Strumigenys azteca

Known from dozens of collections, all from litter samples gathered from wet forest habitats.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the azteca-complex in the Strumigenys excisa-group. S. azteca is closely related to Strumigenys rogata and Strumigenys turpis but in azteca the outline of the cephalic dorsum in profile is a high dome and the anteroventral margin of the head in front of eye forms a high, narrowly arched concavity.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico.

Nomenclature

 *  azteca. Glamyromyrmex aztecus Kempf, 1960f: 444, figs. 22, 27, 28 (w.) MEXICO. Combination in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1672; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 116. See also: Bolton, 2000: 171.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 1.8-1.9, HL 0.46-0.50, HW 0.39-0.45, CI 85-90, ML 0.08-0.10, MI 17-20, SL 0.20-0.21, SI 45-51, PW 0.23-0.26, AL 0.46-0.50 (3 measured).

Head in profile with the dorsal surface forming a high even dome, the highest point at or just behind the level of the eye. Maximum depth of head in profile 0.68 X HW (0.60 X HL). Ventral surface of head deeply convex behind postbuccal groove, but more narrowly so than the dorsum. Anteroventral margin of head narrowly high-arched in front of the eye, the curvature of the arch filled in by a thin cuticular lamina. Dorsum and dorsolateral margins of head without standing or projecting hairs of any form. Pronotal humeral hair simple. Dorsolateral margins of pronotum with one other pair of standing hairs, margins of the mesonotum with two pairs. First gastral tergite with sparse short erect hairs that are apparently restricted to the dorsolateral margins. Dorsal alitrunk with faint traces of superficial sculpture. Basigastral costulae faint and scratch-like, almost effaced and indistinguishable from superficial shagreening. With gaster in profile outline of first sternite is convex to more or less flat, definitely not concave, from its deepest point almost to the base; outline only concave very near base, where it tends to be concealed by the overhanging tergite.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker and paratype worker, MEXICO: Vera Cruz, Pueblo Nuevo, nr Tetzonapa, 7.iii.1953 (holotype) and 18.viii.1953 (paratype), Berlese funnel, rain forest (E. O. Wilson) [examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
 * Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
 * Fernandes, P.R. XXXX. Los hormigas del suelo en Mexico: Diversidad, distribucion e importancia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
 * Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Longino J. T. L., and M. G. Branstetter. 2018. The truncated bell: an enigmatic but pervasive elevational diversity pattern in Middle American ants. Ecography 41: 1-12.
 * Longino J. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/
 * Mirmecofauna de la reserva ecologica de San Felipe Bacalar
 * Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133