Strumigenys trudifera group

Strumigenys trudifera group Bolton (2000)

Worker Diagnosis
Apical fork of mandible without intercalary teeth or denticles. Mandible with a single long spiniform preapical tooth, located close to the apical fork. Mandibles very long, MI 110-120.

Leading edge of scape with 2-3 long hairs that are curved or inclined toward base of scape. Scape very slender in basal half, broadest in apical quarter where maximum width is about twice width at midlength; funiculus very slender. Scapes very long, SI 108-117.

Preocular carina strongly developed and broad in dorsal view; in profile terminating at about level of eye.

Ventrolateral margin of head in front of the small eye not indented or sharply concave. Postbuccal groove impressed.

Upper scrobe margin strongly defined behind level of eye; in profile scrobe extends almost to posterior margin of head.

Propodeum with a pair of long spines that are sub tended by narrow lamellae or cuticular carinae down the declivity; base of declivity with a small lobe.

Ventral surface of petiole either without spongiform tissue, or with a small posteroventral lobe, or with a narrow continuous spongiform crest.

Pilosity. Pronotal humeral hair flagellate. Ground-pilosity of head and alitrunk of sparse narrow spatulate hairs. Two pairs of standing hairs on cephalic dorsum; a flagellate hair on dorsolateral margin of head; an erect flagellate pair on mesonotum. Fine flagellate hairs numerous on waist segments and first gastral tergite.

Sculpture. Head and alitrunk reticulate-punctate, mesopleuron partially to wholly smooth. As pointed out by Kempf & Brown (1969) the single species included here has, at first glance, the appearance of a member of the cordovensis-complex (mandibularis group) because its mandibles are so very long. However, a comparison of diagnostic features soon dispels that illusion. Kempf & Brown concluded that Strumigenys trudifera was closest related to Strumigenys longispinosa (now in marginiventris group). I have chosen to exclude trudifera from this assemblage and place it in its own group because it has very long hairs on the leading edge of the scape that curve toward the base Of the scape, which marginiventris-group members lack, and it has many unique features that are not reflected in relatives of longispinosa.