Strumigenys nannosobek

Identification
Bharti & Akbar (2013) - A member of the Strumigenys murphyi-group. This is the only species of the group (murphyi group) to have long erect hairs on the middle and hind tibiae and basitarsi, and is the only species to have hairs on the leading edge of the scape that are universally curved toward the apex of the scape. It also has the longest mandibles yet recorded in the group (Bolton, 2000).

Bolton (2000) - This is the only species of the group to have long erect hairs on the middle and hind tibiae and basitarsi, and is the only species to have hairs on the leading edge of the scape that are universally curved toward the apex of the scape. It also has the longest mandibles yet recorded in the group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Bhutan, India.

Nomenclature

 *  nannosobek. Pyramica nannosobek Bolton, 2000: 453 (w.) BHUTAN. Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 124

Worker
Holotype. TL 1.5, HL 0.35, HW 0.42, CI 120, ML 0.18, MI 51, SL 0.20, SI 48, PW 0.25, AL 0.42. Inner margin of mandible with a series of medially directed small hairs and with 6-7 small preapical teeth, the third from the base is the largest, narrowly triangular and located at about the midlength of the mandible (this tooth is doubled in one of the paratypes). Apicodorsal tooth the longest and overlaps its counterpart from the opposing mandible, spiniform but not extending beyond the outer margin of the opposing mandible at full closure. Anterior clypeal margin with a few short, flattened projecting hairs; clypeal dorsum only with small orbicular hairs. Dorsum of head posterior to clypeus without orbicular hairs. Transverse crest of vertex conspicuous, approximately straight across most of vertex but on each side curved forward toward the anterolateral angle of the occipital lobe. Sides of occipital lobes in full-face view more or less straight, weakly convergent posteriorly. Leading edge of scape with a row of narrowly spatulate hairs that are curved toward the apex of the scape. Apex of subbasal lobe of scape with an elongate spatulate hair that is directed anteriorly; inner margin of subbasal lobe with 2-3 narrowly spoon-shaped hairs that curve toward the apex of the lobe. Head and alitrunk otherwise with minute inconspicuous ground-pilosity but without standing hairs of any form. Eye minute, of 2-3 very small ommatidia. Head finely and densely reticulate-punctate. Pronotal dorsum with a few feeble, posteriorly divergent fine longitudinal costulae; dorsum depressed along line of promesonotal junction. Mesonotum in profile very shallowly convex, highest posteriorly. Pleurae smooth. Dorsal (outer) surfaces of middle and hind tibiae, and middle and hind basitarsi, each with 1-2 long erect freely projecting hairs (obscured by glue in holotype, visible in paratypes). Petiole and postpetiole without standing hairs but first gastral tergite with short erect simple pilosity. Petiole node broader than long in dorsal view, finely shagreenate and dull. Disc of postpetiole finely shagreenate to smooth, much less strongly sculptured than petiole node. Basigastral costulae strongly developed, longer than disc of postpetiole.

Paratypes. TL 1.4-1.5, HL 0.33-0.35, HW 0.39-0.42, CI 118-120, ML 0.18-0.19, MI 51-55, SL 0.19-0.20, PW 0.23-0.25, AL 0.40-0.43 (4 measured).

Type Material
Holotype worker, Bhutan: Kamjee, 24.4., Nat.-Hist. Museum Basel - Bhutan Expedition 1972 (no collector's name).

Paratypes. 1 worker with same data as holotype; 3 workers, Bhutan: Phuntsholing, 2/400 m., 15.4., Nat.-Hist. Museum Basel - Bhutan Expedition 1972 (no collector' s name) (NHMB, ).