Strumigenys stauroma

Inhabits wet forest habitat. I only know it from Berlese and Winkler samples from the forest floor. It is known from two sifted litter samples from Penas Blancas (800m) and one litter/soil core from La Selva Biological Station. (Longino, Ants of Costa Rica)

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys schulzi-group. This species is very closely related to Strumigenys cassicuspis and Strumigenys microthrix. Indeed, most of the features described above are common to all three species and define the species-complex. Characters distinguishing microthrix from cassicuspis and stauroma are given under microthrix; those separating cassicuspis from stauroma are listed under cassicuspis.

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); head relatively broad, CI 77-83; leading edge of the scape with entirely anteriorly directed short spatulate hairs; color red-brown to black; face punctate; sides of posterior half of mesosoma completely and densely punctulate; disc of postpetiole reticulate-punctate; ventral petiolar appendages entirely obsolete or present as very fine cariniform vestiges; infradental lamellae of propodeum vestigial or narrow and concave; gaster with 0-4 filiform (not spoon-shaped) erect setae; face and mesosoma covered with short, stiff, erect setae (stubble); surface of face granular and roughly tuberculate; cephalic dorsum at level of frontal lobes with a transverse row of four hairs that are much longer than the surrounding short pilosity. Very similar to Strumigenys microthrix and Strumigenys cassicuspis. The former has no stubble. The latter has the face surface finely granular (not shining), but not tuberculate.

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

Nomenclature

 *  stauroma. Pyramica stauroma Bolton, 2000: 226 (w.) COSTA RICA. Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 128

Worker
Holotype. TL 2.1, HL 0.62, HW 0.49, CI 79, ML 0.10, MI 16, SL 0.25, SI 51, PW 0.31, AL 0.60. Anterior clypeal margin broadly convex. Dentition as described in introduction to group. Occipital lobes strongly expanded laterally in full-face view. Scape markedly dorsoventrally flattened and broad in dorsal view. Freely projecting hairs on leading edge of scape spoon-shaped, directed at right-angles to long axis of scape or curved toward the apex of the scape; no hairs conspicuously curved toward the scape base. Apicoscrobal and pronotal humeral hairs absent. With head in full-face view lateral margins of occipital lobes with abundant short stubbly projecting erect hairs. Occipital lobes with numerous minute peaks or tubercles from which short hairs arise. Cephalic dorsum without a transverse row of elongate standing hairs just behind highest point of vertex but clypeus and dorsum of head with dense short stubbly erect pilosity. Clypeus close to its posterior border with a transverse palisade-like row of 4 hairs that are somewhat stouter and much longer than the remaining clypeal and cephalic pilosity. Promesonotum in dorsal view flattened and very broad, with abundant short stubbly standing pilosity that is suberect or erect. Femoral gland bullae elongate and conspicuous, especially on foreleg; bullae very obviously much longer than broad. Lateral spongiform lobes and posterior collar of petiole apparently absent, actually narrow and secondarily sclerotised, and pigmented so as to be virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding cuticle. With petiole in profile the dorsal length of the node distinctly greater than the height of its anterior face; in dorsal view the node conspicuously longer than broad. Petiole in profile without trace of ventral spongiform tissue. Spongiform strip at base of first gastral sternite vestigial to absent. Entirety of head and alitrunk reticulate-punctate. Basigastral costulae very short, behind them the sclerite glassy smooth.

Paratypes. TL 2.1-2.4, HL 0.60-0.72, HW 0.46-0.56, CI 77-79, ML 0.09-0.11, MI 14-16, SL 0.24-0.30, SI 51-55, PW 0.29-0.38, AL 0.58-0.68 (4 measured).

Type Material
Holotype worker, Costa Rica: Provo Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva, 10°26'N, 84°01'W, 50- 150 m., l.ii.l994, bosque primario, INBio-OET, B/05/38 1 (J. Longino).

Paratypes. 2 workers with same data as holotype. 1 worker Costa Rica: Provo Alajuela, Rio Penas Blancas, 10°19'N, 84°43'W, 800 m., 26-28.iv.1987, wet forest, ex sifted leaf litter, #1579-s (J. Longino); 1 worker with same data but #1578-s (,, , .)