Strumigenys ambatrix

Occurs in a range of forest habitats and has been collected from numerous litter samples in eastern Madagascar.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys rostrata-group. Of the four species of this group found in Madagascar ambatrix is unique in possessing long flagellate hairs at the pronotal humeri. In the other three species the humeral hairs are simple and straight or only very shallowly curved.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Nomenclature

 *  ambatrix. Pyramica ambatrix Bolton, 2000: 255 (w.q.) MADAGASCAR. Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 115

Worker
Holotype. TL 2.1, HL 0.56, HW 0.41, CI 73, ML 0.10, MI 18, SL 0.28, SI 68, PW 0.26, AL 0.60. Closely related to Strumigenys victrix and mostly matching the description given there, but differing as follows.

1 Pronotal humeral hair long and flagellate.

2 Mesonotum usually with 2 pairs of erect hairs.

3 Entire dorsal alitrunk, and propodeal declivity, densely sharply reticulate-punctate.

4 Ventral spongiform curtain of petiole extends the length of the segment, present beneath the peduncle but narrower there than beneath the node.

5 In dorsal view the postpetiole disc, from the posterolateral angles to the anterolateral angles, margined by spongiform tissue.

Paratypes. TL 2.0-2.1, HL 0.50-0.56, HW 0.40-0.42, CI 73-76, ML 0.09-0.11, MI 17-20, SL 0.26-0.28, SI 65-70, PW 0.24-0.28, AL 0.56-0.62 (10 measured). As holotype but number of mesonotal standing hairs apparently variable or affected by abrasion, with one or two pairs present.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Madagascar: 5.3 k m. SSE Ambanizana, Andranobe, 15°40'S, 49°58'E, 425 m., 21.xi.1993, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood) rainforest, #926 (41)-1 (B.L. Fisher).

Paratypes. 1 worker and 1 queen (dealate) with same data as holotype; 20 workers and 4 queens (dealate) with same data but coded (2)-1, (22)-2, (24)-1 , (25)-1 , (31)-1, (36)-1, (40)-1, (43)-1, (50)-1, (L.O.)-1.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
 * Fisher B. L. 2003. Formicidae, ants. Pp. 811-819 in: Goodman, S. M.; Benstead, J. P. (eds.) 2003. The natural history of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, xxi + 1709 pp.