Strumigenys esrossi

Known from a few type collections, one of which was from "a nest in a small cavity in the soil, 3 inches below the surface."

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the signeae complex in the Strumigenys godeffroyi-group. This Philippines species shares a lack of standing pilosity and lack of a specialised humeral hair with Strumigenys forficata, Strumigenys degonya and Strumigenys ortholex; see under forficata.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Philippines.

Nomenclature

 *  esrossi. Strumigenys esrossi Brown, 1957g: 114 (w.q.) PHILIPPINES. See also: Bolton, 2000: 820.

Worker
TL 2.2-2.7, HE 0.58-0.65, ML 0.26-0.30, WL 0.58-0.68; CI 70-74, MI 45-46. The larger workers are often lighter and more yellow in color.

Bolton (2000) - TL 2.3-2.5, HL 0.62-0.68, HW 0.44-0.49, CI 71-74, ML 0.28-0.30, MI 43-46, SL 0.34-0.39, SI 76-81, PW 0.25-0.28, AL 0.62-0.71 (6 measured).

Characters of signeae complex. Preapical tooth not adjacent to apicodorsal tooth. Apicoscrobal hair absent; dorsolateral margin of head in full-face view with a row of small, closely applied spoon-shaped hairs only; no freely laterally projecting hairs. Ventrolateral margin of head not concave in front of eye. Cephalic dorsum with appressed or near-appressed spatulate to narrowly spoon-shaped ground-pilosity but without erect hairs, even the usual row near the occipital margin absent. Dorsal alitrunk with sparse, near-appressed ground-pilosity, without standing hairs anywhere, pronotal humeral hair absent. Dorsal surfaces of petiole, postpetiole and first gastral tergite without standing hairs; second tergite to apex with a few short erect hairs. Entire dorsum and side of alitrunk densely reticulate-punctate. Propodeal lamella broad, engaging most of length of spine. With petiole in profile the lateral spongiform lobe is restricted to the posterior third of the length of the node; in the same view anterior face of node shorter than length of dorsum. Petiole node in dorsal view broader than long. Disc of postpetiole finely and densely longitudinally punctulate-costulate. Base of gaster finely and densely striolate; sculpture may be of striolae alone or these may occur between the somewhat more strongly emphasised basigastral costulae; remainder of tergite unsculptured.

Queen
Female, from type nest series: TL 2.8, HE 0.67, ME 0.29, WL 0.69; CI 75, MI 43. Mesonotum with a feeble median sulcus; pilosity as on head, except for a pair of short, tapered, erect hairs on anterior scutum. Nodes broader than in worker; petiolar node about as broad as long. Gaster more opaque, the striolae stronger and extending nearly the whole length of the basal tergite; coarser at extreme base. Anterior gastric dorsum with a widely spaced pair of very small erect clavate hairs. Medium ferruginous; ocelli small, with blackened callus at each.

Type Material
Holotype one of 21 workers taken at San Jos, Mindoro I., Philippine Islands, from a nest in a small cavity in the soil, 3 inches below the surface (E. S. Ross leg.). Paratype workers: 20 workers from type nest series; numerous workers from near Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Philippines (probably chiefly from the Cuernos Mts.) (J. W. Chapman and D. Empeso); one worker from miscellany. Victoria, Luzon (Pierce leg.) one worker from Jolo I., Philippines, from stomach of Rana nicrodisca leytensis in MCZ. Paratypes in CAS,, MCZ.

Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker, paratype workers and queen. PHILIPPINES: Mindoro I., San Jose, iv.1945 (E. S. Ross); paratype workers, PHILIPPINES: Negros Oriental, Dumaguete (D. Empeso); Luzon, Victoria, 28.xi. [37?; year number partially illegible] (Pirres); Jolo I., in Rana microdisca leytens is (no collector's name) [examined].