Strumigenys rudinodis

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys leptothrix-group. S. rudinodis shares its dentition (see under introduction to group) and characteristic propodeal organisation with Strumigenys megaera, Strumigenys scolopax, Strumigenys scylla and Strumigenys medusa within the leptothrix-group. The propodeum in all these species is armed with a pair of narrow acute spines that are subtended by sharp but narrow carinae. These carinae run down the declivity on each side to an acutely triangular propodeal lobe that is directed upward and backward. The declivity does not have broad lamellae subtending the spines.

Of the five species, scylla and medusa have numerous long fine hairs that project out from the dorsal (outer) surfaces of the middle and hind tibiae. These hairs are conspicuously longer than the maximum width of the segment on which they arise, and similar hairs also occur elsewhere on the legs. These two species also have abundant long, fine, apically acute, curved standing hairs on the promesonotal dorsum. In rudinodis, scolopax and megaera the middle and hind tibiae bear short, apically-directed decumbent hairs and the dorsal alitrunk has relatively sparse hairs that are short and tend to be more or less straight and blunted apically.

With the head in profile megaera and scolopax have only a single transverse row of standing short hairs, located close to the occipital margin, whilst rudinodis has a dense series of standing hairs between the highest point of the vertex and the occipital margin, distinctly more than a single transverse row. In megaera the dorsal outline of its clypeus in profile rises almost vertically from the mandibles before curving posteriorly, giving the anterior part of the clypeus a broadly convex and somewhat bulging appearance. The dorsal outline of the clypeus in rudinodis and scolopax, in the same view, is evenly shallowly convex from anterior to posterior margin, with the highest point of the convexity at the midlength.

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

Nomenclature

 *  rudinodis. Strumigenys (Cephaloxys) inezae var. rudinodis Stärcke, 1941: ii (w.) INDONESIA (Java). Combination in Weberistruma: Brown, 1953g: 26; in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1673. Raised to species: Brown, 1953g: 26; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 127. See also: Bolton, 2000: 438.

Description
Bolton (2000) - Type-material of this species was redescribed in some detail by Brown (1953a: 26). A more recently collected series from West Malaysia is smaller: HL 0.64-0.68, HW 0.43-0.45, CI 65-67, ML 0.09-0.10, MI 15-17, SL 0.32-0.34, SI 71-77 (10 measured). These specimens otherwise match the type-series.

Type Material
Syntype workers, INDONESIA: Java, Bogor ( = Buitenzorg), G. Poentjak, 1400 m., iii.1936 (E. Jacobson) [examined].