Strumigenys hoplites

Strumigenys hoplites
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Strumigenys
Species:	S. hoplites
Binomial name
	Strumigenys hoplites; Brown, 1973 Specimen Labels

The only collection of this species was taken from a rotten log in a rainforest.

Identification

Bolton (2000) – A member of the mayri complex in the Strumigenys mayri-group. See Strumigenys akhtoi.

Keys including this Species

Key to Strumigenys of East Asia

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea (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

Nomenclature

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

hoplites. Strumigenys hoplites Brown, 1973c: 266, fig. 2 (w.) NEW GUINEA. See also: Bolton, 2000: 885.

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

Description

Worker

TL 2.5-2.6, HL 0.70-0.76, HW 0.48-0.54, CI 67-71, ML 0.40-0.42, MI 55-57, SL 0.48-0.52, SI 96-100, PW 0.27-0.28, AL 0.67-0.72 (5 measured).

Characters of the mayri-complex. Preapical tooth spiniform, longer than maximum width of mandible. Dorsolateral margin of head with a single freely laterally projecting simple hair, the apicoscrobal. Cephalic dorsum with 4-6 erect simple hairs along the occipital margin and a similar pair at level of highest point of vertex. Preocular notch strongly present; ventral surface of head with a preocular transverse impression posterior to the deeply incised postbuccal groove. Pronotal humeral hair simple, pronotum otherwise without erect hairs; mesonotum with one pair of erect simple hairs. Dorsal alitrunk evenly reticulate-punctate. Dorsal surfaces of waist segments and first gastral tergite with simple hairs. Side of alitrunk reticulate-punctate except for katepisternum which has a small smooth patch. Propodeum armed with a pair of long slender needle-like spines that are elevated at about 45°; length of spine greater than dorsal width of petiole node, approaching width of disc of postpetiole. Dorsal (outer) surface of hind basitarsus without long fine erect hairs. Petiole in profile with anterior face of node equal to or slightly greater than length of dorsum, in dorsal view petiole node approximately as broad as long. Disc of postpetiole finely reticulate-punctate.

Type Material

Holotype worker and para type worker, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Bisianumu, nr Sogeri, 15-20.iii.1955, 500 m., no. 655, rainforest (E. O. Wilson) (Museum of Comparative Zoology) [examined].

References

Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 885, redescription of worker)
Brown, W. L., Jr. 1973c. The Indo-Australian species of the ant genus Strumigenys: groups of horvathi, mayri and wallacei. Pac. Insects 15: 259-269. (page 266, fig. 2 worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
Brown W. L., Jr. 1973. The Indo-Australian species of the ant genus Strumigenys: groups of horvathi, mayri and wallacei. Pac. Insects 15: 259-269.
Brown W. L., Jr. 1973. The Indo-Australian species of the ant genus Strumigenys: groups of horvathi, mayri and wallacei. Pacific Insects 15: 259-269.
Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.