.jpg){kind=logo}
Strumigenys sulcata
| Strumigenys sulcata | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Strumigenys |
| Species: | S. sulcata |
| Binomial name | |
| Strumigenys sulcata Bolton, 2000
| |
Strumigenys sulcata is known from most of the Fiji’s major islands, and nests have been found in wet, decaying logs (Sarnat and Economo).
Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the signeae complex in the Strumigenys godeffroyi-group. The striking sculpture of this large species renders it unlikely to be confused with any other in the region. See notes under Strumigenys mailei.
Sarnat and Economo (2012) - Strumigenys sulcata is a relatively large dark reddish brown species with the dorsal surfaces of the mesosoma and postpetiole deeply sulcate. The rugae of the dorsum of head and sides of mesosoma are also primarily longitudinal, but less regular and more reticulated. The petiole lacks a distinct node. Instead, the peduncle arches gradually into the posterior margin. Like other members of the signeae complex, S. sulcata lacks lamella lining the propodeal spines or any flagellate hairs. The complex is discussed in more detail under the identification notes for Strumigenys mailei.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -16.583° to -17.8°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Fiji (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
Castes
Worker
Images from AntWeb
   
| |
| Not Provided. Worker. Specimen code casent0185962. Photographer Eli M. Sarnat, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by EMSC. |
.png)
X-ray micro-CT scan 3D model of Strumigenys sulcata (worker) prepared by the Economo lab at OIST.
See on Sketchfab. See list of 3D images.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- sulcata. Strumigenys sulcata Bolton, 2000: 828 (w.q.) FIJI IS.
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 3.7, HL 0.98, HW 0.69, CI 70, ML 0.47, MI 48, SL 0.62, SI 90, P W 0.43, AL 1.08. Characters of signeae-complex. Dorsolateral margin of head without freely laterally projecting hairs, even apicoscrobal hair absent. Cephalic dorsum with 2-4 short erect hairs along occipital margin; without standing hairs anterior to this. Scrobe absent behind level of eye. Cephalic dorsum coarsely longitudinally rugose, spaces between the rugae finely punctate. Pronotal humeral hair absent and pronotal dorsum without erect hairs. Mesonotum with a single pair of erect simple hairs. Entire dorsal alitrunk broadly and continuously longitudinally sulcate; side of alitrunk with similar but distinctly less regular sculpture. Propodeal teeth not subtended by a lamella. Petiole in profile subclaviform, the node without a differentiated anterior face; instead the peduncle grades into the dorsum through an even shallowly convex curve. Ventral spongiform curtain of petiole narrow, its maximum depth much less than that of peduncle. Lateral spongiform lobe of petiole small, merely a slight extension of the posterior collar. Disc of postpetiole longitudinally sulcate, the sulci smaller and finer than on the dorsal alitrunk. First gastral tergite with sparse (2-3 pairs) simple erect hairs. Basigastral costulae distinct but very short, scarcely longer than limbus.
Paratypes. TL 3.6-3.8, HL 0.92-1.00, HW 0.65-0.74, CI 68-74, ML 0.44-0.48, MI 46-49, SL 0.58-0.64, SI 87-94, PW 0.41-0.47, AL 1.04-1.11 (4 measured). In two of the paratypes the sulcate sculpture on the pronotum is transverse rather than longitudinal. As there are also morphological differences to the mesothorax between these and the rest of the type-series I suspect that they are ergatoid queens, not workers.
Non-paratypic workers of the Namosi/Queens Rd Divide series are large and have narrower heads and longer scapes than the remainder: HL 1.02-1.06, HW 0.64-0.67, CI 63-64, ML 0.49-0.50, MI 47-48, SL 0.66-0.68, SI 100-103.
Type Material
Holotype worker, Fiji Is: Vanua Levu, Nedreketi, 25.x.1977, litter, wood, No. 77/127 (G. Kuschel) (Australian National Insect Collection).
Paratypes. 5 workers and 2 ergatoid queens (see note under paratype workers) with same data as holotype (ANIC, The Natural History Museum).
- Holotype, worker, Nedreketi [Ndreketi], Vanua Levu, Fiji, Kuschel,G., ANIC32-017807, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Paratype, 3 workers, Nedreketi [Ndreketi], Vanua Levu, Fiji, Kuschel,G., ANIC32-017808, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Paratype, 4 workers, Ndelaikoro, Vanau Levu, Fiji, Kuschel,G., ANIC32-017809, Australian National Insect Collection.
References
- Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 828, worker described)
- Liu, C., Sarnat, E.M., Friedman, N.R., Hita Garcia, F., Darwell, C., Booher, D., Kubota, Y., Mikheyev, A.S., Economo, E.P. 2020. Colonize, radiate, decline: Unraveling the dynamics of island community assembly with Fijian trap‐jaw ants. Evolution 74, 1082–1097 (doi:10.1111/EVO.13983).
- Sarnat, E. M. and Economo, E. P. 2012. The ants of Fiji. University of California Publications in Entomology. 132:1-384.
- Sarnat, E.M., Hita-Garcia, F., Dudley, K., Liu, C., Fischer, G., Economo, E.P. 2019. Ready species one: Exploring the use of augmented reality to enhance systematic biology with a revision of Fijian Strumigenys (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Insect Systematics and Diversity 3(6): 6; 1–43 (doi:10.1093/isd/ixz005).
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
- CSIRO Collection
- Sarnat Eli M. 2009. The Ants [Hymenoptera: Formicdiae] of Fiji: Systematics, Biogeography and Conservation of an Island Arc Fauna. 80-252
- Ward, Darren F. and James K. Wetterer. 2006. Checklist of the Ants of Fiji. Fiji Arthropods III 85: 23-47.