''Stigmatomma scrobiceps'' is a species of
ant in the genus ''
Stigmatomma
''Stigmatomma'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Amblyoponinae. The genus has a worldwide distribution, and like most other amblyoponines, ''Stigmatomma'' species are specialized predators. First described by Roger (1859), it was for a long ...
''.
It was described as ''Bannapone scrobiceps'' by Guénard ''et al.'' in 2013, based on two specimens collected in
Yunnan Province
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...
, China, and placed as the second species in ''Bannapone''.
It was moved to ''Stigmatomma'' by Ward and Fisher (2016).
Specimens were found in habitats that were forests with considerable amounts of leaf litter and rotting wood materials. Due to the few specimens collected and the fact that the area has been relatively studied, Guénard ''et al.'' (2013) ranked the genus as one of the most rare ant genera in the world. However, they could not rule out whether collection techniques,
crypsis
In ecology, crypsis is the ability of an animal or a plant to avoid observation or detection by other animals. It may be a predation strategy or an antipredator adaptation. Methods include camouflage, nocturnality, subterranean lifestyle and ...
, or subterranean habits (known to occur among ants within the subfamily) biased the frequency of the collections.
Etymology
The name refers to antennal scrobes on the heads of the workers, and the name's translation from Latin means trench-headed (= trench) and "ceps" (= headed).
References
Amblyoponinae
Insects of China
Insects described in 2013
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