Strumigenys paradoxa

The single type specimen was collected at La Selva Biological Station. It was from a 10cm deep soil/litter core placed in a Berlese funnel. The soil core came from trap site 3 of the ALAS project, La Selva GIS 1498/1848 (along Hartshorn trail), a site with old-growth wet forest on alluvial soil (Longino, Ants of Costa Rica). Close to a dozen subsequent collections suggest this is a wet forest species that inhabits that leaf litter.

Identification
The only member of the Strumigenys paradoxa-group.

Longino (Ants of Costa Rica) - Mandible relatively short and curved downward; leading edge of the scape lacking projecting hairs; propodeum unarmed, although with a lamella extending up posterior face; face smooth and shining; color orange.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica, Honduras.

Nomenclature

 *  paradoxa. Pyramica paradoxa Bolton, 2000: 210, figs. 145, 183 (w.) COSTA RICA. Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 125

Worker
Holotype. TL 1.7, HL 0.44, HW 0.34, CI 77, ML 0.07, MI 16, SL 0.18, SI 53, PW 0.22, AL 0.44. Eye minute, of a single ommatidium. Dorsal surfaces of clypeus and head capsule smooth and shining. Alitrunk almost entirely smooth and shining, without sculpture except for propodeal declivity where some faint punctulation is visible. Dorsum of petiole node and disc of postpetiole glassy smooth. Basigastral costulae sharply developed and dense, arising across the whole width of the tergite and extending back over more than half the length of the sclerite. Spaces between costulae, and sclerite behind them, glassy smooth. Ground-pilosity of vertex sparse, of slender medially-curved small hairs that tend to be slightly flattened or splayed at their extreme apices. In full-face view some of these hairs project beyond the lateral outline of the occipital lobes and are curved anteriorly. With head in profile the dorsum with two pairs of much longer straight erect slender hairs; first pair arises on dorsum just behind level of scrobe apex, second pair arises more posteriorly and laterally. Dorsal alitrunk with ground-pilosity as head, promesonotum also with 6-7 pairs of erect fine straight hairs. First gastral tergite with short decumbent ground-pilosity that curves toward the midline, and with a number of longer fine erect simple hairs. Petiole node in dorsal view broader than long, the lateral spongiform lobes conspicuously projecting on each side. Disc of postpetiole with anterior margin almost transverse, the sides markedly convergent posteriorly behind the prominent anterolateral angles; posterior margin convex. Femoral and tibial glands reduced to small pale marks on the cuticle that are very difficult to discern.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Costa Rica: Heredia, Est. BioI. La Selva, 50-150 m., 10°26'N, 84°01'W, l.iii.1994, INBio-OET, bosque primario, B/03/41 1 (J. Longino).