Strumigenys bathron 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 : 629-630

Strumigenys bathron Fisher sp. n.

HOLOTYPE WORKER. TL 2.0, HL 0.47, HW 0.45, CI 96, ML 0.17, MI 36, SL 0.26, SI 58, PW 0.26, AL 0.48. Characters of abdera-complex. Mandible with a single long preapical tooth. Dorsum of head from posterior clypeal margin to occipital margin including occipital angles and along upper scrobe margin with spoon-shaped hairs that are similar in shape to hairs on leading edge of scape. Pronotal humeral hair absent; anterior margin of mesonotum without erect stiff hairs. Dorsum of petiole with a pair of broadly clavate to remiform hairs on posterior lateral margin. In profile, promesonotal dorsum convex; propodeal dorsum shallowly convex anteriorly, sloping posteriorly to the declivity. Cuticle on anterior half of propodeal declivity alveolate. Spongiform tissue well developed on declivity of propodeum, petiole and postpetiole. Propodeal teeth incorporated in the lamellae, with only a small point projecting; propodeal lamellae broad, more than half as broad as ventral lamella of petiole. Disc of postpetiole smooth; in dorsal view completely surrounded by spongiform tissue, forming a narrow band along anterior lateral angles. Color dull yellow to pale brown.

PARATYPE WORKERS. TL 1.8 - 1.9, HL 0.45, HW 0.43, CI 95 - 96, ML 0.15, MI 33 - 34, SL 0.22 - 0.24, SI 51 - 55, PW 0.23 - 0.25, AL 0.46 - 0.47 (2 measured). As holotype.

Holotype worker, Madagascar: 6.5 km. SSW Befingotra, Res. Anjanaharibe-Sud, 14 ° 45 ' S, 49 ° 30 ' E., 875 m., 19. x. 1994, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), rainforest # 1070 (L. 0.) - 15 (B. L. Fisher) (MCZ). Paratypes. 2 workers with same data as holotype but coded (8) - 9, (50) - l (BMNH).

NON-PARATYPIC MATERIAL EXAMINED. Madagascar: 5 km. SW Antalaha 50 m. (G. D. Alperl); 6.9 km. NE Ambanizana, Ambohitsitondroina 825 m. (B. L. Fisher); 5.3 km. SSE Ambanizana, Andranobe, 425 m. (B. L. Fisher).

Measurements of non-paratypic material extends the range shown by the types series: HL 0.41 - 0.46, HW 0.41 - 0.43, CI 94 - 97, ML 0.13 - 0.16, MI 32 - 35, SL 0.22 - 0.23, SI 53 - 57 (4 measured).

The sample from 6.9 km. NE Ambanizana differs slightly in the diagnostic characters of the type material. In this single specimen, the clavate hairs on petiolar dorsum are broader and the ventral spongiform lamella on the petiole is narrower. Additional collection may reveal that this is actually a sibling species.

S. bathron is distinguished from other species in the arnoldi-group that have 6 antennomeres by having the cephalic dorsum with broad spoon-shaped to orbicular hairs present on posterior third, dorsum of petiole with a pair of broadly clavate to remiform hairs; and lacking pronotal humeral hairs.