Strumigenys charino 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 : 630-631

Strumigenys charino Fisher sp. n.

HOLOTYPE WORKER. TL 1.8, HL 0.44, HW 0.39, CI 89, ML 0.17, MI 38, SL 0.21, SI 54 PW 0.26, AL 0.47. Characters of abdera-comp \ ex. Right mandible with a spiniform preapical tooth; left mandible with a spiniform preapical tooth proximally and a minute distal preapical denticle. Cephalic dorsum posterior of clypeal margin with rows of spoonshaped hairs on anterior two thirds; upper scrobe margin with spoon-shaped hairs. Cephalic dorsum with a transverse row of 4 erect, short clavate hairs near occipital margin. Pronotal humeral hair absent; mesonotum without standing hairs. Dorsum of alitrunk with short spatulate ground-pilosity. In profile, promesonotal dorsum very shallowly convex; propodeal dorsum more or less flat anteriorly, sloping posteriorly to the declivity and rounding into the sides. Propodeal tooth a small denticle incorporated in the very narrow lamella; in profile, width of lamella approximately the width of eye. Ventral spongiform tissue well developed and conspicuous on petiole and postpetiole. Base of first gastral tergite with a continuous row of well developed basal costulae. Color dull yellow to pale brown.

PARATYPE WORKERS. TL 1.8, HL 0.42 - 0.44, HW 0.38 - 0.40, CI 91 - 93, ML 0.16 - 0.17, MI 39 - 41, SL 0.20 - 0.22, SI 50 - 57, PW 0.24 - 0.26, AL 0.45 - 0.46 (3 measured). As holotype.

Holotype worker, Madagascar: Fotodriana, CapMasoala, 25 m., 15 ° 41 ' 49 " S, 5 O ° 16 ' 13 " E, 27. xi. 1993, rainforest, Winkler app. 160.13981 w (G. D. Alpert) (MCZ).

Paratypes. 1 worker with same data as holotype but coded 160.13982 w; 2 workers (one with gaster missing) with same data as holotype but coded 160.3635 w, 160.3636 w and labeled lowland rainforest (Alpert et al.) (BMNH, SAM).

NON-PARATYPIC MATERIAL EXAMINED. Madagascar: F. C. Andriantanteiy 530 m. (H. J. Ratsirarson).

Measurements of non-paratypic material extends the range shown by the type-series: HL 0.45 - 0.48, HW 0.43 - 0.45, CI 95 - 96, ML 0.17 - 0.19, MI 38 - 40, SL 0.23 - 0.25, SI 53 - 56 (3 measured).

Within the arnoldi-group with 6 antennal segments, charino is separated from all other members by having:

1 Cephalic dorsum posterior of clypeal margin with rows of spoon-shaped hairs on anterior

two thirds.

2 Pronotal humeri and mesonotum without erect hairs.

3 Base of first gastral tergite with a continuous row of well developed basal costulae.

4 Lamella of propodeal declivity very narrow in profile, approximately equal to width of eye.