Strumigenys ayersthey is a species of ant found in Chocó region of Ecuador.[1] It is the only species belonging to the group of Strumigenys that has a long jaw, bigger jaw structure and lacks stretches in its cuticule.[2]
S. ayersthey is named after artist and human rights activist Jeremy Ayers, and is the first species to have a nonbinary binomial name, in honor of Ayers' activism.[3]
Traditionally, binomial nomenclature — how new or revised species are named — follows a grammatical gender binary (see). This means that when a species is named after a human, the specific name (the second of the pair of names) will end with one of two suffixes:
According to Booher, Ayers himself identified as a gay man; the "they" suffix was intended to honor both Ayers's LGBT activism and the non-binary community.
S. ayersthey has little to no sculpturing anywhere on its body[4] and has only fine simple to flagellate setae, whereas mandibularis species group members are predominantly sculptured and not shining with mostly decumbent to appressed apically expanded or flattened setae.