Strumigenys anderseni

Strumigenys anderseni
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Strumigenys
Species:	S. anderseni
Binomial name
	Strumigenys anderseni; (Bolton, 2000) Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Strumigenys anderseni.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys anderseni-group. S. anderseni and Strumigenys peetersi form a close species-pair within this group, distinguished by the characters listed above and under peetersi. The two together are easily separated from the final member of the group, shattucki, as follows.

S. anderseni and peetersi: Pronotal humeri each with an elongate curved simple projecting hair. Dorsal alitrunk with standing hairs present. Upper scrobe margins and lateral margins of occipital lobes with laterally projecting curved hairs.

Strumigenys shattucki: Pronotal humeri without specialised projecting hairs. Dorsal alitrunk without standing pilosity. Upper scrobe margins and lateral margins of occipital lobes with closely appressed small hairs.

Keys including this Species

Key to Australian Strumigenys Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -12.33333333° to -12.66666667°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (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

Explore Overview of Strumigenys biology

Strumigenys were once thought to be rare. The development and increased use of litter sampling methods has led to the discovery of a tremendous diversity of species. Many species are specialized predators (e.g. see Strumigenys membranifera and Strumigenys louisianae). Collembola (springtails) and other tiny soil arthropods are typically favored prey. Species with long linear mandibles employ trap-jaws to sieze their stalked prey (see Dacetine trap-jaws). Larvae feed directly on insect prey brought to them by workers. Trophallaxis is rarely practiced. Most species live in the soil, leaf litter, decaying wood or opportunistically move into inhabitable cavities on or under the soil. Colonies are small, typically less than 100 individuals but in some species many hundreds. Moist warm habitats and micro-habitats are preferred. A few better known tramp and otherwise widely ranging species tolerate drier conditions. Foraging is often in the leaf litter and humus. Workers of many species rarely venture above ground or into exposed, open areas. Individuals are typically small, slow moving and cryptic in coloration. When disturbed individuals freeze and remain motionless. Males are not known for a large majority of species.

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Castes

Images from AntWeb


Paratype of Pyramica anderseni. Worker. Specimen code casent0900161. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

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

anderseni. Pyramica anderseni Bolton, 2000: 474, fig. 280 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 115

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

Description

Worker

Holotype. TL 2.0, HL 0.50, HW 0.36, CI 72, ML 0.11, MI 22, SL 0.23, SI 64, PW 0.24, AL 0.53. Mostly answering to the description given for peetersi, below, but with the following differences.

1 Dorsum of clypeus with appressed short spatulate hairs.

2 Dorsum of head behind clypeus reticulate-punctate.

3 Ventrolateral margin of head when viewed from above extremely shallowly evenly concave in front of eye.

4 Upper scrobe margin with a row of anteriorly curved narrowly spatulate short hairs; more posteriorly the hairs finer and simple, longer and more strongly projecting.

5 Dorsum of head from posterior margin of clypeus to level of the posterior margins of the eyes densely clothed with very conspicuous appressed spatulate hairs.

6 Hairs on dorsum of head close to occipital margin suberect, short and simple.

7 Hairs on leading edge of scape very narrowly spatulate, not spoon-shaped.

8 Pronotal dorsum with ground pilosity that is simple and blunt apically.

9 Erect hairs on mesonotum simple.

10 Lamella on propodeal declivity with its posterior free margin indented.

Paratype. TL 1.9, HL 0.48, HW 0.36, CI 75, ML 0.10, MI 21, SL 0.22, SI 61, PW 0.24, AL 0.52.

Type Material

Holotype, worker, OSS Study Site D3, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, Andersen,A.N., ANIC32-002097, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 2 workers, OSS Study Site D7, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, The Natural History Museum.

References

Baroni Urbani, C. & De Andrade, M.L. 2007. The ant tribe Dacetini: limits and constituent genera, with descriptions of new species. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale “G. Doria” 99:1-191.
Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 474, fig. 280 worker d*Heterick, B.E. 2021. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part I: Systematics. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 86, 1-245 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2021.001-245).

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