Strumigenys kakothema

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

Nothing is known about the biology of Strumigenys kakothema.

Identification

Bolton (2000) – A member of the ebbae complex in the Strumigenys koningsbergeri-group. See Strumigenys incomposita.

Keys including this Species

Key to Strumigenys of East Asia

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia (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.

kakothema. Strumigenys kakothema Bolton, 2000: 845, fig. 450 (w.q.) 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 2.3, HL 0.64, HW 0.54, CI 84, ML 0.27, MI 42, SL 0.32, SI 59, PW 0.28, AL 0.66. With characters of ebbae-complex. Preapical tooth conical and very weakly recurved, its length about half width of mandible at point where it arises; preapical tooth located close to apicodorsal tooth, on narrowed apical section of mandible. Inner margin of mandible shallowly convex proximal of preapical tooth, sharp-edged; without a translucent lamella but the margin prominent and appearing sub-lamellate. Outer margin of mandible straight or may be very shallowly concave in the basal third (in the paratypes some have outer margins of both mandibles more or less straight, some have one straight and the other weakly concave, some have both shallowly concave). Preocular concavity in ventrolateral margin of head broad and shallow. Upper scrobe margins evenly divergent from frontal lobes posteriorly; outer arc of eye visible in full-face view. Vertex reticulate-punctate. Dorsum of head in profile with short erect hairs along occipital margin and numerous erect hairs anterior to this; with several pairs in front of highest point of vertex and the anteriormost pair at about level of eye. Pronotal dorsum with two to several pairs of short standing hairs. Mesonotum with one or more pairs of short erect hairs. Katepisternum smooth, metapleuron and side of propodeum mostly to entirely smooth. Bullae of femoral glands present but inconspicuous on middle and hind legs. Lamella on propodeal declivity with posterior (free) margin shallowly concave. Disc of postpetiole smooth. Standing hairs on first gastral tergite simple.

Paratypes. TL 2.1-2.3, HL 0.61-0.64, HW 0.50-0.54, CI 82-84, ML 0.26-0.27, MI 41-43, SL 0.30-0.32, SI 56-63, PW 0.26-0.28, AL 0.58-0.68 (10 measured).

Dimensions of non-paratypic workers. HL 0.64 - 0.66, HW 0.51-0.53, CI 80, ML 0.25-0.28, MI 39-42, SL 0.30-0.32, SI 59-61 (5 measured).

Type Material

Holotype worker, Indonesia: Sumatra, Jambi, W Mt Tujuh Lake, 1400 m., 14.xi.1989, #17 (Agosti, Lobl & Burckhardt) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève). Paratypes. 21 workers, 2 queens with same data as holotype (MHNG, The Natural History Museum, Museum of Comparative Zoology).

References

Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 845, fig. 450 worker described)
Musfira, S.H., Rafi, M., Gusti, M., Putri, D.H., Satria, R. 2022. New data on the genus Strumigenys (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Sumatra. Zoosystematica Rossica 31(1): 74–86 (doi:10.31610/zsr/2022.31.1.74).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65