Strumigenys hostilis

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

Nothing is known about the biology of Strumigenys hostilis.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the lyroessa complex in the Strumigenys lyroessa-group. This is the only species in the group that has the first gastral tergite entirely sculptured; all others are unsculptured posterior to the basigastral costulae.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: India (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.

hostilis. Strumigenys hostilis Bolton, 2000: 870 (w.) INDIA.

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 3.2, HL 0.91, HW 0.75, CI 82, ML 0.32, MI 35, SL 0.39, SI 52, PW 0.43, AL 0.86. Characters of lyroessa-complex. Upper scrobe margin with a row of anteriorly curved small spoon-shaped hairs. Apicoscrobal hair short, stiff and stout; dorsolateral margin of occipital lobe posterior to this with about 10 stiffly projecting spatulate to remiform short hairs that gradually decrease in size posteriorly. Cephalic dorsum with standing hairs restricted to a stubbly transverse row along the occipital margin. Eye relatively large, maximum diameter in profile ca 0.12, with 7-8 ommatidia in the longest row; the maximum diameter of the eye is distinctly greater than the maximum width of the scape (ca 0.08). Pronotal humeral hair short, stiff and spatulate; pronotum otherwise without standing hairs. Mesonotum with 3 pairs of spatulate erect hairs, located along the dorsolateral margins; anterior hair the longest. Width of lamella on propodeal declivity, at its broadest point below level of spiracle, more than half the length of the propodeal tooth. Erect hairs on first gastral tergite short and stiff, spatulate or expanded apically, distributed over the entire sclerite. Entire surface of first gastral tergite blanketed with fine dense striolate-punctulate sculpture. Normally exposed areas of second and third gastral tergites finely punctulate-shagreenate.

Paratypes. TL 3.1-3.2, HL 0.89-0.92, HW 0.73-0.76, CI 81-84, ML 0.30-0.32, MI 33-36, SL 0.38-0.39, SI 51-52, PW 0.42-0.43, AL 0.84-0.86 (8 measured).

Type Material

Holotype worker, India: Goa, Distr. Canacona, Cortigao Sanctuary, 100 mH., 6-10.i.1997, no. 40 (A. Schulz & K. Vock) (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna).

Paratypes. 8 workers with same data as holotype (NHMW, The Natural History Museum).

References

Bharti, H. & Akbar, S.A. 2013. Taxonomic studies on the ant genus Strumigenys Smith, 1860 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with report of two new species and five new records including a tramp species from India. Sociobiology 60, 387-396 (doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v60i4.387-396).
Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 65: 1-1028 (page 870, worker described)