Strumigenys memorialis

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Strumigenys memorialis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Strumigenys
Species: S. memorialis
Binomial name
Strumigenys memorialis
(Deyrup, 1998)

Pyramica memorialis casent0104812 profile 1.jpg

Pyramica memorialis casent0104812 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

The type material was collected from a ground nest found in an open, grassy area with scattered pines. The colony contained a queen and 53 workers, with the nest consisting of a small chamber a few cm below the surface in clay soil, near the base of a large pine.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys pulchella-group. The pilosity of memorialis is distinctive in the pulchella-complex, especially its complete lack of elongate fine hairs and presence of quite dense short erect simple hairs on head and pronotum. Its possession of suberect short simple hairs on the tibiae is also unique as in other species these areas have short spatulate hairs that are decumbent to appressed.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: United States (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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.

  • memorialis. Smithistruma memorialis Deyrup, 1998: 81, fig. 1 (w.q.) U.S.A. Combination in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1673; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 123. See also: Bolton, 2000: 120.

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 1.9, HL 0.56, HW 0.40, CI 71, ML 0.08, MI 14, SL 0.28-0.29, SI 70-73, PW 0.24-0.25, AL 0.50-0.52 (2 measured). Hairs that fringe the lateral clypeal margins anteriorly curved, spatulate to spoon-shaped. Anterior clypeal margin broadly convex; above the mandible with a pair of hairs that curve away from the midline. Dorsum of clypeus with a few very small inconspicuous spatulate hairs near periphery but otherwise hairless. Apicoscrobal hair absent. Cephalic dorsum from highest point of vertex to occipital margin with numerous short erect straight simple hairs that are blunt apically; without any fine elongate filiform or flagellate hairs. Pronotal dorsum with numerous short erect hairs; flagellate hairs absent from pronotal humeri and dorsa of pronotum and mesonotum, absent from dorsal (outer) surface of hind tibia and basitarsus; short suberect hairs present on tibiae. Hairs on first gastral tergite short and erect.

Type Material

Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker, paratype workers and queen, U.S.A.: Kentucky, Laurel Co., Daniel Boone National Forest, Bald Rock picnic area, 23.iii.1997 (S. & M. Deyrup) (Museum of Comparative Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, The Natural History Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Florida State Collection Gainesville, Archbold Biological Station Florida, and in private collections of L. Davis, M. DuBois and W. MacKay) [examined].

Etymology

The specific epithet, translated "of remembrance." dedicates this species to Bill Brown in place of the more usual patronym. For some years Bill Brown had held an anlipathy toward patronyms. His main objection. as far as I can lell, was that patronyms often honor people who have only the most trivial association with the species bearing their name, and in the worst cases could be ass igned to stoke the egos of sponsors or patrons. I do not think these objections would apply in the case of an honoree who had made great and lasting contributions to our knowledge of a genus, especially when the name is applied posthumously. Nevertheless, I am respecting his feelings by avoiding a direct patronym.

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. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 120, catalogue)
  • Deyrup, M. 1998. Smithistruma memorialis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a new species of ant from the Kentucky Cumberland Plateau. Entomol. News 109: 81-87 (page 81, worker,, queen described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
  • Coovert, G.A. 2005. The Ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin New Series Volume 15(2):1-196
  • Deyrup M. 1998. Smithistruma memorialis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a new species of ant from the Kentucky Cumberland Plateau. Entomological News 109: 81-87.
  • Ivanov K., L. Hightower, S. T. Dash, and J. B. Keiper. 2019. 150 years in the making: first comprehensive list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Virginia, USA. Zootaxa 4554 (2): 532–560.