Strumigenys rayma

The holotype worker, one of the two known collections of this species, was collected from a humid forest litter-sample.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the mayri complex in the Strumigenys mayri-group. Immediately recognisable as this is the only species in the entire group that lacks any trace of a preapical tooth on the mandible.

It is closest related to Strumigenys fricta and the two together, within the mayri-complex, are easily characterised. In both species the upper scrobe margin has two freely laterally projecting hairs, one close to the level of the eye and another in the apicoscrobal position. With the petiole in profile the dorsum of the node is long, low and shallowly convex, much longer than the height of the anterior face. In profile the dorsal outline of the head has a long concavity between the highest point of the vertex and the occipital margin; the ventral outline has the postbuccal groove very broad and very deeply incised, separated from the broad deep preocular impression only by a narrow crest of cuticle. Apart from the lack of a preapical tooth rayma can be distinguished from fricta by the characters noted under the latter name.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia, New Guinea.

Nomenclature

 *  rayma. Strumigenys rayma Bolton, 2000: 891, figs. 465, 510 (w.q.) INDONESIA (Aru I.)

Worker
Holotype. TL 3.0, HL 0.87, HW 0.58, CI 67, ML 0.45, MI 52, SL 0.58, SI 100, PW 0.33, AL 0.84. Characters of the mayri-complex. Preapical tooth absent, mandible without trace of dentition before the apicodorsal tooth. Apicoscrobal hair simple and with a similar hair anterior to it, at level of posterior margin of eye; upper scrobe margin abruptly angled at the site of this hair. Cephalic dorsum with 4-6 erect simple hairs along the occipital margin and a similar pair at level of highest point of vertex; dorsal outline between these distinctly concave in profile. Preocular notch strongly present; ventral surface of head with a broad deep preocular transverse impression immediately posterior to a very deeply incised broad postbuccal groove. Pronotal humeral hair simple, pronotum otherwise without erect hairs; mesonotum with one pair of erect simple hairs. Dorsal alitrunk sharply reticulate-punctate, on pronotum also with some weak rugulae. Entire side of alitrunk reticulate-punctate. Dorsal surfaces of waist segments and first gastral tergite with simple erect hairs. Propodeum armed with a pair of long (ca 0.17), narrow spines that are elevated at somewhat more than 450; length of one spine about equal to width of disc of postpetiole. Dorsal (outer) surface of hind basitarsus without long fine erect hairs. Petiole in profile with anterior face of node much shorter than length of dorsum, in dorsal view petiole node longer than broad. Disc of postpetiole blanketed with sharply defined reticulate-punctate sculpture.

Paratypes. TL 3.0-3.2, HL 0.87-0.90, HW 0.57-0.60, CI 64-67, ML 0.45-0.48, MI 51-54, SL 0.58-0.62, SI 100-107, PW 0.33-0.35, AL 0.82-0.88 (7 measured).

Type Material
Holotype worker, Indonesia: Aru I., Wokam, 50 m., 22.viii.1991, #1 F9112015, 40°S, 134.48°E, humid forest leaf litter (D. Agosti). Paratypes. 9 workers and 1 queen with same data as holotype (MHNG, ).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * 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.