Strumigenys elegantula

This species is widespread within continental Asia and has been recorded in Hong Kong, Macao, Guangdong, Guangxi (China) as well as in Thailand (Brassard et al., 2020). It was originally found in the leaf litter of an dry evergreen forest. In Hong Kong, this seldom encountered ant was found across a wide range of areas and habitats including managed grasslands, trees along roadsides, shrubland, secondary forest, and Feng Shui woods. Known elevation range in Hong Kong is from 1 to 254 m (Tang et al., 2019).

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys leptothrix-group. Seven species of this group, of which elegantula is one, have the propodeal spines subtended by lamellae (see discussion under Strumigenys leptothrix). Of the seven leptothrix and Strumigenys jacobsoni are quickly distinguished from the other five (Strumigenys alecto, Strumigenys benten, elegantula, Strumigenys formosimonticola, Strumigenys japonica) as the former pair have the cephalic dorsum very densely hairy, with standing hairs arising all over the dorsum from the posterior clypeal margin to the occipital margin. In the other five species standing hairs on the dorsum of the head are much sparser and more limited in distribution, restricted to the zone around the highest point of the vertex to the occipital margin, or absent. Of this complex only alecto and elegantula have long freely projecting hairs on the tibiae; elegantula has the pronotum marginate dorsolaterally and the mesopleuron reticulate-punctate, whereas in alecto the pronotal dorsum rounds into the sides and the mesopleuron is completely smooth.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Taiwan, Thailand. Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  elegantula. Smithistruma elegantula Terayama & Kubota, 1989: 788, figs. 23-27 (w.q.) TAIWAN. Combination in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1673; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 119. See also: Bolton, 2000: 431.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - HL 0.62-0.66, HW 0.44-0.48, CI 71-73, ML 0.07-0.08, MI 11-13, SL 0.32-0.34, SI 68-74 (6 measured). Cephalic dorsum in profile without standing hairs, or at most with a single sparse transverse row close to the occipital margin. In full-face view laterally projecting straight hairs restricted to the dorsolateral margins of the occipital lobes, where 1-3 may occur on each side. Leading edge of scape with apically directed small hairs only, without freely projecting long simple hairs. Dentition discussed in introduction to group. Pronotum marginate dorsolaterally, the dorsum more or less flat transversely; humeral hair straight and simple, projecting laterally; pronotal dorsum without standing hairs. Mesonotal dorsum with 3 pairs of standing simple hairs. Mesopleuron reticulate-punctate. Propodeal spines subtended by broad lamellae. Dorsal (outer) surfaces of middle and hind tibiae with suberect long straight simple projecting hairs, the longest of them distinctly longer than the maximum tibial width. Femora and basitarsi with similar projecting hairs.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker, paratype workers and queen, TAIWAN: Nantou Hsien, Puli, 12.vii.1982 (M. Terayama); same locality but 20.viii.1987 (S. Kubota & H. Sakai); Kaohsiung Hsien, Liukuei, 17.viii.1987 (H. Sakai) [examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, 2002. Report of a Rapid Biodiversity Assessment at Qingshitan Headwater Forest Nature Reserve, Northeast Guangxi, China, 25 to 26 August 1998. South China Forest Biodiversity Survey Report Series (Online Simplified Version): No. 17. KFBG, Hong Kong SAR, ii + 12 pp.
 * Li Z.h. 2006. List of Chinese Insects. Volume 4. Sun Yat-sen University Press
 * Tang K.L., Pierce M.P., and B. Guénard. 2019. Review of the genus Strumigenys (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae) in Hong Kong with the description of three new species and the addition of five native and four introduced species records. ZooKeys 831: 1-48.
 * Terayama M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University. Liberal Arts 17:81-266.
 * Terayama M., C. C. Lin, and W. J. Wu. 1996. The Taiwanese species of the ant genus Smithistruma (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Japanese Journal of Entomology 64: 327-339.
 * Terayama M., and S. Kubota. 1989. The ant tribe Dacetini (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Taiwan, with descriptions of three new species. Japanese Journal of Entomology 57: 778-792.
 * Terayama, M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta; Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
 * Xu Z. H., and X. G. Zhou. 2004. Systematic study on the ant genus Pyramica Roger (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of China. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 29: 440-450.
 * Xu Z. and X.-G. Zhou. 2004. Systematic study on the ant genus Pyramica Roger (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of China. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 29(3): 440-450
 * Xu Z. and X.-G. Zhou. 2004. Systematic study on the ant genus Pyramica Roger (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of China. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 29(3): 440-450.