Strumigenys thaxteri

Known from a small number of specimens, collection data note one is from a forest and another from vegetation beating in an unspecified habitat. Field observations suggest it is a sit and wait ambush predator that captures insects that alight on the vegetation upon which they position themselves. Once prey is subdued they descend with it to ground level, where they presumably nest. Their massive mandibles, robust claws, dense body cover of long silky hairs, and sting may all contribute to detecting, trapping, and subduing larger sized, flying prey (Lattke et al., 2018).

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys thaxteri-group. Known from Trinidad and Guyana, this very distinctive species is closely related only to Strumigenys reticeps, from which it is easily separated by the characters listed under the latter. S. thaxteri has extremely heavily built mandibles, bearing numerous relatively small teeth, that are reminiscent of those seen in the Malesian leptothrix-group, but even more massively developed. These heavy mandibles, coupled with reticulate-rugulose cephalic sculpture, dense pilosity, and the species-group characters listed above, render thaxteri easily identifiable.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Ecuador, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago.

Nomenclature

 *  thaxteri. Codiomyrmex thaxteri Wheeler, W.M. 1916d: 327, fig. 1 (w.) TRINIDAD. Combination in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1672; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 129. See also: Brown, 1953g: 21; Bolton, 2000: 243.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 2.6-2.8, HL 0.64-0.68, HW 0.58-0.60, CI 88-90, ML 0.13-0.14, MI 19-22, SL 0.30-0.36, SI 55-60, PW 0.38-0.40, AL 0.70-0.72 (2 measured).

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Lectotype and paralectotype workers, TRINIDAD: near Port of Spain (R. Thaxter) (MCZ,, ) [examined].