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Strumigenys vartana

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Strumigenys vartana
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Strumigenys
Species: S. vartana
Binomial name
Strumigenys vartana
(Bolton, 2000)

Specimen Labels

Lattke and Aguirre (2015) - With the discovery of Strumigenys lojanensis (now Strumigenys onorei) it is possible to discern a group of 5 northern andean species of the gundlachi complex with a preference for cold forests above 2000 m altitude, where the presence of most ants is negligible (Longino, 2014). The other species are Strumigenys enopla, known from altitudes between 1900 and 2200 m in SW Colombia, Strumigenys nubila, sampled from altitudes between 2000 and 2500 m in Colombia and Venezuela, Strumigenys vartana, a Colombian species known from altitudes between 1800 and 2530 m and Strumigenys heterodonta which was recently described from 2940 m altitude in Ecuador (Rigato & Scupola, 2008).

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the gundlachi-complex in the Strumigenys gundlachi group. Closely related to Strumigenys laevipleura but with longer, differently shaped mandibles and more widely spaced preapica1 teeth. Unlike laevipleura, vartana retains basigastral costulae.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 4.74526° to -0.4382°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Colombia (type locality), Ecuador.

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.

  • vartana. Pyramica vartana Bolton, 2000: 195, fig. 135 (w.) COLOMBIA. Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 130

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

The material from Ecuador is represented by a single specimen (MCZ) that is at the top end of the size range (HL 0.58, HW 0.46, CI 79, ML 0.39, MI 67). In this worker the left mandible has the usual three denticles but the right has four; the basal most denticle of the left mandible is represented by two much smaller denticles on the right.

Description

Worker

HOLOTYPE. TL 2.4, HL 0.56, HW 0.43, CI 77, ML 0.38, MI 68, SL 0.32, SI 74, PW 0.28, AL 0.58. Characters of gundlachi complex. Inner margins of mandibles shallowly concave in full-face view. Two minute intercalary denticles between apicodorsal and apicoventral teeth, the denticles arising from the ventral surface of the apicodorsal tooth, near its base. Mandible with 3 preapical denticles, the proximal (basalmost) located at about the midlength and smaller than the median; median denticle the largest, much longer and broader-based than the proximal and larger 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. Eye with 3 ommatidia in longest row, with 7 - 8 ommatidia in total. Pronotal humeral hair long and filiform; dorsal alitrunk otherwise with only a single pair of erect simple hairs on the mesonotum. Mesopleuron and part to most of metapleuron smooth and shining. Postpetiole disc smooth and shining, with a narrow lamellate anterior collar. Basigastral costulae present but short and poorly developed; otherwise first gastral tergite and stemite smooth and shining. Standing hairs on first gastral tergite simple.

PARATYPE. TL 2.2-2.4, HL 0.54-0.58, HW 0.39-0.44, CI 72-77, ML 0.37-0.38, MI 66-70, SL 0.31-0.34, SI 74-80, PW 0.26-0.28, AL 0.55-0.59 (6 measured). As holotype; paratypes from Risaralda are slightly smaller than others. One paratype from Tolima (UCD) may be an ergatoid queen but is more likely a gynecoid worker. Its alitrunk is queen-like and has enhanced pilosity, and its gaster is more voluminous. But its eyes are only slightly larger than the normal workers and there are no ocelli. Flight sclerites are not nearly as well developed as in species with fully developed flying queens.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Colombia: Tolima, Transecto Parque los Nevados, E Slope, 2530 m., 1980, TPN 51 (T. van der Hammen) (The Natural History Museum).

Paratypes. 2 workers with same data as holotype; 2 workers and 1 gynecoid (?, see above) with same data but 2180 m., TPN 54; 2 workers Colombia: Risaralda, Transecto Parque los Nevados, W Slope, 1980 m., 1980, TPN 45 (T. van der Hammen) (University of California, Davis, BMNH, Museum of Comparative Zoology).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Lattke J. E., and N. Aguirre. 2015. Two New StrumigenysF. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) from montane forests of Ecuador. Sociobiology 62(2): 175-180.
  • Rigato F., and A. Scupola. 2008. Two new species of the Pyramica gundlachi-group from Ecuador (Hymenoptera Formicidae). Memoirs on Biodiversity 1:477-481.
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