W. L. Brown, Jr.
The Indo-Australian Species of the Ant Genus Strumigenys Fr. Smith: S. wallacie Emery and Relatives.
Psyche 60:85-88, 1953.

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PSYCHE
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Vol. 60 September, 1953 No. 3
THE INDO-AUSTRALIAN SPECIES OF THE ANT
GENUS STRUMZGENYS FR. SMITH: S. WALLACEI EMERY AND RELATIVES1
BY WILLIAM L. BROWN, JR.
Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University This is another part of my continuing revision of the dacetine ant genus Strumigenys. Here are discussed three species of the szalayi group, one of which is described as new. The other species of the group will be treated in a later paper in the series. The abbreviations for measure- ments and proportions are explained in previous parts of the revision : see Psyche 60 : 1
(1953). Deposition of cer-
tain types is indicated 'by capitals in brackets as follows: United States National Museum [USNM], Museum of Com- parative Zoology, Harvard University [MCZ] . Strumigenys nidif ex Mann
Strumigenys nidifex Mann, 1921, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard, 64: 464, fig. 23, all castes.
This very large, dark brown species is found only on a few of the larger islands of the Fijian Group. The original description permits easy recognition; the ant is larger than any other species known from the Indo-Australian area, although Mann's measurements are a bit too low. I have recently received specimens from Mr. N. L. H. Krauss taken at Navai, Viti Levu. It nests under stones, where it builds reticulately patterned nests with mud, or in rotten wood [USNM, MCZ].
Strumigenys wallacei Emery
Stdgenys Wallacei Emery, 1897, Term. Fiizetek 20: 575, 578, pi. 14, fig. 7, worker.
'Published with a grant from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College.
Psit-he (0335.89 (1953). hup //psyche enlclub orgWeO-OaS html



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86 Psyche [September
I have seen no specimens of this species, but Emery's figure and description show that it is very closely related to S. opaca sp. nov., described below. Emery's measurements are probably too low ("2%-3 jmm."), and in hils figure, the eyes may be portrayed as much too flat, judging from other related species. In the width of the head, form and pilosity of the antenna1 scapes, and other features, this species and S. opaca together form a subgroup distinct from the other szalayi relatives. Possibly wallacei, like opaca, may also lack the intercalary tooth of the apical fork. Of wallacei, Emery says the gaster is "nitida, nigra, basi rugosi-striata." In the new species, the entire first tergite is sculptured and opaque, and is deep red instead of black. As already men-
tioned, the difference in the eyes as portrayed in Emery's figure may not be reliable, so we shall have to await an opportunity to see types of wallacei before citing other dis- tinctions between the two species.
The types are either
in the Emery Collection, Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa, or in the Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, or both. Type locality: Lemien Forest, near Berlinhafen, New Guinea.
Strumigenys opaca new species
Holotype worker : TL 3.49 mm., HL 0.83 mm., ML 0.46 mm., WL 0.81 mm. ; CI 86, MI 55. Occipital lobes overlapping pro- notum by about 0.04 m., this amount not subtracted from TL.
Head in outline very much as in Emery's figure of S. wallacei (see above), very broad and similarly deeply ex- cised [posteriorly. Eyes larger, more convex and more strongly protuberant, also more anteriorly directed, than those shown for zvallacei in Emery's figure. Actually, the eyes are situated on low protuberances, immediately in front of which run deep vertical preocular sulci; the latter continue onto the ventral surface of the head and join there to form the deep postoral sulcus. Antenna1 scrobes ending - abruptly above the eyes. As the head is seen in direct dorsal view, the dorsolateral borders run well inside of the ventro- lateral borders and are only very feebly indented at the level of the eyes. The periocular structure is similar to that of szalayi, nidifex, etc., but differs in having the dorsolateral



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19531 Brown - Indo-Australian Strumigews 87 borders only slightly indented above the eyes and in having the eyes themselves much larger and more protruding, more nearly prospicient.
Vertex evenly convex, feebly impressed in the middle; occipital lobes strongly depressed and nearly plane dorsally ; broadly expanded both posteriad and laterad. Clypeus more than half again as broad as long, moderately convex, an- terior border emarginate and weakly depressed in the middle.
Mandibles about as shown in Emery's wallacei figure, slightly depressed and very slightly broadened just at their insertions. Seen from the side, they tilt slightly dorsad and are feebly arched. Apical fork of two long spinif orm teeth. subparallel and forming a U, the ventral tooth (L 0.10 mm.) about 2/$ as long as the dorsal (L 0.15-0.16 mm.) ; no inter- calary denticle. Preapical tooth slightly curved, spiniform, situated at approximately the apical third of the ML, its L ca. 0.10 mrn.
Antenna1 scapes (straightline L about 0.60 mm.) very feebly bent posteriorly near the base, where they are very slender; apical half gradually incrassate, thickest at about the apical quarter, and gently arched so as to follow the contour of the sides of the head when in repose. This adapt- ation evidently compensates for the incomplete condition of the scrobes, and is seen in somewhat similar form in szalayi. Funiculus L 0.65 mm., the apical segment occupying just half this IV longer than I; 11 and 111 subequal, longer than broad, together not quite as long as I. Anterior promesonoturn gently convex, descending be- hind through the evenly concave posterior half of the meso- notum to the lower, extremely feebly convex (nearly straight in profile) propodeal dorsum ; rnetanotal groove obsolete. Promesonotum seen from above with a very nar- rowly rounded and poorly developed anterior border ; cervix with a median dorsal carinula. No traces of humeral angles or tubercles, humeral region gently convex, promesonotal suture obsolete. Propodeal teeth long (L ca. 0.12 rnrn.), set far apart, slender, acute, feebly diverging and elevated at an angle of about 35' from the plane of the propodeal dorsum. Inf radental carinulae indistinct, becoming obsolete ventrad.




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88 Psyche [September
Petiolar peduncle slender, slightly longer than node. Node evenly rounded above, very slightly broader than long, with only very narrow, sublamellose vestiges of ap- pendages posterodorsally, posterolaterally and ventrally. Postpetiole twice as broad as petiolar node, and higher and more bulky, subglobose, only slightly broader than long (L 0.20, w 0.25 mm.) ; spongiform appendages poorly de- veloped, restricted to thin posterodorsal border and meager ventral and ventrolateral lobes.
Entire insect, except for shining mandibular apices, densely and finely sculptured and opaque ; the sculpture pre- dominantly punctulate as in other species of the genus, and similarly becoming more superficial and indistinct on the gastric dorsum, which, though largely quite opaque, be- comes less definitely so toward the apex. Dorsum of head, alitrunk and nodes with a sparse, in- conspicuous ground pilosity of short, spatulate subappressed hairs. Clypeus with a medially directed fringe of spatulate hairs, about 9 or 10 on each side of the mildldle. Anterior border of scape with a regular row of stiff, apically-inclined oar-shaped hairs, becoming longer toward the scape apex ; a similar row appears in Emery's figure of wallacei, but the individual hairs in opaca appear to have broader blades apically. Hairs on inner mandibular borders near base long, fine, subreclinate ; those near apex longer, perpendic- ular. Abundant short subreclinate hairs along posterior borders of scapes. No specialized erect hairs on head or ali- trunk. Short, erect, posteriorly-inclined clavo-spatulate hairs as follows : a pair on postpetiole; 3 pairs on basal gastric tergite; transverse rows of 4-6 hairs each on suc- ceeding gastric segments, becoming smaller and finer toward extreme apex. Short fine hairs under gastric apex. Color deep brownish-red; mandibles, legs, antennae and occipital lobes a trifle lighter and more yellowish. Holotype [MCZ] selected from a nest series of 15 workers taken in rain-forest at Lankelly Creek in the McIlwraith Range, a few miles east of Coen, central Cape York Pen- insula, Queensland during June, 1932 (P. J. Darlington: Harvard Australia Expedition).
paratypes : [MCZ, USNM, Queensland Museum, etc.] the



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19531 Brown - Indo-Australian Strumiqengs 89 remaining 14 workers from the type nest series are very uniform in structure and color, and quantitative variation is slight. TL 3.18-3.51, HL 0.78-0.85, ML 0.43-0.48, WL 0.75- 0.81 mm. ; CI 82-86, MI 54-57.
FIRST RECORDS OF THE EUROPEAN MANTIS RELIGIOSA (L.) FROM MAINE. -Aside from the persistent records from New York and Ontario, the last three years have produced numerous records of this insect in widely scattered locali- ties in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Although only one specimen was reported in Sept. 1951, from Saco, Maine (Mrs. G. B. Nutting), the following 1952 records from Y'ork County, Maine indicate that it may now have a hold in that state: three specimens from Biddef,ord, 15, 18 Aug., and 6 Oct. (H. J. Edwards, A. Lowell, and J. Foran) ; one specimen from South Buxton, 10 Sept. (de- termined by Mr. A. E. Brower of the Entomological Labora- tory, Augusta). The Biddeford records, along with numer- ous other "sightings", were largely from the business dis- trict, in yards, on window sills, parking meters, and the like. Although the males fly well, as do many females be- fore they become gravid, this relatively rapid spread is probably due largely to long-distance shipments of hay and nursery stock containing their egg masses. The average winter temperature of coastal and south- eastern Maine is close to that of southern Ontario, but is definitely warmer than northeastern Ontario near the con- fluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers. Since this mantid is alrleady well establkhed in 'both these region's of Ontario, it is poslsible that it may eventually become a per- manent resident over much of New England, including coastal Maine. - W. L. NUTTING, Biological Laboratories, Harvard University.




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