Strumigenys carolinae 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 : 640

Strumigenys carolinae Fisher sp. n.

HOLOTYPE WORKER TL 2.2, HL 0.55, HW 0.47, CI 85, ML 0.17, MI 31, SL 0.26, SI 56, PW 0.27, AL 0.57. Characters of sylvaini-complex. Entire dorsum of head blanketed with fine, dense reticulate-punctate to reticulate-granulate sculpture. Clypeal dorsum with short, anteriorly-directed spatulate hairs. Spoon-shaped hairs are numerous on the dorsal surfaces of the occipital lobes, but they are absent from the median posterodorsal area of the head and from immediately behind clypeus. There are no standing hairs of any description on the head, alitrunk, postpetiole or first gastral tergite. Eye conspicuous, with 4 - 5 ommatidia in the longest row. Promesonotal dorsum mostly smooth. Pronotal humeri rounded. Mesopleural gland large and circular. Petiole node broader than long in dorsal view, and with several pairs of posteriorly curved decumbent spatulate hairs. Disc of postpetiole completely surrounded by spongiform tissue; disc with a mostly smooth dorsal disk. Basigastral costulae moderately developed, extending for some distance onto the first gastral tergite.

PARATYPE WORKER TL 2.2 - 2.4, HL 0.55 - 0.58, HW 0.46 - 0.49, CI 81 - 87, ML 0.16 - 0.18, MI 29 - 32, SL 0.26 - 0.27, SI 55 - 57, PW 0.26 - 0.30, AL 0.55 - 0.62 (4 measured). As holotype.

Holotype worker, Madagascar: Prov. Antsiranana, R. S. Manongarivo, 10.8 km. 229 ° SW Antanambao, 400 m. 13 O 57.7 ' S, 48 ° 26.0 iE, 8. xi. l 998, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), rainforest # 1996 (40) - 2 (B. L. Fisher) (MCZ).

Paratypes. 36 workers and 3 queens (dealate) with same data as holotype but coded (13) - 1, (18) - 1, (32) - l, (35) - l, (35) - 2, (35) - 3, (38) - l, (38) - 2, (42) - 2, (44) - 4, (45) - l, (46) - l, (46) - 2, (49) - l, (50) - 6, (51) - 1, (55) - 2, (56) - 7, (70) - 2 (BMNH, SAM).

NON-PARATYPIC MATERIAL EXAMINED. Madagascar: R. S. Manongarivo, 12.8 km. 228 ° SW Antanambao, 780 m. (B. L. Fisher); R. S. Manongarivo, 14.5 km. 220 ° SW Antanambao, 1175 m. (B. L. Fisher); Nossi Be Island (P. Saranya).

Measurements of this material extends the range shown by the type-series: HL 0.58 - 0.65, HW 0.46 - 0.52, CI 79 - 83, ML 0.18 - 0.21, MI 30 - 33, SL 0.28 - 0.30, SI 56 - 59 (6 measured).

S. carolinae is immediately separated from all other members of the group by its unique possession of:

1 Rounded pronotal humeri.

2 Dense reticulate-punctate to reticulate-granulate sculpture present on the dorsum of the head but absent from promesonotum.