Strumigenys macgowni

At present, this species is known only from a queen and worker from the type locality in San Jacinto Co., Texas and a single worker collected in Sam Houston Jones State Park, Louisiana. However, as this species is easily confused with Strumigenys talpa, there are likely more specimens of this species lurking in collections and misidentified as such. The directionality, density, and shape of dorsal clypeal pilosity has not been a focal character in previous treatments of Nearctic Strumigenys but has provided clear morphological separations among many species in this study and can easily separate S. macgowni from S. talpa. Not much is known about this ant other than basic collection information on collection labels. The type specimens from Texas were Winkler extracted from litter in October at Big Creek Scenic Area, a densely forested hardwood and pine nature preserve in east Texas. The single Louisiana worker was collected in a pitfall trap in a forested area of Sam Jones State Park.

Identification
Strumigenys macgowni is morphologically most similar to Strumigenys talpa group members (Bolton 2000) but is differentiated from all other members by the shape and orientation of setae on the lateral margins and dorsum of clypeus. In S. macgowni, all the setae fringing the lateral and anterior clypeal margins are narrowly spatulate and are directed anteriorly or towards the midline, those on the clypeal dorsum are short simple setae that curve abruptly above their base and are directed apically towards the head.

Strumigenys not belonging to the talpa group with similar dentition and also having posteriorly directed setae on the clypeal dorsum are differentiated by having setae fringing the clypeal border directed away from the midline or mandibles (Strumigenys wrayi, Strumigenys reflexa, Strumigenys cloydi, Strumigenys ornata, Strumigenys dietrichi, Strumigenys boltoni and Strumigenys apalachicolensis).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States.

Nomenclature

 * . Strumigenys macgowni Booher, 2021: 230, fig. 39 (w.q.) UNITED STATES.

Type Material
16 October 1997, 80 ±5 m, Collectors Jerry L. Cook & J. B. Martin (unique specimen identifier casent0747540) [UGCA].
 * Holotype worker: USA, Texas, San Jacinto County, Big Creek Scenic Area, 30.51966 -95.08816 ±1000 m,
 * Paratype queen: Same as worker (unique specimen identifier casent0747059)[CAS]