Strumigenys biroi

Label data from two collected note the ants were collected in rainforest from a litter sample.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys biroi-group. There may be two sibling species concealed under this name as some individuals have the propodeal dorsum smooth whilst in others there is punctate sculpture present.

S. biroi is closest related to Strumigenys pulchra, the two are only separated on the details of sculpture noted below. The two together are easily distinguished from Strumigenys basiliska and Strumigenys undras as both of these have an unsculptured promesonotum and lack flagellate hairs at the pronotal humeri and on the basitarsi.

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

Nomenclature

 *  biroi. Strumigenys biroi Emery, 1897c: 580, pl. 14, fig. 16 (w.) NEW GUINEA. See also: Bolton, 2000: 751.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 1.9-2.0, HL 0.48-0.52, HW 0.37-0.40, CI 75-81, ML 0.14-0.16, MI 28-32, SL 0.23-0.25, SI 60-65, PW 0.22-0.25, AL 0.53-0.60 (10 measured).

Dorsolateral margin of head with a closely applied row of spatulate hairs, without freely laterally projecting hairs anywhere on margin. Cephalic dorsum with conspicuous narrowly spatulate ground-pilosity that is closely applied to the surface. Pronotal humeral hair flagellate; mesonotum with a single pair of erect flagellate hairs. Ground-pilosity on promesonotum as on head but not as dense. Dorsum of head and promesonotum densely reticulate-punctate. Pleurae and side of propodeum smooth and shining. Propodeum without trace of cuticular teeth, instead the declivity with a thickly spongiform broad lamella that extends its entire depth. In dorsal view the propodeum terminates in a pair of posteriorly directed thick spongiform lobes, the apices of the lamellae. Dorsal (outer) surface of each middle and hind basitarsus with a single long flagellate erect hair. Disc of postpetiole mostly to entirely smooth, at most with a few very short and feeble costulae at extreme anterior margin. Hairs on first gastral tergite extremely sparse; 2-4 inconspicuous fine hairs present at base that are inclined anteriorly toward the limbus. Tergite otherwise without standing hairs although very sparse minute appressed pubescence is present. Basigastral costulae short, their length on the tergite proper no greater than their length on the limbus.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Syntype workers, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Madang (=Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen), and Aitape (= Berlinhafen) (L. Biro) [examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
 * CSIRO Collection
 * Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
 * Dahl F. 1901. Das Leben der Ameisen im Bismarck-Archipel, nach eigenen Beobachtungen vergleichend dargestellt. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berl. 2: 1-70.
 * Emery C. 1897. Formicidarum species novae vel minus cognitae in collectione Musaei Nationalis Hungarici quas in Nova-Guinea, colonia germanica, collegit L. Biró. Természetrajzi Füzetek 20: 571-599.
 * Field Museum Collection, Chicago, Illinois (C. Moreau)
 * Forel A. 1901. Formiciden aus dem Bismarck-Archipel, auf Grundlage des von Prof. Dr. F. Dahl gesammelten Materials. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berl. 2: 4-37.
 * 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.
 * Lucky A., E. Sarnat, and L. Alonso. 2011. Ants of the Muller Range, Papua New Guinea, Chapter 10. In Richards, S. J. and Gamui, B. G. (editors). 2013. Rapid Biological Assessments of the Nakanai Mountains and the upper Strickland Basin: surveying the biodiversity of Papua New Guineas sublime karst environments. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 60. Conservation International. Arlington, VA.
 * Viehmeyer H. 1912. Ameisen aus Deutsch Neuguinea gesammelt von Dr. O. Schlaginhaufen. Nebst einem Verzeichnisse der papuanischen Arten. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Königlichen Zoologischen und Anthropologische-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden 14: 1-26.
 * Wheeler W.M. 1935. Check list of the ants of Oceania. Occasional Papers of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum 11(11):1-56.
 * Wheeler, William Morton.1935.Checklist of the Ants of Oceania.Occasional Papers 11(11): 3-56