Strumigenys babelina

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Strumigenys babelina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Strumigenys
Species: S. babelina
Binomial name
Strumigenys babelina
Bolton, 2000

Strumigenys babelina casent0102675 profile 1.jpg

Strumigenys babelina casent0102675 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Strumigenys babelina.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the ebbae complex in the Strumigenys koningsbergeri-group. Within the ebbae-complex this relatively large species falls into the same size range as only Strumigenys baladria, Strumigenys incomposita and Strumigenys ulteria (HL 0.75-0.80, HW 0.60-0.67). The structure of its mandible and details of its preapical dentition separates babelina from all of these; see respective descriptions. In addition, babelina lacks the huge femoral and tibial gland bullae characteristic of baladria, does not have the petiole node dorsum smooth as in ulteria, and lacks the longitudinal finely rugulose cephalic sculpture that is developed in incomposita; the last species also has denser pilosity than the other three.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia (type locality).

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

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • babelina. Strumigenys babelina Bolton, 2000: 839 (w.) INDONESIA (Sumatra).

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 2.8, HL 0.80, HW 0.64, CI 80, ML 0.38, MI 48, SL 0.46, SI 72, PW 0.34, AL 0.74. With characters of ebbae-complex. Preapical tooth short conical, widely separated from apicodorsal tooth and weakly curved toward the mandibular apex; length of preapical tooth distinctly less than half width of mandible at point where it arises. Inner margin of mandible very shallowly convex from preapical tooth to near base, where it is shallowly concave; inner margin sharp-edged and carina-like but without a prominent translucent lamella. Outer margin of mandible more or less straight from base to preapical tooth. Preocular concavity present in ventrolateral margin of head, broad and shallow. Upper scrobe margins evenly divergent from frontal lobes posteriorly, the eye entirely invisible in full-face view but only just so. Dorsum of head in profile with short erect hairs along occipital margin, 1-2 on dorsum of occipital lobe and a single pair at highest point of vertex; without erect hairs anterior to this. Pronotum with a single pair of short standing hairs, close to anterodorsal margin. Mesonotum with a single pair of short erect hairs. Katepisternum smooth, metapleuron and side of propodeum finely reticulate to reticulate-punctate (in some paratypes metapleural sculpture very feeble and almost effaced in places). Bullae of femoral glands distinct on all legs and of moderate size; with hind leg in dorsal view maximum length of bulla about 0.20 X length of femur and its width about 0.45 X maximum width of femur. Lamella on propodeal declivity narrow, with posterior (free) margin concave. Disc of postpetiole smooth. Standing hairs on first gastral tergite simple.

Paratypes. TL 2.6-2.8, HL 0.76-0.80, HW 0.60-0.63, CI 78-80, ML 0.38, MI 48-50, SL 0.44-0.46, SI 72-75, PW 0.30-0.34, AL 0.68-0.75 (6 measured).

In non-paratypic material the femoral gland bullae are smaller than in the type-series.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Indonesia: Sumatra, N Sum., 5 km. W Brastagi Tongkoh, 1450 m., 3.xii.1989, #29b (Lobl, Agosti & Burckhardt) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève). Paratypes. 10 workers with same data as holotype (MHNG, The Natural History Museum, Museum of Comparative Zoology).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65: 1-1028.