Strumigenys probatrix

Occurs in wet forest habitats. I collected the species from Winkler samples of forest floor leaf litter in Monteverde and Hitoy Cerere. Uli Wagner collected a dealate queen in her study of forest floor litter fauna of La Selva Biological Station. At 1070m in the Zona Protectora of Braulio Carrillo National Park, a cloud forest habitat, I found an interesting co-occurrence of this and two other ant species. I looked beneath an epiphyte mat in a treefall, and found what appeared to be two contiguous nests, one of Cyphomyrmex salvini complex, and one of Strumigenys nevermanni. The disturbance to the epiphyte mat had jumbled them together, and I collected a series of both species into a vial. Upon examining the vial later, I discovered three workers of P. probatrix in addition to more abundant workers of Cyphomyrmex and Strumigenys. Could this indicate something special about the nesting habits of probatrix? (Longino, Ants of Costa Rica)

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys probatrix-group. Differences separating this species from Strumigenys doryceps, the only other known member of the group, are tabulated in the identification section of this other ant.

Longino (Ants of Costa Rica) - Mandibles in side view straight, not broadly curved ventrally; mandibles relatively short, subtriangular, much of the apical portion meeting along a serially toothed masticatory margin when closed (former Smithistruma); leading edge of the scape with simple straight hairs present, projecting apically, not toward base of scape; color brown-black; face punctate; sides of posterior half of mesosoma completely and densely punctulate; head very elongate, CI 55-61; disc of postpetiole smooth and shining.

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

Nomenclature

 *  probatrix. Smithistruma probatrix Brown, 1964a: 186, pl. 16, fig. 3 (w.) MEXICO. Combination in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1673; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 126. See also: Bolton, 2000: 212.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 2.7-3.0, HL 0.67-0.82, HW 0.41-0.45, CI 55-61, ML 0.17-0.18, MI 22-25, SL 0.36-0.42, SI 88-93, PW 0.30-0.34, AL 0.72-0.88 (5 measured).

Antennal club segments long, combined length of funicular segments 4 and 5 ca 0.60, greater than the SL. Fourth (preapical) funicular segment somewhat swollen, broader than the apical antennomere and broader than the scape. Legs relatively long, hind femur 0.58-0.64; bullae of femoral and tibial glands conspicuous. Node of petiole in profile with length of dorsum greater than height of anterior face. Disc of postpetiole in dorsal view narrowly bordered with spongiform tissue on all sides. Margins of clypeus fringed with short spatulate hairs that are shallowly curved; clypeal dorsum with minute spatulate hairs. Dorsum of head with a single pair of long vertical flagellate hairs that arise just behind highest point of vertex. Cephalic dorsum and sides reticulate-punctate everywhere, the clypeus less strongly so than the remainder; small median tumulus of clypeus more or less smooth and clypeal margin anteromedially ending in a blunt poi nt. Dorsal alitrunk, declivity of propodeum and sides of alitrunk densely reticulate-punctate everywhere except for a smooth area on the katepisternum. Petiole and postpetiole reticulate-punctate, the latter sometimes with a small smooth area anteromedially and with traces of longitudinal organisation of sculpture centrally on disc. First gastral tergite highly polished and glassy smooth, basigastral costulae very short and restricted to extreme base of sc1erite.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker, MEXICO: Chiapas, Ocosingo, 25.vi. 1950, Berlese funnel sample (c. & M. Goodnight & L. J. Stannard) [examined].