Strumigenys fairchildi

Specimens have been collected in various wet forests. It is aboreal, as evidenced by its presence in fogging samples and hand collections from live stems.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys tococae-group. Among the three species of the group in which the first gastral tergite is sculptured everywhere fairchildi is diagnosed by the above characters. In Strumigenys usbensis the first gastral tergite has spatulate hairs present and lacks spongiform tissue beneath the petiole. In Strumigenys anthocera hairs are present in the apicoscrobal position and on the mesonotum, and the spine at the base of the propodeal declivity is as long as the spine at the top.

Longino (Ants of Costa Rica) - Apical fork of mandible with two intercalary teeth; mandible with two pronounced preapical teeth; eye large, with over 35 facets; dorsal and ventral teeth of propodeal lamella pronounced, acute; gaster finely longitudinally striolate, opaque-sericeous throughout.

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

Nomenclature

 *  fairchildi. Strumigenys fairchildi Brown, 1961a: 60 (w.) PANAMA. See also: Bolton, 2000: 564.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 3.7-4.0, HL 0.92-1.00, HW 0.69-0.78, CI 74-78, ML 0.55-0.60, MI 59-60, SL 0.64-0.70, SI 87-94, PW 0.42-0.48, AL 0.94-1.06 (4 measured).

First gastral tergite finely and very densely longitudinally costulate-striolate; surface of sclerite with minute inconspicuous appressed pubescence only, without spatulate hairs such as are present on the cephalic dorsum but with a few scattered flagellate hairs that are extremely fine, easily broken or lost. Apicoscrobal hair absent. Maximum diameter of eye ca 0.14. Propodeum in profile with a pair of long spines at top of declivity; base of declivity with a pair of much shorter acute teeth that are narrowly triangular. Ventral surface of petiole with a narrow continuous strip of spongiform tissue.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker, PANAMA: Panama Prov., Cerro Campana, 17.i.1960, 800-850 m. (G. B. Fairchild & W. L. Brown) [examined].