Strumigenys mailei

A Fiji endemic known from wet forest habitats. All of the collections have been from litter samples and nothing is known about its biology.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the signeae complex in the Strumigenys godeffroyi-group. The Fijian endemic species with characters of the signeae-complex appear to represent a single adaptive radiation on the islands. The variation of pilosity and sculpture characters that they show overlaps other aggregations of species in the complex. However, their combination of scrobe, propodeal and petiolar features, noted in the introduction to this complex, is not duplicated by other members. In addition the four Fijian species have relatively long scapes, with a combined range of SI 87-103. The remainder of the signeae-complex has a range of SI 54-93.

Of the four species included here two are instantly recognisable. Strumigenys sulcata has the head coarsely longitudinally rugose, the dorsal alitrunk completely covered with broad longitudinal sulcate sculpture; the postpetiole disc is also sulcate but more finely so. Strumigenys tumida has a very short preapical tooth on the mandible, the postpetiole disc is strongly swollen and densely reticulate-punctate, and the metapleuron and side of the propodeum are uniformly reticulate-punctate.

The other two, mailei and Strumigenys praefecta, lack these striking features and are closely related. They differ as the former has a humeral hair present, has traces of oblique costulate sculpture posteriorly on the side of the pronotum and has a shorter, broader petiole node. These are lacking in the latter, and in addition the apical antennomere of praejecta is more narrowed and slender basally than in mailei.

Sarnat and Economo (2012) - Strumigenys mailei is a light yellow brown to reddish brown species with a narrow head that is shallowly impressed posteriorly, long mandibles, and no hairs on the pronotal humeri. The signeae complex has four Fijian species (S. mailei, Strumigenys praefecta, Strumigenys sulcata and Strumigenys tumida). All of these species lack flagellate hairs, and can thus be separated from nearly all the other species within the godeffroyi group. The Fijian species of the signeae group are characterized by having the antennal scrobe absent behind the eye, the propodeal declivity with a narrow carina (no lamella), and the petiole with a long and low node that in profile shows the anterior face to be much shorter than the dorsum.

Of the Fijian signeae complex species, S. sulcata is easy to separate by the coarse sulcate sculpture of its head and mesosoma. Strumigenys tumida is easy to separate by its short preapical tooth on the mandible, the densely punctate-reticulate and swollen postpetiolar disc, and the uniformly punctate-reticulate metapleuron on sides of the propodeum. Strumigenys mailei and S. praefecta lack the striking features of the two aforementioned species. Strumigenys mailei can be separated from S. praefecta by the presence of humeral hair, traces of oblique costulae posteriorly on the side of the pronotum, a shorter, broader petiolar node, and a more slender apical antennomeres.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Fiji, Samoa.

Nomenclature

 *  mailei. Strumigenys mailei Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 38, fig. 28 (w.) SAMOA. Dlussky, 1993: 59 (q.). See also: Bolton, 2000: 823.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 2.4-2.9, HL 0.62-0.74, HW 0.43-0.50, CI 66-70, ML 0.29-0.34, MI 46-50, SL 0.38-0.45, SI 88-92, PW 0.28-0.31, AL 0.66-0.81 (9 measured).

Characters of signeae-complex. With head in profile scrobe absent behind level of eye. Dorsolateral margin of head with a short simple fine hair in apicoscrobal position and margin posterior to this with 1-2 projecting short hairs; these hairs directed more dorsally than laterally. Cephalic dorsum with a transverse row of 4-6 erect hairs at occipital margin and with a single pair of standing hairs at or just in front of highest point of vertex. Pronotal humeral hair short and stiff, straight and simple. Pronotal dorsum with 1-2 pairs of short erect hairs, mesonotum also with 1-2 pairs. Dorsal alitrunk entirely reticulate-punctate. Side of alitrunk with katepisternum smooth; metapleuron and side of propodeum partially to mostly smooth and shining. Propodeal teeth acute, free; propodeal declivity carinate, the carina concave and closely paralleling the curve of the declivity. Petiole node reticulate-punctate dorsally; in profile lateral spongiform lobe small, confined to posterolateral portion of node; anterior face of node shorter than length of dorsum. Disc of postpetiole glassy smooth. First gastral tergite with short stiff simple standing hairs.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker, SAMOA: Upolu, Afiamalu, 700 m., 15.iii.1962, rain forest, berlesate of moss on tree, 10-12 m. from ground, no. 581 (R. W. Taylor); paratype worker, FIJI IS: Viti Levu, Navai Mill, nr Nandarivatu, 800 m., 17.ix.1938 (E. C. Zimmerman) [examined].