Strumigenys nitens, , Santschi, 1932

Booher, Douglas B., Prebus, Matthew & Lubertazzi, David, 2019, A taxonomic revision of the Strumigenys nitens and simulans groups (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), two Caribbean radiations of leaf litter ants, Zootaxa 4656 (2), pp. 335-358 : 356

Key to the workers of the Strumigenys nitens group:

1 Basigastral costulae extending beyond the basal quarter of the first gastral tergite; Mandibles in full face view short, MI 23-30; Cuba...................................................................................... convexiceps

- Basigastral costulae not extending beyond the basal quarter of the first gastral tergite; Mandibles in full face view longer, MI 27-39............................................................................................... 2

2 Occipital lobes enlarged: lateral margins of head in full face view converging anteriorly; mandibles more compact, shorter than apical antennal segment, MI 27-32; petiolar node broad, roughly 2/3 times as wide as postpetiole in dorsal view. Hispaniola........................................................................................... zemi sp. nov.

- Occipital lobes not enlarged: lateral margins of head in full face view approximately parallel; mandibles elongate, about the length of the apical antennal segment, MI 31-39; petiolar node narrow, about half as wide as postpetiole in dorsal view. Bahamas, Cuba............................................................................................

3 Mandibles bearing six teeth, four arranged vertically at the apex of the mandible, and two along the inner mandibular margin ( Fig. 2c ); mandibles longer, MI 38-39; antennal scape shorter, SI 56-60; mesosoma more compact, WL 2.1-2.2x PW; eyes small, maximum compound eye length less than the width of the antennal scape; Cuba.................. caiman sp. nov.

- Mandibles bearing five teeth, two arranged vertically at the apex of the mandibles with two intercalary denticles between them, and three along the inner mandibular margin ( Fig. 2b ); mandibles shorter, MI 31-35; antennal scape longer, SI 61-74; mesosoma elongate, WL ~ 2.3x PW; eyes large: maximum compound eye length greater than the width of the antennal scape. Bahamas, Cuba....................................................................................... 4

4 Head with two elongate simple to subflagellate scrobal setae, one at position of eye and one at apicoscrobal position; erect setae on humeral shoulders and mesosoma elongate to subflagellate; ground pilosity of dorsum of mesonotum elongate (larger than length of eye) simple to wavy decumbent setae that are not adpressed, larger species, WL 0.57-0.62mm; dark reddish brown to dark brown in color; Cuba........................................................... hubbewatyorum sp. nov.

- Head with one stiff to expanded scrobal seta at apicoscrobal position; erect setae on humeral shoulders and mesosoma stiff, slightly expanded to remiform; ground pilosity on dorsum of mesonotum mostly adpressed expanded setae that are shorter than the length of eye; smaller species, WL 0.44-0.56mm; light yellowish brown to light reddish brown in color. Bahamas, Cuba................................................................................................ nitens

Figures

FIGURE 2. Comparison of full-face view and mandibles in oblique antero-dorsal view of: a) reproduction of original Santschi (1932) illustration of Strumigenys nitens b) Strumigenys nitens (CASENT0914607) c) Strumigenys caiman (MCZ- ENT00644270).