Strumigenys tisiphone

This is a rare species in Hong Kong, collected only within secondary forest but through a wide elevational range extending from 141 to 816 m (Tang et al., 2019).

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the argiola complex in the Strumigenys argiola group. Closest related to Strumigenys hexamera but with only a single preapical tooth on the mandible, a narrower head, and a posterior mesonotum that does not overhang the metanotal groove.

Distribution
The Hong Kong record confirms the distribution of S. tisiphone within China and represents the south-easternmost record for the species. The previous record in China is from Gutian, central Guangdong (24.2N, 116.6E) (Bolton 2000; Tang et al., 2019).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  tisiphone. Pyramica tisiphone Bolton, 2000: 390 (w.) CHINA. Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 129

Worker
Holotype. TL 2.0, HL 0.50, HW 0.48, CI 96, ML 0.20, MI 40, SL 0.22, SI 46, PW 0.28, AL 0.53. Apicodorsal tooth of mandible elongate and spiniform. Mandible with a single minute preapical tooth, located very close to the apicodorsal tooth and may be difficult to see. Dorsal surface of mandible with 3 longitudinal rows of scale-like to spoon-shaped hairs; hairs of the inner row largest and sparsest, inclined into the space between the mandibles. Hairs on leading edge of scape curved toward apex of scape. Clypeus, cephalic dorsum and scape dorsum with orbicular hairs; on the head there is a small hairless patch on each side, mesad of the lateral margin in the area where the margins are most strongly divergent. CI < 100. Mesonotum in profile not bulging posteriorly over base of propodeum, not overhanging metanotal groove.