Strumigenys deuteras

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

Noted as being found in rainforest and open forest, all of the few collections of this species were collected in litter samples.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the signeae complex in the Strumigenys godeffroyi-group. Closest related to Strumigenys cingatrix but that species has the katepisternum entirely reticulate-punctate; see notes under Strumigenys perplexa and Strumigenys cingatrix. Many samples of deuteras (including the type-series) are darkly coloured and may be almost black. However, some series are much lighter, brownish yellow to yellow; some intermediates between these and the darker forms are known. Such colour variation is not uncommon in the strumigenyiform dacetines and is often a function of altitude; it is not accorded any particular taxonomic status here.

Keys including this Species

Key to Australian Strumigenys Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -18.99° to -24.36666667°.


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.

Elevation Range

Occurrence at collecting sites during elevational surveys of rainforest in the Eungella region, Queensland, Australia (Burwell et al., 2020).
Species	Elevation (m asl)
Species	200	400	600	800	1000	1200
Strumigenys deuteras	10-20	20-30	20-30	60-70	30-40	70-80
Shading indicates the bands of elevation where species was recorded. Numbers are the percentage of total samples containing this 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

Nomenclature

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

deuteras. Strumigenys deuteras Bolton, 2000: 959, fig. 523 (w.) AUSTRALIA.

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 2.5, HL 0.64, HW 0.50, CI 78, ML 0.28, MI 44, SL 0.35, SI 70, PW 0.28, AL 0.66. With characters of signeae-complex. Apical fork of right mandible with a small intercalary tooth that is flanked above and below by a minute denticle. Apicoscrobal hair short, stiff and simple, shallowly curved. Reticulate-punctate sculpture of cephalic dorsum very closely packed and with a granulate appearence. Occipital margin with 4-6 short erect hairs present. Main row of curved projecting hairs on leading edge of scape simple to extremely narrowly spatulate; secondary hairs on leading edge only fractionally more slender and fractionally shorter, not easily distinguished from components of main row. Pronotal humeral hair stiff and simple, straight to shallowly curved; pronotal dorsum with 1-2 pairs of stiffly erect simple hairs and mesonotum with 3 pairs of similar hairs. Entire dorsal alitrunk finely and densely reticulate-punctate. Katepisternum mostly to entirely smooth but metapleuron and side of propodeum entirely evenly reticulate-punctate, without un sculptured patches. Postpetiole disc finely superficially sculptured, sculpture faint and almost effaced in places. Hairs on first gastral tergite short and straight, simple and stiffly erect, apically blunt. Basigastral costulae at least as long as disc of postpetiole.

Paratypes. TL 2.4-2.5, HL 0.62-0.68, HW 0.48-0.51, CI 76-80, ML 0.25-0.28, MI 40-44, SL 0.32-0.36, SI 67-71, PW 0.26-0.30, AL 0.62-0.70 (7 measured).

Dimensions of non-paratypic workers. TL 2.3-2.5, HL 0.57-0.65, HW 0.42-0.50, CI 74-79, ML 0.24-0.28, MI 40-44, SL 0.29-0.36, SI 66-74, PW 0.25-0.28, AL 0.56-0.66 (8 measured).

Type Material

Holotype worker, Australia: Queensland, Kroombit Tops, 65 km. SW Gladstone, 22-26.ii.1982, Q. M. Berlesate No. 383, 1100 m., rainforest, sieved litter (G. Mollteirh & G. Thompson) (Australian National Insect Collection). Paratypes. 4 workers with same data as holtype; 2 workers with same data but Berlesate No. 384, stickbrushing; 3 workers with same data but Berlesate No. 386, 1050 m., open forest (R. Raven) (ANIC, The Natural History Museum).

Holotype, worker, Kroombit Tops, 65km SW Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, Monteith,G.B. & Thompson,G., ANIC32-017717, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 3 workers, Kroombit Tops, 65km SW Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, Monteith,G.B. & Thompson,G., ANIC32-017718, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 2 workers, Kroombit Tops, 65km SW Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, Monteith,G.B. & Thompson,G., ANIC32-017719, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 3 workers, Kroombit Tops, 65km SW Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, Monteith,G.B. & Thompson,G., ANIC32-017720, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 1 worker, Kroombit Tops, 65km SW Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, The Natural History Museum.

References

Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 959, fig. 523 worker described)
Burwell, C.J., Nakamura, A. 2020. Rainforest ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) along an elevational gradient at Eungella in the Clarke Range, Central Queensland coast, Australia. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 125: 43-63.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
Burwell C.J., and A. Nakamura. 2011. Distribution of ant speces along an altitudinal transect in continuous rainforest in subtropical Queensland, Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum -Nature 55(2): 391-411.