character of an enlarged basal series of mandibular denticles, I suspect that miccata has acquired it independently as otherwise the two share very few diagnostic characters. In fact miccata is remote from all the known species of Serrastruma (a genus that is now a synonym of Strumigenys) on a number of counts. Most obvious of these is the differently shaped alitrunk. Whereas in all other species the posterior portion of the mesonotum slopes to an impressed metanotal groove and the promesonotum forms a surface on a higher level than the propodeum, in miccata the mesonotum and propodeum form a more or less uniform slope, the metanotal groove is not impressed and the promesonotum is not at a higher level than the propodeum. In miccata the petiole and postpetiole in dorsal view are fractionally longer than broad, whereas in all other species they are broader, in the case of the postpetiole much broader, than long. The mandibles of miccata are short but the scapes are long, a combination not found elsewhere in Serrastruma, and the lack of elongate specialized hairs on the head and dorsal alitrunk in miccata is not repeated elsewhere in the genus, where at least a single cephalic and a single mesonotal pair occur. These characters, along with the unique development of straight clavate hairs at the pronotal humeri in miccata in place of the more usual flagellate hairs, and the small size of the species, render it immediately recognizable.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Ghana, Uganda.

Nomenclature

 *  miccata. Serrastruma miccata Bolton, 1983: 348, fig. 39 (w.) GHANA. Combination in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1673; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 124. See also: Bolton, 2000: 317.

Worker
Holotype. TL 1.7, HL 0.46, HW 0.32, CI 70, ML 0.12, MI 26, SL 0.37, SI 116, PW 0.24, AL 0.46.

Basal 4-5 denticles on mandibular masticatory margin suddenly and conspicuously enlarged, distinctly much coarser and broader than those preceding. Head narrow, antennal scapes long (CI and SI, above). Upper scrobe margins very feebly developed, merely an edge without a projecting lamina; flagellate hairs absent from upper scrobe margins. Clypeus finely punctulate, with curved narrowly spatulate small hairs and with an anteriorly projecting row of such hairs on the false anterior clypeal margin. Ground-pilosity of cephalic dorsum of minute anteriorly curved inconspicuous hairs which are narrowly spatulate and subdecumbent, those situated posteriorly tending to be splayed or forked at the apex. Dorsum of head without specialized standing longer hairs which are differentiated from the ground-pilosity. Dorsum of head densely reticulate-punctate everywhere. Pronotum narrowly marginate anteriorly, not marginate laterally. In dorsal view the pronotum and mesonotum separated by a shallow faint impression, the mesonotum and propodeum separated by a narrow fine transverse line. In profile the mesonotum weakly raised above the level of the pronotum and sloping shallowly downwards posteriorly. Metanotal groove a narrowly incised line, not impressed. Propodeum continuing the slope of the mesonotum posteriorly and ending in a minute triangular tooth (left tooth broken). Infradental lamellae absent. Pleurae mostly smooth, with some peripheral punctulae. Sides of pronotum with very feeble vestiges of sculpture. Pronotal dorsum with vestigial superficial reticulation, the mesonotum and propodeum finely punctulate. Flagellate hairs absent from alitrunk, the pronotal humeri with a pair of short straight hairs which are quite stout and clavate apically. Dorsal surfaces of pronotum and mesonotum with dense short ground-pilosity consisting of anteriorly or medially curved elevated hairs, those on the mesonotum appearing clavate in profile. Spongiform appendages of pedicel segments in profile very reduced, the ventral petiolar appendage represented only by a minute crest. Ventral lobe of post petiole very small and lateral process reduced to a thin strip. Petiole node in dorsal view slightly longer than broad, superficially punctulate and with a minute transverse crest on the posterior border which represents the last vestige of the spongiform strip. Postpetiole in dorsal view marginally longer than broad and with its posterior margin sharply indented medially. Spongiform material absent laterally but posteriorly with a narrow lamelliform strip which abuts a similar narrow strip on the base of the first gastral tergite. Postpetiole punctulate-granular and the first gastral tergite with extremely fine short basal costulae. Dorsal surfaces of petiole, postpetiole and gaster with numerous short apically clavate hairs. Colour yellow.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Ghana: Mampong, 26.i.1970 (P. M. Room).