Pyramica rostrataeformis

Japanese Name

Takasago-ashinaga-ari

Brown, W. L., Jr. (1949) Revision of the ant tribe Dacetini. 1. Fauna of Japan, China and Taiwan. Mushi 20: 1-25.

Smithistruma rostrataeformis Brown, 1949, Pyramica rostrataeformis (Brown): Bolton, 1999,

Total length of workers around 1.5 mm. Clypeus fringed with spatulate hairs, anterior margin straight, without median emargination or projection. Antennal scapes with angulate leading edges at the basal third. Promesonotum more or less raised. Elongate flagellate hairs absent on pronotal humeri, but a pair of scale-like hairs present on anterolateral areas of the mesonotum.

This species is similar to Pyramica. incerta. The shape of the anterior margin of the clypeus, which is often cited as a distinguishing character, can be difficult to interpret, but the presence of a pair of scale-like hairs on the pronotal humeri enables reliable recognition of P. rostrataeformis. This species was described from Magi, Kochi Prefecture. The northernmost distribution record is from Kinkazan, Miyagi Prefecture (Sonobe, 1977). Okamoto (1952) found P. rostrataeformis in a decaying tree trunk. This species is less common than P. incerta.

Honshu, Shikoku, Kyusyu