Strumigenys buddhista

Strumigenys buddhista
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Strumigenys
Species:	S. buddhista
Binomial name
	Strumigenys buddhista; De Andrade, 2007 Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Strumigenys buddhista.

Identification

Baroni Urbani & De Andrade (2007) - A member of the godeffroyi complex in the Strumigenys godeffroyi-group. Resembling Strumigenys uberyx and Strumigenys hindu, but differing from uberyx by the mandibles longer and with less convex sides and by the anterior face of the petiolar node more protruding anteriorly, and from hindu by its smaller size (TL 1.96 mm instead of 2.50 mm), by the smaller SI (90.9 instead of SI = 102.6), and from both, uberyx and hindu, by the standing hairs on the head dorsum, less numerous.

Strumigenys buddhista is very similar to uberyx and hindu. These three species have similar body sculpture but the number of standing hairs on the head dorsum helps to separate them. The three rows of standing hairs on the head dorsum are placed as follows: 1 row close to the vertexal margin, 1 row at the same line as the dorsolateral flagellate hairs and 1 row at the level of the eyes. In buddhista the rows have 4,2,2 hairs, in uberyx the rows have 4,4,4 hairs and in hindu the rows have 4,4,2 hairs. Besides the differences in the number of standing hairs on the head dorsum, buddhista differs from uberyx and hindu by the higher value of MI (46 instead of MI 41-42 as in uberyx and hindu). In addition, buddhista and uberyx share the small size and buddhista and hindu share the anterior face of the petiole protruding anteriorly and tumuliform.

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Nepal (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

buddhista. Strumigenys buddhista De Andrade, in Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 159, fig. 55 (w.) NEPAL.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

TL 1.96; HL 0.50; HW 0.33; SL 0.30; ML 0.23; EL 0.02; WL 0.51; CI 66.0; SI 90.9; MI 46.0.

Head sides converging anteriorly, with round vertexal corners. Frontal lobes weakly expanded and convex. Antennal fossae ventrally with a marked carina visible in full-face view, straight, covering the lower margin of the scrobes and ending close to the eyes. Eyes small, with 2 ommatidia in the longest row, placed over the ventral margin of the antenna I scrobes, and slightly visible in dorsal view. With the head in profile the scrobe distinct, with superficially marked upper and lower margins. Clypeal dorsum weakly concave medially. Lateral clypeal margin gently converging anteriorly into a straight margin. Scapes subcylindrical, about 3/5 of the head length and surpassing the eyes posteriorly. Antennae with six segments. Apical funicular joint longer than the rest of the funiculus. Mandibles diverging anteriorly and curved on the two anterior thirds. Apical fork of the mandibles with two spiniform teeth and with one intercalary denticle. Preapical dentition consisting of one spiniform tooth near the apex.

Mesosoma in profile with weakly convex mesonotum and with a longitudinal carina starting from the mesonotum and ending on the anterior half of the basal face of the propodeum; the carina thicker and shaped as a small triangular protuberance on the propodeum. Posterior half of the propodeum declivous. Propodeal teeth pointed and ventrally connected to a lamella.

Petiole with a long neck and with the node high, weakly convex dorsally and broadly tumuliform anteriorly. Ventral surface of the petiole with a broad spongiform lamina. Petiolar node with posterior margin and posterior sides surrounded by spongiform process. Postpetiole gently convex in profile. Anterior, lateral and posterior margin of the postpetiole surrounded by spongiform processes. Ventral surface of the postpetiole with large and dense spongiform process.

Gaster oval and with few, thin, very short costulae. Base of the first gastral tergite and sternite with a spongiform pad larger on the tergite.

Sculpture. Head minutely reticulate-punctuate. Pronotum, pleurae and declivous face of the propodeum smooth; in addition the pronotum with a few sparse punctures. Mesonotum, basal face of the propodeum and petiole punctuate. Postpetiole and gaster smooth.

Pilosity. Head, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole with appressed hairs, denser on the petiole. Dorsolateral margin of the head in full-face view with only the apicoscrobal flagellate hairs. Cephalic dorsum with three rows of erect hairs, the first row with 4 hairs close to the occipital margin, the second row with 2 standing hairs and the third row with 2 standing hairs on the frons. Upper scrobal margin with narrowly spoon-shaped hairs curved anteriorly. Clypeal border with similar hairs as the upper scrobe. Scapes with similar hairs as the upper scrobes and curved posteriorly. Pronotal humeral hairs long and flagellate. Dorsum of the pronotum with a pair of erect, long flagellate hairs. Mesonotum with a pair of erect, flagellate hairs. Petiole, postpetiole and gaster with few erect flagellate hairs. Outer face of mid and hind tibiae with an erect, long, flagellate hair. Hind basi tarsi with 1 pair of erect, long, flagellate hairs.

Colour. Light brown.

Type Material

Holotype worker (unique) from Nepal labelled: Pokhara, 820 m, 15-18.VI.1976, Nepal, W. Wittmer, C. Baroni Urbani (Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel).

Etymology

Name derived from the Buddhism, the second major religion in Nepal.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Baroni Urbani C., and M. L. De Andrade. 2007. The ant tribe Dacetini: limits and constituent genera, with descriptions of new species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).
. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale "Giacomo Doria" 99: 1-191.