Strumigenys pnyxia

The types were collected from under a rock in dry sandy sclerophyll habitat.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys emmae-group. This species is currently unique in its group as it has 6-merous rather than 4-merous antennae.

Identification Keys including this Taxon

 * Key to Australian Strumigenys Species

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  pnyxia. Strumigenys pnyxia Bolton, 2000: 952 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA.

Worker
HOLOTYPE. TL 2.0, HL 0.53, HW 0.39, CI 74, ML 0.14, MI 26, SL 0.24, SI 62, PW 0.24, AL 0.56. Exposed length of fully closed mandible less than width of anterior clypeal margin. Preapical dentition of mandible a single spiniform tooth; no tubercle or denticle on margin between preapical tooth and apicodorsal tooth. Three minute intercalary denticles, the median the largest, the dorsal most vestigial; intercalary dentition obscured by the principal teeth when the mandibles are fully closed. Antenna with 6 segments. Cephalic dorsum with spatulate to narrowly spoon-shaped ground-pilosity; upper scrobe margin fringed with similar hairs, without an apicoscrobal hair. Occipital margin of head without erect hairs. Leading edge of scape flattened and expanded into a broad, roughly D-shaped convex lobe in the median third of its length. Pronotal humeral hair absent. Ground-pilosity of pronotal dorsum spatulate. Dorsal alitrunk reticulate-punctate without standing hairs of any form. Katepisternum, most of metapleuron and part of side of propodeum smooth and shining. Ventral curtain of petiole thick and deep, very densely finely spongiform, much more so than ventral lobe of postpetiole. Disc of postpetiole smooth; in dorsal view the disc entirely surrounded by projecting spongiform tissue. First gastral tergite with erect stiff straight simple hairs. Basigastral costulae slightly shorter than to approximately equal to length of postpetiole disc.

PARATYPE. TL 1.9-2.1, HL 0.52-0.54, HW 0.39-0.40, CI 74-77, ML 0.14-0.15, MI 26-29, SL 0.24-0.25, SI 60-64, PW 0.24-0.25, AL 0.54-0.56 (5 measured).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65