Strumigenys cabira Fisher, 2000

Bolton, B., 2000, The ant tribe Dacetini. With a revision of the Strumigenys species of the Malgasy Region by Brian L. Fisher, and a revision of the Austral epopostrumiform genera by Steven O. Shattuck., Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65, pp. 1-1028 : 673-674

Strumigenys cabira Fisher sp. n.

HOLOTYPE WORKER. TL 2.8, HL 0.64, HW 0.48, CI 75, ML 0.28, MI 44, SL 0.43, SI 89, PW 0.31, AL 0.71. Characters of chroa-complex. Mandibles almost straight and at full closure parallel except at base. A narrow lamella present on inner margin of mandible that extends from base of mandible to proximal preapical tooth; in full-face view inner margin of lamella shallowly and evenly convex, tapering before reaching preapical tooth; width of gap between lamellae at clypeal margin approximately equal to width of mandible. Upper scrobe margin rounding into the sides of head near posterior margin of eye. Eye moderate, the maximum diameter approximately equal to maximum width of scape. Hairs on leading edge of scape short, spoon-shaped. Cephalic dorsum with curved spoon-shaped ground-pilosity, the upper scrobe margins fringed with a row of hairs which are the same shape and size as those on the dorsum. Cephalic dorsum with 4 clavate standing hairs arranged in a transverse row close to the occipital margin. Anterior margin of mesonotum with a pair of erect clavate hairs curved toward the midline. Ground-pilosity on alitrunk as on head. Posterior portion of mesonotum shallowly concave dorsally; propodeal dorsum sloping gradually to declivity. Propodeal teeth broadly triangular, lamellate, apex directed posteriorly; subtended by moderately developed lamellae. Dorsum of head, alitrunk, and petiole node reticulate-punctate with a granular appearance. Pleurae and sides of propodeum smooth except for peripheral punctures. Postpetiole disc shiny and faintly punctulate. In profile the petiole with a deep ventral spongiform strip and a small lateral lobe on the node. Ventral spongiform lobe on postpetiole a rounded, dorsally projecting triangle in profile, approximately equal to the exposed area of the postpetiole disc in profile. Lateral lobe of postpetiole large and lamellate. Base of first gastral tergite with fine costulae radiating on each side of a broad central clear area. Dorsal surfaces of petiole, postpetiole and gaster with stout standing clavate hairs. Colour dull yellowish brown.

PARATYPE WORKERS. TL 3.0, HL 0.66, HW 0.47. CI 71, ML 0.32, MI 48, SL 0.47, SI 101, PW 0.31, AL 0.81 (1 measured). As holotype.

Holotype worker, Madagascar: 11 km. NW Enakara, Ris. Andohahela, 24 ° 34 ' S, 46 ° 50 ' E, 800 m., 17. xi. 1992, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood, rainforest # 492 (15) - 14 (B. L. Fisher) (MCZ). Paratypes. 1 worker, Madagascar: 13 km. NW Enakara, Ris. Andohahela, 24 ° 33 ' S, 46 ° 48 ' E, 1250 m., 30. xi. 1992, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood, montane rainforest # 561 (23) - 4 (B. L. Fisher) (SAM).

S. cabira , balux and tegar are distinguished from other species in the chroa-complex by a short upper scrobe margin, absence of a pronotal humeral hair, and presence of a single pair of clavate hairs on the anterior margin of the mesonotum. S. cabira is separated from balux and tegar by the large gap between the bases of its mandibles; in dorsal view width of gap between mandibular lamellae at clypeal margin is approximately equal to width of mandible. In addition, the postpetiole disc is mostly shiny and only faintly punctulate, while in balux and tegar the postpetiole disc is distinctly reticulate-punctate. S. balux and tegar are best distinguished by size: HL 0.57 - 0.62 in balux and HL 0.75 in tegar .