Strumigenys agetos 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 : 646-647

Strumigenys agetos Fisher sp. n. (Figs 390, 413)

HOLOTYPE WORKER. TL 3.3, HL 0.75, HW 0.60, CI 80, ML 0.32, MI 42, SL 0.45, SI 75, PW 0.36, AL 0.84. Mandible in full-face view with the outer margins shallowly and evenly convex, the width approximately constant from the level of the preapical tooth to near the base where the mandibles are somewhat narrowed. Apical fork with 1 or 2 intercalaries; either both with 2, or left mandible with 2 intercalary denticles and right mandible with a small intercalary tooth. Anterior clypeal margin broadly concave and with a row of short hairs that are curved ventrally at more or less right angles. Upper scrobe margins more or less straight and shallowly divergent posteriorly. Hairs that fringe upper scrobe margin slender and similar in shape to those on leading edge of scape, terminating in an erect filiform hair in apicoscrobal position. Eye large, with about 20 ommatidia, the maximum diameter of the eye distinctly greater than the maximum width of the scape. Cephalic dorsum with curved narrowly spatulate ground-pilosity on anterior two-thirds; simple standing hairs present along posterior margin of head and with 1 - 2 more anteriorly situated pairs. Pronotal dorsum with several pairs of simple hairs; mesonotum with a pair of standing hairs on anterior margin. Posterior portion of mesonotum depressed behind the level of the standing hairs. Propodeal teeth triangular and incorporated in broad lamellae. Sides of alitrunk reticulate-punctate peripherally, the pleurae mostly smooth. Pronotal dorsum reticulate-punctate and longitudinally feebly rugulose. Remainder of dorsal alitrunk reticulate-punctate. Petiole node in dorsal view reticulate-punctate and distinctly longer than broad. Postpetiole smooth and shining. Spongiform appendages of waist segments well developed, the petiole with a medially impressed ventral curtain and conspicuous lateral lobe on the node. Postpetiole with large lateral and ventral spongiform lobes of which the ventral is the larger, larger than the exposed area of the postpetiole disc in profile.

Basigastral costulae arising continuously across tergite, longer than disc of postpetiole; remainder of first gastral tergite smooth. Dorsal surfaces of petiole, postpetiole and gaster with simple standing hairs.

PARATYPE WORKERS. TL 3.1 - 3.3, HL 0.73 - 0.76, HW 0.56 - 0.60, CI 77 - 80, ML 0.30 - 0.33, MI 40 - 43, SL 0.43 - 0.45, SI 73 - 80, PW 0.34 - 0.37, AL 0.78 - 0.85 (8 measured). As holotype.

Holotype worker, Mauritius: Le Pouce 700 m., 20 ° 12 ' S, 57 O 31 ' E, 9. iv. l 989, under stone, low closed forest # 10260 (P. S. Vhrd) (MCZ).

Paratypes. 8 workers with same data as holotype (BMNH, SAM, UCD).

Among the Malagasy region species which have a cylindrical scape but lack a preocular notch, agetos is immediately recognized by its dentition.