Strumigenys clypeata

This species is a relatively common eastern species with a large range. It has been collected in a variety of forest habitats but most often in wet, heavily canopied bottomland forests nesting in moist litter and woody debris (AntWeb, 2021) (Booher, 2021).

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the clypeata group. Within the group clypeata is quickly identified. In full-face view it has an anteriorly broadly rounded glossy (when clean) clypeus, without visible bimargination; the clypeus dorsally has small dense appressed spatulate hairs and laterally has larger spatulate hairs that project as a regular anteriorly curved fringe; the lateral clypeal margins are convex and conceal the outer mandibular margins; it has a small but distinct basal mandibular gap at full closure and relatively fine small teeth, and has a number of flagellate hairs on the head.

Because of the somewhat variable length of the basal mandibular gap this common species is run out twice in the key.

Distribution
USA; widespread in eastern USA from Florida to New York and west to Iowa; in western USA occurs in Oklahoma, Texas, and possibly Kansas. Although reported to occur in northern Mexico (Guzmán-Díaz 2014), the specimen imaged is incorrectly identified. Pilosity, sculpture, and lack of spongiform appendages separate this species from any smithistrumiform species, and I suspect it is Strumigenys margaritae from the visible characters in the image provided. Kansas specimens held at the SEMC were not examined but are left here as possible to that state (Booher, 2021).

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

Biology
Wesson and Wesson (1939) - A nest of S. clypeata was found in the duff at the base of a small pine tree a few inches from a colony of Myrmica punctiventris. The location was on a dry sandstone bluff in Jackson County, Ohio on which many colonies of Strumigenys pergandei had been found.

Brown (1964) - Buhl, Alabama, 2 nests in rotten chips, swampy river bottom forest. Howardsville, New Jersey, worker in rotten log in oak grove on sand. A worker from Donaldson, Arkansas, in forest debris (H. H. Ross and L. J. Stannard leg.).

Nomenclature

 *  clypeata. Strumigenys clypeata Roger, 1863a: 213 (w.) U.S.A. [Misspelled as clipeata in original description; justified emendation to clypeata by Mayr, 1887: 571.] Emery, 1895c: 328 (q.m.). Combination in S. (Cephaloxys): Emery, 1924d: 325; in S. (Trichoscapa): Smith, M.R., 1947f: 587; Creighton, 1950a: 304; in Smithistruma: Smith, M.R., 1951a: 827; Brown, 1953g: 58; in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1673; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 117. See also: Wilson, 1954: 486; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1406; Bolton, 2000: 103.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 2.0-2.3, HL 0.58-0.64, HW 0.38-0.42, CI 63-68, ML 0.09-0.10, MI 14-17, SL 0.29-0.32, SI 74-80, PW 0.26-0.30, AL 0.54-0.61 (15 measured).

Fully closed mandibles with a small but distinct basal gap between basal tooth and anterior clypeal margin; in general the gap shorter than the length of the basal tooth but subequal in some samples. Anterior clypeal margin broadly evenly rounded. Bimargination of anterior and lateral clypeal margins extremely feebly developed, the lower margin mostly overhung and concealed by the upper. Dorsum of clypeus shining when clean, with dense appressed short-spatulate small hairs. In full-face view lateral clypeal margins shallowly convex and concealing basal portions of outer margins of mandibles. Lateral clypeal margins with a row of anteriorly curved spatulate hairs that stand out from the surface, these hairs larger than those on the clypeal dorsum. Ground-pilosity on head behind clypeus narrowly spatulate to filiform. Dorsolateral margin of head with 2-3 projecting fine flagellate hairs and a pair present on the cephalic dorsum close to the occipital margin. Flagellate hairs present at pronotal humeri, on dorsa of pronotum and mesonotum, on first gastral tergite and on dorsal (outer) surfaces of hind tibia and basitarsus.

Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Syntype workers, U.S.A. Louisiana. [no types known to exist].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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