Strumigenys tlaloc group

Strumigenys tlaloc group Bolton (2000)

Neotropical

 * Strumigenys tlaloc

Worker Diagnosis
Mandibles in full-face view and at full closure triangular, with serially dentate masticatory margins that engage throughout their visible length. In ventral view outer margin of mandible without a prebasal inflected angle. MI 15.

Dentition. A row of 5 acute triangular teeth follows the basal lamella, without a diastema between lamella and basal tooth; these 5 are followed by 2 smaller teeth, 4 minute denticles and a slightly larger apical tooth, to give a total dental count of 12.

Basal lamella of mandible a broad-based high acute triangle that is slightly taller than the basal series of 5 relatively large teeth; not visible in full-face view with the mandibles fully closed.

Labral lobes elongate-triangular to conical.

Clypeus in full-face view with anterior margin narrowly convex. Lateral margins weakly convex and converging anteriorly, rounding broadly and evenly into the anterior margin and without anterolateral clypeal angles.

Clypeal dorsum with narrowly spatulate anteriorly curved hairs, the lateral margins with a projecting fringe of anteriorly curved narrowly spatulate hairs.

Preocular carinae broad, subparallel, conspicuous in full-face view.

Ventrolateral margin of head rounded to very weakly angular between eye and mandible, not sharply marginate. Postbuccal impression broad and deeply concave.

Cuticle of side of head within the scrobe reticulate-punctate.

Scape long, SI 93, slender and subcylindrical, not dorsoventrally flattened and without a sharp or flange-like leading edge. Subbasal bend very shall ow, not at all pronounced.

Leading edge of scape with upper and lower longitudinal rows of elongate-spatulate to narrowly remiform proj ecting curved hairs; hairs in both rows about equally developed. Most hairs curved toward apex of scape but 2-3 in the proximal half of the length are curved toward the base.

Pronotum angulate dorsolaterally but not sharply marginate.

Propodeum with a pair of teeth sub tended by lamellae.

Spongiform appendages fully developed, large and conspicuous on both petiole and postpetiole. Base of first gastral sternite with some short compressed pilosity but without a pad of dense spongiform tissue.

Pilosity. Featuring many elongate fine flagellate hairs. Pronotal humeral hair extremely long, flagellate. With head in full-face view several such hairs project laterally from the dorsolateral margin and others occur on the dorsal surfaces of the head, alitrunk, waist segments, gaster and legs.