Strongylognathus destefanii

Strongylognathus destefanii
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Strongylognathus
Species:	S. destefanii
Binomial name
Strongylognathus destefanii Emery, 1915 Specimen Labels
Synonyms
Strongylognathus emeryi Menozzi, 1921 Strongylognathus huberi cecconii Emery, 1916

At a Glance

• Dulotic

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 41.95° to 37.5°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Italy (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

Association with Other Organisms

 Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

• This species is a slave maker for the ant Tetramorium impurum (a host) (de la Mora et al., 2021; Menozzi, 1921; Sanetra et al., 1999; Sanetra & Buschinger, 2000) (sometimes as Tetramorium cf. impurum).
• This species is a slave maker for the ant Tetramorium semilaeve (a host) (de la Mora et al., 2021; Menozzi, 1921; Sanetra et al., 1999; Sanetra & Buschinger, 2000) (sometimes as Tetramorium cf. semilaeve).

Castes

Images from AntWeb

Syntype of Strongylognathus huberi cecconii. Worker. Specimen code casent0904865. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.

Syntype of Strongylognathus destefanii. Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0904869. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.

Nomenclature

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

• destefanii. Strongylognathus destefanii Emery, 1915a: 263 (q.) ITALY (Sicily).
  • Type-material: holotype queen.
  • Type-locality: Italy: Sicily, nr Palermo, ca 1885 (T. De Stefani).
  • Type-depository: MSNG.
  • Donisthorpe, 1927a: 6 (w.).
  • Status as species: Emery, 1916b: 199; Kutter, 1923: 338; Emery, 1924d: 285; Donisthorpe, 1927a: 6; Kutter, 1927: 101; Donisthorpe, 1936c: 114 (in list); Baroni Urbani, 1964b: 54; Kutter, 1968b: 205; Baroni Urbani, 1969c: 155 (redescription); Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 147; Bolton, 1976: 307; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 278 (in key); Poldi, 1994: 189 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 395; Poldi, et al. 1995: 6; Sanetra, Güsten & Schulz, 1999: 340; Petrov, 2006: 101 (in key); Borowiec, L. 2014: 163; Lebas, et al. 2016: 338.
  • Senior synonym of cecconii: Sanetra, Güsten & Schulz, 1999: 340.
  • Senior synonym of emeryi: Sanetra, Güsten & Schulz, 1999: 340.
  • Material of the unavailable name kutteri referred here by Baroni Urbani, 1964b: 54; Kutter, 1968b: 205; Baroni Urbani, 1969c: 155; Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 147; Bolton, 1976: 307.
  • Distribution: Italy (+ Sicily).
• cecconii. Strongylognathus huberi subsp. cecconii Emery, 1916b: 199.
  • Type-material: syntype queens (number not stated).
  • Type-locality: Italy: Apulia, Tremiti Is, Caprara I., San Nicola I. (G. Cecconi).
  • Type-depositories: MCZC, MSNG.
  • [First available use of Strongylognathus huberi subsp. rehbinderi var. cecconii Emery, 1908d: 24 (q.) ITALY; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
  • As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Wheeler, W.M. 1909g: 186.
  • Subspecies of huberi: Kutter, 1923: 338; Emery, 1924d: 286; Santschi, 1927a: 58; Grandi, 1935: 101; Donisthorpe, 1936c: 114 (in list); Baroni Urbani, 1962: 133.
  • Status as species: Kutter, 1968b: 205; Baroni Urbani, 1969c: 153 (redescription); Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 146; Bolton, 1976: 307; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b: 278 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 395; Poldi, et al. 1995: 6; Petrov, 2006: 101 (in key) (error).
  • Junior synonym of destefanii: Sanetra, Güsten & Schulz, 1999: 340.
• emeryi. Strongylognathus emeryi Menozzi, 1921: 30, fig. 3 (q.) ITALY.
  • Type-material: holotype queen.
  • Type-locality: Italy: Calabria, bank of Terme stream, nr Sambiase (C. Menozzi).
  • Type-depository: unknown (perhaps DEUN).
  • Status as species: Kutter, 1923: 338; Donisthorpe, 1936c: 114 (in list); Kutter, 1968b: 205; Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 147; Bolton, 1976: 308; Bolton, 1995b: 395; Poldi, et al. 1995: 6.
  • Junior synonym of destefanii: Sanetra, Güsten & Schulz, 1999: 340.

Taxonomic Notes

Seifert (2018) found that Strongylognathus italicus clusters with, and is morphologically similar to, Strongylognathus alboini and the two should be synonomised. However, currently available data did not exclude the possibility that Strongylognathus destefanii (or one of its two junior synonyms, Strongylognathus emeryi or Strongylognathus huberi cecconii) may be a senior synonym within this set. As such, no formal taxonomic changes were proposed.

References

• Baroni Urbani, C. 1964b. Studi sulla mirmecofauna d'Italia. II. Formiche di Sicilia. Atti Accad. Gioenia Sci. Nat. (6) 16: 25-66 (page 54, Material of the unavailable name kutteri referred here.)
• Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
• Donisthorpe, H. 1927a. The ants (Formicidae), and some myrmecophiles, of Sicily. [concl.]. Entomol. Rec. J. Var. 39: 6-9 (page 6, worker described)
• Emery, C. 1915a. Contributo alla conoscenza delle formiche delle isole italiane. Descrizione di forme mediterrannee nuove o critiche. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. 46[=(3)(6): 244-270 (page 263, queen described)
• Menchetti, M., Schifani, E., Alicata, A., Vila, R. 2023. Quantitative morphology and mtDNA reveal that Lasius maltaeus is not endemic to the Maltese Islands (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 95, 129–142 (doi:10.3897/jhr.95.96365).
• Sanetra, M., Buschinger, A. 2000. Phylogenetic relationships among social parasites and their hosts in the ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). European Journal of Entomology 97: 95-117.
• Sanetra, M., Güsten, R., Schulz, A. 1999. On the taxonomy and distribution of Italian Tetramorium species and their social parasites (Hymenoptera Formicidae). Memorie della Societa Entomologica Italiana 77: 317-357.
• Sanetra, M.; Güsten,, R. 2001. The socially parasitic ant genus Strongylognathus Mayr in North Africa (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 20: 1-20.
• Schär, S., Menchetti, M., Schifani, E., Hinojosa, J.C., Platania, L., Dapporto, L., Vila, R. 2020. Integrative biodiversity inventory of ants from a Sicilian archipelago reveals high diversity on young volcanic islands (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Organisms Diversity, Evolution 20, 405–416 (doi:10.1007/s13127-020-00442-3).
• Schifani, E., Csősz, S., Viviano, R., Alicata, A. 2021. Ant diversity on the largest Mediterranean islands: on the presence or absence of 28 species in Sicily (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Natural History Sciences 8, 55–70 (doi:10.4081/nhs.2021.532).
• Seifert, B. 2018. The ants of Central and Northern Europe. lutra Verlags- und Vertiebsgesellschaft, Tauer, 408 pp.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Baroni Urbani, C. "Studi sulla mirmecofauna d'Italia. I." Redia 47 (1962): 129-138.
• Baroni Urbani, C. "Studi sulla mirmecofauna d'Italia. II. Formiche di Sicilia." Atti dell'Accademia Gioenia di Scienze Naturali in Catania (6) 16 (1964): 25-66.
• 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.
• Cecconi G. 1908. Contributo alla fauna delle Isole Tremiti. Bollettino dei Musei di Zoologia ed Anatomia Comparata della Reale Università di Torino 23(583): 1-53.
• 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.
• Poldi B., M. Mei, and F. Rigato. 1995. Hymenoptera, Formicidae. Vol 102. Checklist delle specie della fauna Italiana: 1-10.
• 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.
• Santschi, F. "A propos du Tetramorium caespitum L." Folia Myrmecologica et Termitologica 1 (1927): 52-58.