Strumigenys paranetes

The type material was taken from a rotten log in rainforest. Subsequent collections are from litter samples in wet forests.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys mayri-group. This species separates easily from Strumigenys orthanetes as the latter has a preapical denticle on the mandible, a pair of erect hairs on the pronotal dorsum and is lighter in colour. Respective shape of the propodeal lamella is the easiest way to distinguish Strumigenys anetes from paranetes, but the former is also a larger, more lightly coloured species with somewhat longer scapes. The ventrolateral margin of the head, immediately in front of the eye, has a small, shallow but distinctive U-shaped impression in paranetes, whereas any preocular impression of the margin in anetes is minute or vestigial. As noted in the key, the easiest way to separate paranetes from Strumigenys dysanetes is to check the relative lengths of the mandibles and scapes. Apart from this dysanetes has a very conspicuously impressed area posteromedially on the cephalic dorsum.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  paranetes. Strumigenys paranetes Brown, 1988g: 43, 2 figs. (w.) AUSTRALIA. See also: Bolton, 2000: 980.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 2.3-2.5, HL 0.68-0.77, HW 0.46-0.54, CI 65-70, ML 0.31-0.36, MI 45-47, SL 0.44-0.50, SI 88-96, PW 0.25-0.29, AL 0.63-0.70 (20 measured).

Answering the description of anetes but smaller and with the scapes averaging shorter (compare measurements). Lamella on the propodeal declivity broad in paranetes, its posterior (free) margin convex. Darkly coloured species, uniform dark brown to blackish brown.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker and paratype workers, AUSTRALIA: Queensland, Malanda, 6 & 7.xi.1950, rain forest, rotten log (W. L. Brown) [examined].

When describing Strumigenys anetes Brown (1988) stressed that it, and its close relative paranetes, were “without any trace of a preapical tooth”. However, a series that he included as paratypes of paranetes (AUSTRALIA: Atherton, xii.1957-ii.1958 (P. F. & P. J. Darlington) possess a preapical denticle. They also differ from both anetes and paranetes by having a pair of erect hairs on the pronotal dorsum, in addition to the humeral hairs, and obviously represent a separate species. To straighten out this anomaly I have restricted the type-series of paranetes to the holotype and other members of its series and removed the Atherton series to Strumigenys orthanetes; this series now has no type-status. Two other series included by Brown as paratypes of paranetes have not been seen (West slope Mt Bartle Frere, 900-1500 m, xii.1957 (Darlingtons); series with no locality data (T. E. Woodward). These are also here excluded from the type-series of paranetes. Their exact identity remains to be confirmed; specimens are probably in MCZ, ANIC, or both.