Strumigenys wheeleriana

Longino (Ants of Costa Rica) - This species inhabits the forest floor of lowland rainforest. It is known from few collections. The type specimens were collected on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, and two collections have been made at the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. One of the La Selva collections was a worker in a Winkler sample of sifted litter from the forest floor, and the other was a presumed nest series (dealate queen and several workers) from a Berlese extraction of a litter/soil core. Brandao (1991) reports the species from Venezuela.

Identification
Bolton (2000) – A member of the Strumigenys appretiata-group. S. wheeleri; is closest related to Strumigenys glenognatha, Strumigenys halosis and Strumigenys raptans. These four combine the presence of a distinct ventral postpetiolar spongiform lobe with basigastral costulae that are much shorter than the dorsal length of the postpetiole disc, unsculptured first gastral tergite and presence of a humeral hair. Of the four wheeleri alone has the lateral petiolar lobes reduced to minute oblique cuticular denticles that look like tiny thorns and are limited to the extreme posterolateral angles of the node in dorsal view. In the other three species the lobes are small, triangular or bluntly rounded and are either laminate and translucent or weakly spongiform.

The holotype (USNM) figured by Smith (l944b) appears to lack, or have an extremely reduced, ventral postpetiolar lobe. In the paratype (MCZ) and all other material examined the lobe is well defined and conspicuous. I suspect that the figured specimen has been damaged but the suspicion remains that some members of this species may have reduced postpetiolar ventral lobes. More collections from the type-locality should easily solve this problem.

Longino (Ants of Costa Rica) - Mandible short and curving downward in profile; lateral head capsule with the antennal scrobe mostly or entirely smooth and shining; propodeal spines present(former Glamyromyrmex); leading edge of scape lacking erect hairs; disc of postpetiole in dorsal view not U-shaped or V-shaped, without a deeply concave anterior face; spongiform tissue present on ventral surface of postpetiole; color dark brown to black; face and vertex completely lacking erect setae; head in side view convex above and below, not flattened.

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

Nomenclature

 * wheeleri. Glamyromyrmex wheeleri Smith, M.R. 1944f: 254, figs. 1, 2 (w.) PANAMA. [Junior secondary homonym of Epitritus wheeleri Donisthorpe, above.] Replacement name: wheeleriana Baroni Urbani, in Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 130. Combination in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1672. See also: Brown, 1950a: 32; Bolton, 2000: 164.
 *  wheeleriana. Strumigenys wheeleriana Baroni Urbani, in Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 130. Replacement name for Glamyromyrmex wheeleri Smith, M.R. [Junior secondary homonym of Epitritus wheeleri Donisthorpe, 1916a: 121.]

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 1.8-2.2, HL 0.54-0.58, HW 0.49-0.56, CI 92-97, ML 0.08-0.11, MI 18-19, SL 0.18-0.24, SI 37-43, PW 0.25-0.37, AL 0.50-0.58 (8 measured).

Pronotal humeral hair fine, flagellate. Mesonotum with a single pair of short erect simple hairs. Dorsal surfaces of petiole, postpetiole and gaster with scattered short erect simple hairs. Pronotum mostly smooth, with superficial vestiges of reticulate sculpture. Mesonotum, propodeal dorsum and declivity not reticulate-punctate. Dorsum of petiole node with vestigial sculpture, disc of postpetiole glassy smooth. Propodeal spines elongate and apically narrowly acute. Petiole node in profile with dorsal length of node greater than the height of the anterior face of the node; in dorsal view node longer than broad, the lateral lobes reduced to minute oblique denticles at the extreme posterolateral corners. Ventral margin of petiole in profile, below the highest point of the node, with a small triangular tooth that is surmounted by a thin lam ell ate crest. Ventral spongiform lobe of postpetiole conspicuous, with a rounded convex ventral margin. In dorsal view anterior and posterior margins of postpetiole disc subequal in width, the sides scarcely or not convergent posteriorly. Lateral lobe of postpetiole small and subtriangular, arising from only about the posterior half of the side; maximum width of one lobe less than half the width of the disc. Basigastral costulae minute, very much shorter than the maximum length of the postpetiole disc; first gastral tergite otherwise glassy smooth.

Type Material
Holotype worker and paratype worker, PANAMA: Canal Zone, Barro Colorado I., xii.1943, i.1944 no. 5114 (J. Zetek) [examined].