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Strumigenys laevipleura
| Strumigenys laevipleura | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Strumigenys |
| Species: | S. laevipleura |
| Binomial name | |
| Strumigenys laevipleura Kempf, 1958 | |
The type material, and only known specimens, were obtained from an shipment of orchids in U.S. quarantine. Presumably the ant is arboreal.
Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the gundlachi-complex in the Strumigenys gundlachi group. Within the gundlachi-complex Strumigenys laevipleura has three close relatives, Strumigenys gemella, Strumigenys vartana and Strumigenys xenognatha, all currently known only from Colombia. These species share the following characters.
1 Mandibles are moderate to long, MI 55 - 70, and their inner margins in full-face view are shallowly concave to only shallowly convex around their midlengths.
2 Two intercalary denticles are present but these arise from the ventral base of the apicodorsal tooth, not independently from the space between the apicodorsal and apicoventral fork teeth.
3 Preapical dentition consists of 2 - 3 denticles or small teeth.
4 Flagellate hairs entirely absent; hairs on leading edge of scape are slender and narrowly spatulate.
5 The postpetiole is smooth and shining, without sculpture.
The four species are mainly differentiated by the preapical armament of the mandible. In xenognatha each mandible has only 2 preapical denticles, but this species is known only from the queen so the character may not apply in the worker caste. P. gemella, laevipleura and vartana have 3 preapical denticles, set in the distal half of the exposed length. In gemella the basalmost (proximal) denticle is larger than the median. In laevipleura and vartana the median is larger than the proximal. The inner margin of the relatively long mandible of vartana is concave in full-face view, and the basal most denticle arises close to the midlength. On the shorter mandible of laevipleura the inner margin is convex and the basalmost denticle is situated more distally, at the apical third.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 6.235° to 6.235°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Colombia (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. |
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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. |
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Biology
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- laevipleura. Strumigenys laevipleura Kempf, 1958b: 64, figs. 5-7 (w.) COLOMBIA. Combination in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1673; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 122. See also: Bolton, 2000: 188.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 2.6-2.7, HL 0.58-0.62 , HW 0.47-0.49, CI 79-83, ML 0.33-0.35, MI 55-57, SL 0.34-0.36, SI 69-72 , PW 0.30-0.32, AL 0.65-0.66 (2 measured). Characters of gundlachi complex. In full-face view inner margins of mandibles shallowly convex proximal of preapical teeth, outer margins concave. Two minute intercalary denticles between apicodorsal and apicoventral teeth, the denticles arising basally from the ventral surface of the apicodorsal tooth. Mandible with 3 preapical denticles, the proximal (basal most) located at the apical third of the mandible length; median denticle the largest, much longer and broader-based than the proximal and slightly longer than the distal most denticle. Apicoscrobal hair long, curved filiform. Cephalic dorsum with two pairs of erect filiform hairs, one pair just in front of highest point of vertex, the other close to occipital margin. Pronotal humeral hair long and filiform, the dorsal alitrunk otherwise with only a single pair of erect simple hairs on the mesonotum. Mesopleuron and metapleuron smooth and shining. Postpetiole disc smooth and shining, without an anterior collar of any form. Basigastral costulae completely absent; first gastral tergite and stemite smooth and shining, standing hairs on tergite simple.
Type Material
Holotype worker and paratype workers, COLOMBIA: Medellin Coll., 3-22-46, SF 20456 Sup, 46-4823 (U.S. Plant Quarantine interception, San Francisco, California, 22.iii.1946, on orchid Miltonia sp.) (National Museum of Natural History) (examined).
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. 1999. Ant genera of the tribe Dacetonini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Nat. Hist. 3 33: 1639-1689 (page 1673, Combination in Pyramica)
- Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 65: 1-1028 (page 188, redescription of worker)
- Brown, W. L., Jr. 1962c. The neotropical species of the ant genus Strumigenys Fr. Smith: synopsis and keys to the species. Psyche. 69:238-267.
- Kempf, W. W. 1958b. Three new ants of the genus Strumigenys from Colombia (Hym. Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 8: 59-68 (page 64, figs. 5-7 worker described)
- [[Media:Silva, T.S.R.D., Chaul, J.C.M. et al. 2022. Lectotype designation and redescription of four commonly collected Neotropical species of Strumigenys (10.5852@ejt.2022.798.1673).pdf|Silva, T.S.R.D., Chaul, J.C.M., Feitosa, R.M. 2022. Lectotype designation and redescription of four commonly collected Neotropical species of Strumigenys (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). European Journal of Taxonomy, 798(1), 103–126 (Template:Doi.org).]]
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
- Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).