Strumigenys tisisyx

Known from a rainforest collection and a worker found in a Rhytidoponera cyrus (=Rhytidoponera chalybaea) colony in a disturbed wet scleroyphyll habitat.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the smythiesii complex in the Strumigenys godeffroyi-group. Closest related to Strumigenys friedae but tisisyx is more slender-headed, much more extensively sculptured on the side of the alitrunk and usually darker in colour. Its cephalic ground pilosity is more broadly spatulate and more conspicuous than that of friedae, and the occipital margin does not usually have simple standing hairs. See also notes under friedae.

Specimens from Narara Creek all lack the flagellate apicoscrobal hair, which is obvious in all other series. I suspect that this lack is the result of damage and mishandling as most of the Narara Creek specimens also have other specialised pilosity partially or wholly missing from the head and alitrunk.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  tisisyx. Strumigenys tisisyx Bolton, 2000: 970, figs. 526, 542 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA.

Worker
Holotype. TL 2.8, HL 0.72, HW 0.45, CI 63, ML 0.31, MI 43, SL 0.45, SI 100, PW 0.31, AL 0.76. With characters of smythiesii-complex. Apicoscrobal hair flagellate, long and straggly. Cephalic dorsum sharply reticulate-punctate, with conspicuous broadly spatulate curved ground-pilosity, but without erect fine or simple hairs (in one or two non-paratypic specimens a single pair of erect short simple hairs occurs close to midline near occipital margin). Pronotal humeral hair flagellate, long and fine; pronotal dorsum without standing pilosity. Mesonotum with I pair of erect flagellate hairs. Entire dorsal alitrunk densely and sharply reticulate-punctate. Propodeal declivity with a narrow lamella, its posterior (free) margin straight to concave below propodeal tooth. Katepisternum, metapleuron and side of propodeum entirely reticulate-punctate (in a few non-paratypic specimens there is a small patch on katepisternum where sculpture is weaker than elsewhere). Dorsum of petiole node finely reticulate-punctate; disc of postpetiole smooth. Hairs on first gastral tergite flagellate.

Paratype. TL 2.8, HL 0.70, HW 0.45, CI 64, ML 0.30, MI 43, SL 0.44, SI 98, PW 0.30, AL 0.77.

Dimensions of non-paratypic workers. TL 2.5-2.8, HL 0.64-0.72, HW 0.41-0.45, CI 63-65, ML 0.26-0.31, MI 41-43, SL 0.39-0.45, SI 93-100, PW 0.27-0.31, AL 0.68-0.76 (8 measured).

Type Material
Holotype worker, Australia: Queensland, Nurninbah Nat. Arch, 1200 ft, 3.ix.1964, rainforest (B. B. Lowery). Paratypes. 1 worker and 1 queen with same data as holotype (ANIC, ).



References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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