Strumigenys kichijo group

Strumigenys kichijo group Bolton (2000)

Worker Diagnosis
Mandibles in full-face view and at full closure triangular, with serially dentate masticatory margins that engage throughout their length, or the basal most few teeth may have apices that meet but fail to fully interlock. In ventral view outer margin of mandible without an inflected prebasal angle. MI 18-24.

Dentition. Basally with a row of 5 teeth. Basal tooth stout and relatively broadly triangular; tooth 3 much narrower, subspiniform and fractionally longer than the basal. Tooth 2 distinctly shorter than 1 and 3. Tooth 3 followed distally by a pair of smaller teeth that are about the same size as tooth 2. Distal to these are 2 very small teeth, 4 minute denticles and a very small apical tooth that is scarcely longer than the preceding denticles. Total dental count 12.

Basal lamella a low broadly triangular rounded lobe that is visible in full-face view when the mandibles are fully closed and is less than half the height of the basal tooth, which follows the lamella without a diastema.

Labrum terminates in a pair of narrow triangular to digitate lobes.

Clypeus with anterior margin evenly narrowly convex and continuing the line of the lateral margins, the latter diverging posteriorly. Outer margins of mandibles intersect anterior clypeal margin at or near anterolateral clypeal angles in full-face view. In ventral view lateral margins of clypeus not expanded far beyond outer margins of mandibles.

Clypeal lateral margins with freely projecting short simple hairs that are directed anterolaterally. Dorsum of clypeus with numerous standing hairs that are curved medially or anteromedially.

Preocular carina narrowly visible to conspicuous in full-face view.

Ventrolateral margin of head between eye and mandible bluntly angular to rounded, not conspicuously developed. Postbuccal impression small.

Cuticle of side of head within scrobe densely reticulate-punctate.

Leading edge of scape with a row of longer simple projecting stiff hairs that are weakly curved toward the apex of the scape, and with numerous shorter softer projecting hairs that are more strongly curved in same direction.

Pronotal dorsum without a median longitudinal carina.

Propodeal declivity with broad lamellae.

Spongiform appendages of waist segments large and well developed. Base of first gastral sternite in profile with a pad or crest of spongiform tissue.

Pilosity. Pronotal humeral hair flagellate. Dorsum of head and pronotum with numerous curved simple soft hairs; also with longer, finer hairs that are arched to flagellate. Behind the pronotum the longer finer hairs predominate. Very long, extremely fine hairs project from the dorsal (outer) surfaces of the tibiae and basitarsi.

Sculpture. Dorsum of head behind clypeus reticulate-punctate to reticulate-granular. Pleurae, side of propodeum and disc of postpetiole smooth.