Strumigenys levana Bolton, 2000, sp. n.
Creators: name: Bolton, B.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2000
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Strumigenys
Strumigenys levana

description: Strumigenys levana Fisher sp. n.
HOLOTYPE WORKER. TL 1.6, HL 0.37, HW 0.36, CI 95, ML 0.16, MI 43, SL 0.22, SI 62, PW 0.20, AL 0.41. Characters of lutron-complex. Mandible blade narrow, linear, outcurved; without intercalary denticles between the apical fork teeth. Right mandible with a short distal preapical tooth and a spiniform proximal preapical tooth located at about the apical third of the length; left mandible only with the spiniform proximal preapical tooth. Preocular lamina broad, projecting below the antennal insertion. Anterior clypeal margin with broad spoon-shaped hairs directed dorsally. Dorsum of head behind clypeus reticulatepunctate and with numerous broadly scale-like to spoon-shaped hairs on anterior twothirds. Dorsum of head with a transverse row of 4 hairs close to the occipital margin. Upper scrobe margin with a continuous row of scale-like to spoon-shaped hairs; apicoscrobal hair absent. Eye very small, with 3 ommatidia in total and situated just above the ventral scrobe margin. Antenna with 4 segments. Leading edge of scape a dorsoventrally flattened convex lamella with a row of projecting scale-like to spoon-shaped hairs. In profile, the promesonotum slightly convex; propodeal dorsum shallowly convex anteriorly, sloping posteriorly to the declivity. Propodeal teeth very short, mostly incorporated in the lamella, with only a small point projecting. Sides of alitrunk smooth to superficially reticulate-punctate. Pronotal disc with distinct longitudinal costulae and not sculptured as posterior dorsum of head. In between costulae, pronotum smooth or with fine punctulate sculpture; remainder of dorsal alitrunk and at least the upper half of the propodeal declivity reticulate-punctate to alveolate. Pronotal humeral hair absent. Mesonotum with 2 pairs of erect hairs. Ground-pilosity of dorsal alitrunk consisting of scattered small erect hairs. Dorsal surface of petiole node with faint reticulate-punctate sculpture that is almost effaced; the postpetiole glassy smooth. Petiole, postpetiole and gaster with clavate hairs. In profile the petiole with a well developed spongiform lamella. Postpetiole with well developed lateral and ventral spongiform lobes. Base of first gastral tergite with fine costulae radiating on each side of a broad central clear area, remainder of gaster more or less smooth and shiny. Color dull yellow to pale brown.
PARATYPE WORKER TL 1.6 - 1.7, HL 0.38 - 0.39, HW 0.34 - 0.35, CI 88 - 91, ML 0.17 - 0.18, MI 43 - 47, SL 0.21 - 0.23, SI 62 - 66, PW 0.20 - 0.21, AL 0.39 - 0.41 (5 measured). As holotype.
Holotype worker, Madagascar: Prov. Toamasina, F. C. Sandranantitra, 18 Ã‚Â° 02.9 ' S, 49 Ã‚Â° 05.51 E, 450 m. (21 - 24.1999, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood) # 102 (26) - 3 (H. J. Ratsirarson) (MCZ).
Paratypes. 8 workers with same data as holotype but coded (21) - 1, (20) - 2, (25) - 3, (6) - 3, (8) - 3 (BMNH, SAM).
NON-PARATYPIC MATERIAL EXAMINED. Madagascar: Andranobi, Route d'Andriamena, ca 25 km. W Morarano Sud ca. 1250 m. (A. Peyrieras); F. C. Andriantantely 530 m. (H. J. Ratsirarson).
Measurements of non-paratypic material extend the range shown by the type-series: HL 0.39 - 0.42, HW 0.35 - 0.38, CI 91, ML 0.16 - 0.18, MI 41 - 42, SL 0.24, SI 63 - 68 (2 measured).
S. levana is distinguished from other species in the arnoldi-group by the presence of 4 antennal segments, distinct longitudinal costulae on the pronotal disc, and absence of a pronotal humeral hair.
description: Published as part of 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., pp. 1-1028 in Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65 on pages 632-633