Strumigenys sydorata

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

Represented by a small number of specimens, this species is rare in Hong Kong and occurs only within secondary forests and Feng Shui woods, with elevations of collection sites ranged from 15 to 170 m (Tang et al., 2019). In Sumatra, Musfira et al. (2022) found a small colony (24 individuals) nesting in a dead twig. Another small colony consisting of one dealate queen and 23 workers was collected from the leaf litter layer of disturbed forest (touristic area visited by local people), at an altitude of ca. 130 m. A common species which has been collected in primary and secondary forest in Hainan. It has been collected in similar habits, as well as mature forest and rubber plantations in Thailand and Vietnam (Tang & Guenard, 2023).

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the lyroessa complex in the Strumigenys lyroessa-group. Very closely related to Strumigenys arrogantia and best separated by details of mandibular structure mentioned in the key and descriptions. A small point that may be significant is that sydorata seems at most to have two pairs of erect mesonotal hairs whilst arrogantia has three such pairs. Because these hairs are frequently abraded the character is best applied only to specimens in perfect condition. For other related species see under arrogantia.

Tang et al. (2019) - Strumigenys sydorata belongs to the lyroessa-complex within the S. lyroessa-group. This species can be separated from others in this group by the presence of pronotal humeral hairs, a smooth first gastral tergite, a well-developed lamella along the propodeal declivity, and a larger preapical tooth when compared to the apicodorsal tooth on mandibles. The latter character separates it from Strumigenys arrogantia, which is slightly smaller than S. sydorata.

Tang & Guenard (2023), Fig. 39. New species records of Strumigenys in full-face, profile and dorsal views. A–C. Worker of S. sydorata from Hainan, mainland China (HNA-00781). D–F. Worker of S. takasago from Guangxi, mainland China (ANTWEB1011895). G–I. Worker of S. takasago from Taiwan (ANTWEB1010910(1)).

Keys including this Species

Key to Strumigenys of East Asia

Distribution

The record from Hong Kong represents another important geographic extension of 900 km north-eastward in Mainland Asia, with the closest record known from Cúc Phương in Vietnam (Eguchi et al. 2011; Tang et al., 2019).

Tang & Guenard (2023) - This species has been recorded from Yunnan, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong, another species with geographical disjunction between Hong Kong and its remaining native range. Future records from Guangdong and Guangxi provinces of mainland China, as well as Cambodia and Laos appear likely.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 22.529123° to 22.42614°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia (type locality), Malaysia, Singapore.
Oriental Region: Thailand, Vietnam.
Palaearctic Region: China.

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

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

sydorata. Strumigenys sydorata Bolton, 2000: 876 (w.q.) INDONESIA (Java).

Type Material

Holotype, worker, Java, Bogor, Kebun Raya, Indonesia, 11.iv.1997, F. Ito, F197-586, The Natural History Museum.
Paratype, 10 workers, 1 queen, Java, Bogor, Kebun Raya, Indonesia, 11.iv.1997, F. Ito, F197-586, The Natural History Museum, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève.

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 2.6, HL 0.74, HW 0.56, CI 76, ML 0.20, MI 27, SL 0.30, SI 54, PW 0.34, AL 0.70. Characters of lyroessa-complex. In profile preapical tooth of mandible stouter and more strongly developed than apicodorsal tooth. Dorsal margin of mandible, as seen in profile, appears depressed distal of preapical tooth, the gap between preapical and apicodorsal teeth represented by a cleft rather than a transverse margin. Upper scrobe margin with a row of anteriorly curved small spoon-shaped hairs. Apicoscrobal hair short, stiff and stout; dorsolateral margin posterior to this with 5-6 similarly shaped but slightly shorter projecting hairs. Cephalic dorsum with standing hairs restricted to a stubbly transverse row along the occipital margin. Pronotal humeral hair short and stiff; pronotum otherwise without standing hairs. Mesonotum with 2 pairs of remiform to apically expanded short erect hairs, located along the dorsolateral margins; anterior hair the longest. Width of lamella on propodeal declivity, at its broadest point below level of spiracle, more than half the length of the propodeal tooth. Erect hairs on first gastral tergite short and stiff, spatulate or expanded apically, distributed over the entire sclerite.

Paratypes. TL 2.4-2.6, HL 0.64-0.74, HW 0.49-0.57, CI 76-78, ML 0.18-0.21, MI 27-30, SL 0.26-0.30, SI 51-54, PW 0.28-0.35, AL 0.62-0.70 (4 measured). As holotype but posterior mesonotal hair frequently missing, probably abraded off.

Dimensions of non-paratypic workers. HL 0.66-0.76, HW 0.52-0.58, CI 74-78, ML 0.19-0.22, MI 28-29, SL 0.26-0.30, SI 50-54 (5 measured).

Determination Clarifications

This species was referred to as Strumigenys sp. 7 and sp. 9 in Bolton, 1998b: 92.

References

Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 876, worker described)
Khachonpisitsak, S., Yamane, S., Sriwichai, P., Jaitrong, W. 2020. An updated checklist of the ants of Thailand (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 998, 1–182 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.998.54902).
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).
Philpott, S.M., Bichier, P., Rice, R.A., Greenberg, R. 2008. Biodiversity conservation, yield, and alternative products in coffee agroecosystems in Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversity and Conservation, 17: 1805–1820 (doi:10.1007/s10531-007-9267-2).
Tang, K. L., Guénard, B. 2023. Further additions to the knowledge of Strumigenys (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) within South East Asia, with the descriptions of 20 new species. European Journal of Taxonomy 907, 1–144 (doi:10.5852/ejt.2023.907.2327).
Tang, K.L., Pierce, M.P., Guénard, B. 2019. Review of the genus Strumigenys (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae) in Hong Kong with the description of three new species and the addition of five native and four introduced species records. ZooKeys 831: 1–48 (DOI 10.3897/zookeys.831.31515).
Wang, C., Chung, F.-Y., Lin, C.-C., Gibson, J. C., McGuire, S., Suarez, A. V., Billen, J. 2023. The spongiform tissue in Strumigenys ants contains exocrine glands. Arthropod Structure & Development 73, 101246 (doi:10.1016/j.asd.2023.101246).
Wang, C., Lin, C.-C., Keller, R.A., Billen, J. 2021. The ‘hairwheels’ in Strumigenys ants are not glandular. Asian Myrmecology 13: e013004 (doi:10.20362/am.013004).
Wang, C., Sung, P.-J., Lin, C.-C., Ito, F., Billen, J. 2023. Parthenogenetic reproduction in Strumigenys ants: An update. Insects 14, 195 (doi:10.3390/insects14020195).
Wang, W.Y., Soh, E.J.Y., Yong, G.W.J., Wong, M.K.L., Benoit Guénard, Economo, E.P., Yamane, S. 2022. Remarkable diversity in a little red dot: a comprehensive checklist of known ant species in Singapore (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with notes on ecology and taxonomy. Asian Myrmecology 15: e015006 (doi:10.20362/am.015006).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
Eguchi K.; Bui T. V.; Yamane S. 2011. Generic synopsis of the Formicidae of Vietnam (Insecta: Hymenoptera), part I Myrmicinae and Pseudomyrmecinae. Zootaxa 2878: 1-61.
Fontanilla A. M., A. Nakamura, Z. Xu, M. Cao, R. L. Kitching, Y. Tang, and C. J. Burwell. 2019. Taxonomic and functional ant diversity along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in southwest China. Insects 10, 128; doi:10.3390/insects10050128
Tang K.L., Pierce M.P., and B. Guénard. 2019. Review of the genus Strumigenys (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae) in Hong Kong with the description of three new species and the addition of five native and four introduced species records. ZooKeys 831: 1-48.
Zryanin V. A. 2011. An eco-faunistic review of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). In: Structure and functions of soil communities of a monsoon tropical forest (Cat Tien National Park, southern Vietnam) / A.V. Tiunov (Editor). – M.: KMK Scientific Press. 2011. 277 р.101-124.