Strumigenys belial

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

Specimens have been collected from rainforest litter samples.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys thuvida-group.Closely related to Strumigenys nimravida and Strumigenys ravidura. Easily distinguished from the first by its lack of standing hairs and other pilosity details (compare descriptions), and from the second by the specialised form of the clypeus developed in that species, as described in the key.

Keys including this Species

Key to Afrotropical Strumigenys (as Pyramica)

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -2.283333333° to -2.283333333°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Gabon (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


Holotype of Pyramica belial. Worker. Specimen code casent0900057. 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.

belial. Pyramica belial Bolton, 2000: 331 (w.) GABON. Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 116

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 1.7, HL 0.50, HW 0.35, CI 70, ML 0.11, MI 22, SL 0.20, SI 57, PW 0.21, AL 0.49. Outer surfaces of mandibles, clypeus and entire cephalic dorsum densely clothed with flat appressed scale-like hairs, diameter of hairs greater than the distance separating them. Similar but more widely spaced hairs present on promesonotum, petiole node and disc of postpetiole. First gastral tergite with widely spaced minute hairs that are appressed and very narrowly spatulate. At base of limbus the tergite with a transverse row of much larger spatulate hairs that are closely appressed to the limbus and extend anteriorly across almost its entire width. Head and body lacking standing hairs of any form, the pronotum without a projecting humeral hair. Cephalic dorsum finely superficially reticulate-punctate but the sculpture mostly obscured by the scale-like pilosity. Remainder of body unsculptured and smooth. Ventral spongiform curtain of petiole very broad, visible in dorsal view as it projects laterally beyond the margins of the peduncle. Ventral spongiform lobe of postpetiole massive; in dorsal view projecting farther forward than the anterior margin of the disc.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Gabon: Provo Woleu-Ntem, 31.3 km. 108° ESE Minvoul, 2°04.8'N, 12°24.4'E, 600 m., 7.ii.1998, #1648(14) (B.L. Fisher) (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 331, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
Fisher B. L. 2004. Diversity patterns of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) along an elevational gradient on Monts Doudou in southwestern Gabon. Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences 28: 269-286.