Strumigenys villiersi

A widespread but rarely collected species known from various forest habitats. A few of the records note they were obtained from litter-samples.

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys splendens-group. The abundant long pilosity and numerous extremely long fine flagellate hairs, especially those arising from the dorsolateral margins of the head, make this species easily recognisable. Only two other species within the group, Strumigenys rugithorax and Strumigenys kompsomala, approach villiersi in density of pilosity. Differentiation of these two from villiersi is easy. S. rugithorax has a laterally expanded clypeus that conceals most of the outer margin of the mandibles, has an upcurved anterior clypeal margin, and has the preocular carinae completely concealed by the expanded frontal lobes and frontal carinae. S. kompsomala has the ventral spongiform lobe of the postpetiole reduced to a small triangular anteroventral vestige and has a truncated erect tooth on the midline of the mesonotum close to its posterior margin.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.

Nomenclature

 *  villiersi. Gymnomyrmex villiersi Perrault, 1986a: 1, figs. 1-3 (w.) FRENCH GUIANA. Combination in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1672; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 130. See also: Bolton, 2000: 237.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 1.7-2.0, HL 0.48-0.52, HW 0.31-0.34, CI 64-65, ML 0.08-0.10, MI 17-29, SL 0.20-0.24, SI 65-71, PW 0.20-0.24, AL 0.50-0.58 (6 measured).

With head in full-face view the clypeus not expanded laterally, outer margins of mandibles visible almost to level of preocular carinae. Frontal lobes and frontal carinae not strongly expanded laterally, in full-face view the preocular carinae visible. With mandibles at full closure the exposed length of the basal lamella is slightly greater than the length of the tooth row. Vertex smooth in small specimens, irregularly granulate to punctate in larger individuals. Dorsolateral margin of head with two freely projecting long flagellate hairs. The anterior hair arises from the upper scrobe margin above the eye and is extremely long, much longer than the scape; the more posterior flagellate hair is api coscrobal and somewhat shorter. Very long flagellate hairs also occur at the pronotal humeri and a pair is present on the mesonotum. All these very long hairs seem fragile and are prone to breakage and abrasion. Dorsal alitrunk otherwise with fine sinuate to short-flagellate hairs, the first gastral tergite with numerous flagellate hairs. All surfaces of legs with numerous freely projecting fine hairs. Femural gland bullae particularly distinct in this species, appearing blister-like. Pronotum feebly marginate, the dorsum smooth or weakly sculptured.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker and paratype workers, FRENCH GUIANA: 5°30'N, 53 °W, 40-50 m., 1980 (Betsch) [holotype examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Achury R., and A.V. Suarez. 2017. Richness and composition of ground-dwelling ants in tropical rainforest and surrounding landscapes in the Colombian Inter-Andean valley. Neotropical Entomology https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-017-0565-4
 * Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
 * Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
 * Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
 * Fichaux M., B. Bechade, J. Donald, A. Weyna, J. H. C. Delabie, J. Murienne, C. Baraloto, and J. Orivel. 2019. Habitats shape taxonomic and functional composition of Neotropical ant assemblages. Oecologia 189(2): 501-513.
 * Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.
 * Groc S., J. H. C. Delabie, F. Fernandez, F. Petitclerc, B. Corbara, M. Leponce, R. Cereghino, and A. Dejean. 2017. Litter-dwelling ants as bioindicators to gauge the sustainability of small arboreal monocultures embedded in the Amazonian rainforest. Ecological Indicators 82: 43-49.
 * Lapolla, J.S., T. Suman, J. Soso-Calvo and T.R. Schultz. 2006. Leaf litter ant diversity in Guyana. Biodiversity and Conservation 16:491510
 * Mertl A. L., J. F. A. Traniello, K. Ryder Wilkie, and R. Constantino. 2012. Associations of two ecologically significant social insect taxa in the litter of an amazonian rainforest: is there a relationship between ant and termite species richness? Psyche doi:10.1155/2012/312054
 * Perrault G. H. 1986. Gymnomyrmex villiersi, nouvelle espèce de Guyane (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Revue Française d'Entomologie (Nouvelle Série) 8: 1-4.
 * Pires de Prado L., R. M. Feitosa, S. Pinzon Triana, J. A. Munoz Gutierrez, G. X. Rousseau, R. Alves Silva, G. M. Siqueira, C. L. Caldas dos Santos, F. Veras Silva, T. Sanches Ranzani da Silva, A. Casadei-Ferreira, R. Rosa da Silva, and J. Andrade-Silva. 2019. An overview of the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the state of Maranhao, Brazil. Pap. Avulsos Zool. 59: e20195938.
 * Silva T. S. R., and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. Using controlled vocabularies in anatomical terminology: A case study with Strumigenys (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Arthropod Structure and Development 52: 1-26.
 * Sosa-Calvo J., T. R. Schultz, and J. S. LaPolla. 2010. A review of the dacetine ants of Guyana (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 19: 12-43.
 * Vasconcelos, H.L., J.M.S. Vilhena, W.E. Magnusson and A.L.K.M. Albernaz. 2006. Long-term effects of forest fragmentation on Amazonian ant communities. Journal of Biogeography 33:1348-1356