Strongylognathus alpinus

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Strongylognathus alpinus
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Strongylognathus
Species: S. alpinus
Binomial name
Strongylognathus alpinus
Wheeler, W.M., 1909

Strongylognathus alpinus is found in upper montane and subalpine zones between 1450 and 2100m in stony pastures, grassy rubble fans and clearings of sun-exposed woodlands with stones; nests are usually under stones and are frequently very large, sometimes extending over several square meters and probably containing some 15,000 or more workers (along with up to 45,000 host workers) (Seifert, 2018). It is a slave-making ant which uses Tetramorium alpestre and Tetramorium impurum as hosts (de la Mora et al., 2021; Seifert, 2018).

At a Glance • Dulotic  

Identification

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 46.021073° to 45.3°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Switzerland (type locality), Türkiye.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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.
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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.
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Biology

Flight Period

X X X X
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Source: Seifert, 2018.

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • alpinus. Strongylognathus huberi subsp. alpinus Wheeler, W.M. 1909g: 178, fig. 1 (w.q.m.) SWITZERLAND.
    • Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens (numbers not stated, “numerous), 2 syntype males.
    • Type-localities: 2 colonies Switzerland: <1 km. below Zermatt, W slope Matter Valley, ca 1620 m., 13-14.viii.1909 (W.M. Wheeler), 4 colonies Switzerland: right bank of Triftbach, ca 15 mins walk from Zermatt, 18.viii.1909 (W.M. Wheeler).
    • Type-depository: MCZC.
    • Hauschteck, 1962: 219 (k.).
    • Subspecies of huberi: Forel, 1915d: 15 (in key); Emery, 1916b: 199; Kutter, 1920a: 528; Soudek, 1922: 29; Kutter, 1923: 387; Emery, 1924d: 286; Grandi, 1935: 101; Donisthorpe, 1936c: 114 (in list); Novák & Sadil, 1941: 88 (in key); Bernard, 1967: 238 (in key).
    • Status as species: Bondroit, 1918: 111; Kutter, 1968a: 60; Kutter, 1968b: 205; Baroni Urbani, 1969c: 140 (redescription); Bolton, 1976: 306; Kutter, 1977c: 165; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 278 (in key); Poldi, 1994: 189 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 395; Sanetra, Güsten & Schulz, 1999: 337; Petrov, 2006: 101 (in key); Casevitz-Weulersse & Galkowski, 2009: 493; Borowiec, L. 2014: 162; Lebas, et al. 2016: 338; Seifert, 2018: 237.
    • Distribution: France, Italy (+ Sicily), Switzerland.

Description

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Antarea (at www.antarea.fr on June 11th 2017)
  • Bolton B. 1976. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Constituent genera, review of smaller genera and revision of Triglyphothrix Forel. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 34:281-379.
  • Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
  • Buschinger, A., W. Ehrhardt, and K. Fischer. "Doronomyrmex pacis, Epimyrma stumperi und E. goesswaldi (Hym., Formicidae) neu für Frankreich." Insectes Sociaux 28 (1981): 67-70.
  • Casevitz-Weulersse J., and C. Galkowski. 2009. Liste actualisee des Fourmis de France (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Bull. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 114: 475-510.
  • Emery C. 1916. Fauna entomologica italiana. I. Hymenoptera.-Formicidae. Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 47: 79-275.
  • Grandi G. 1935. Contributi alla conoscenza degli Imenotteri Aculeati. XV. Boll. R. Ist. Entomol. Univ. Studi Bologna 8: 27-121.
  • Neumeyer R., and B. Seifert. 2005. Commented check list of free living ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) species of Switzerland. Bulletin de la Societe Entomologique Suisse 78: 1-17.
  • Sanetra M., R. Güsten, and A. Schulz. 1999. On the taxonomy and distribution of Italian Tetramorium species and their social parasites (Hymenoptera Formicidae). Memorie della Societa Entomologica Italiana 77: 317-357.