Strumigenys sisyrata

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Strumigenys sisyrata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Strumigenys
Species: S. sisyrata
Binomial name
Strumigenys sisyrata
Brown, 1968

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Specimen Labels

Known only from the type collection.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys sisyrata-group. The incredible development of spongiform tissue on alitrunk and waist segments renders this species unmistakable. In extent it is approached only by the Australian Strumigenys philiporum, and to a much lesser degree by Strumigenys kempfi of Borneo. Like sisyrata, the New Guinean species Strumigenys lopotyle also has the petiole node completely concealed b y a bonnet of spongiform tissue, but this appears to be a parallelism as the latter entirely lacks spongiform tissue on the alitrunk and lacks the characteristic preapical dentition of the sisyrata-group.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -7.734722222° to -8.75°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea (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.

  • sisyrata. Strumigenys sisyrata Brown, 1968b: 24, figs. 1, 2 (w.) NEW GUINEA. See also: Bolton, 2000: 902.

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

Description

Worker

TL 4.5, HL 1.16, HW 0.92, CI 79, ML 0.66, MI 57, SL 0.85, SI 92, PW 0.60, AL 1.18. Apicoscrobal hair present; dorsolateral margin of head without similar laterally projecting long hairs. Ventrolateral margin of head without a preocular impression. Cephalic dorsum finely reticulate-rugulose with weakly punctulate interspaces; dorsum just posterior to level of eye with a pair of short standing hairs that are inclined anteriorly, and with a row of 4 erect simple hairs along occipital margin. Pronotal humeral hair flagellate; pronotal dorsum with 1-2 pairs of flagellate hairs, mesonotum with 5-6 pairs. Entire dorsum of alitrunk, from anterior margin of pronotum to propodeal declivity, covered with close-set flocculent clumps of dense spongiform tissue that have only very narrow channels between them. With alitrunk in profile only the katepisternum free of spongiform tissue and smooth; otherwise entire side of alitrunk covered with the same flocculent clumps of spongiform tissue as the dorsum. Only the apices of the thin, needle-like propodeal spines project from the spongiform mass. Dorsal and ventral surfaces of hind femur with erect fine long hairs; long erect hairs also present on tibia and basitarsus. Petiole node entirely covered and concealed by spongiform tissue, its cuticular surface not visible either dorsally or laterally. In dorsal view anterior third of spongiform mass on petiole node coarse, posterior two-thirds much finer and appearing weakly longitudinally striate or finely combed. Exposed cuticle of disc of postpetiole very small and finely longitudinally costulate, entirely surrounded by masses of spongiform tissue. First gastral tergite with long flagellate hairs. Basigastral costulae restricted to limbus, not extending onto tergite proper.

Type Material

Holotype worker, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Huon Peninsula, nr Lae, between Busu and Bupu Rivs, 6.v.1955, no. 971, rain forest (E. O. Wilson) (Museum of Comparative Zoology) [examined].

References

  • Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 398, catalogue)
  • Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 902, redescription of worker)
  • Brown, W. L., Jr. 1968c. Strumigenys sisyrata species nov. Pilot Regist. Zool. Card No. 24. (page 24, figs. 1, 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. J. 1968. Strumigenys sisyrata species nov. Pilot Register of Zoology. Card No. 24: 1-2.
  • CSIRO Collection
  • 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.
  • Room P. M. 1975. Diversity and organization of the ground foraging ant faunas of forest, grassland and tree crops in Papua Nez Guinea. Aust. J. Zool. 23: 71-89.
  • Snelling R. R. 1998. Insect Part 1: The social Hymenoptera. In Mack A. L. (Ed.) A Biological Assessment of the Lakekamu Basin, Papua New Guinea, RAP 9. 189 ppages