Strumigenys calamita

This species occurs in lowland wet forest, in leaf litter on the forest floor (Longino, Ants of Costa Rica).

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys silvestrii-group. S. calamita is closest related to Strumigenys perdita but the two have very different gastral pilosity. In the latter all waist segment and gastral standing hairs are simple, erect and stiff, their shafts uniform and straight or at most only extremely shallowly curved. None is distinctly remiform or claviform but most are bluntly pointed apically. In calamita, on the other hand, these hairs are shorter and stouter, distinctly curved, and very obviously remiform or claviform.

This species and perdita show similarities with the widely distributed Strumigenys silvestrii, but in that species the apicoscrobal and pronotal humeral hairs are stiff and feebly remiform or somewhat flattened apically, rather than long fine and flagellate. Also, silvestrii lacks spongiform tissue ventrally on the petiole, a feature present in both calamita and perdita.

Longino (Ants of Costa Rica) - Mandible somewhat bowed; apical fork of mandible without intercalary tooth; mandible with long, spiniform preapical tooth about one quarter distance from apical fork to mandible base; minute denticle variably present one half to two thirds distance to mandible base; eye composed of 1-4 facets; gaster smooth with strong basal costulae; gaster with erect setae distinctly spatulate; leading edge of scape at the subbasal bend lacks a lamella; spiniform preapical tooth of mandible occurs closer to the apicodorsal tooth than to the proximal denticle.

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

Nomenclature

 *  calamita. Strumigenys calamita Bolton, 2000: 550 (w.) COSTA RICA.

Worker
Holotype. TL 1.8, HL 0.46, HW 0.36, CI 78, ML 0.25, MI 54, SL 0.28, SI 78, PW 0.23, AL 0.46. Closely related to Strumigenys perdita and mostly answering the description given for that species, but differing as follows.

1 Standing pilosity on petiole, postpetiole and first gastral tergite entirely of short stout hairs that are remiform to claviform. In profile all are curved or inclined posteriorly; in dorsal view some hairs on the first tergite are also curved toward the midline.

2 Spiniform preapical tooth on mandible set closer to apicodorsal tooth.

3 Cephalic ground-pilosity more narrowly spatulate.

4 Scapes and mandibles relatively somewhat shorter (compare SI and MI measurements).

Paratypes. TL 1.7-1.9, HL 0.46-0.50, HW 0.36-0.40, CI 76-80, ML 0.24-0.27, MI 51-56, SL 0.27-0.32, SI 75-81, PW 0.21-0.27, AL 0.44-0.52 (9 measured).

Type Material
Holotype worker, Costa Rica: Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva, 50-150 m., 10°26'N, 84°01'W, 1.xii.1993, INBio-OET, bosque primario, B/07/315 (no collector's name).

Paratypes. Costa Rica: 2 workers with same data as holotype but 3.viii.1993, B/18/187 and B/19/188, bosque secondario; 2 workers with same data but 1.ix.1993, B/05/279 and B/07/280, bosque primario; 2 workers with same data but vii.1992, #3203-S (J. Longino); 1 worker with same data but 1992, litter/soil arthropod study, #C-l (U. Wagner); 3 workers, Heredia, La Selva, 50 m., 10°26'N, 83°59'W, 20.iii.1987, #243 (D. M. Olson); 1 worker, Provo Heredia, 13 km. SSW Pto Viejo, 10°21'N, 84°03'W, 300 m., 17.vii.1986, wet forest, litter sample, #1390-S (J. Longino) (BMNH,, , , , ).