Strumigenys talpa

This species is among the most commonly collected Nearctic species. It occurs from Florida to Washington, D.C., and extends west to Oklahoma and Texas (Brown 1950). Strumigenys talpa tolerates a wide variety of mesic to dry habitats and is less common in wet habitats (Deyrup 2016). Unlike the wide-ranging species Strumigenys missouriensis, Strumigenys talpa exhibits little morphological variation across its range. However, there appears to be a smooth morphological transition over geographic space between S. talpa and Strumigenys deyrupi (a junior synonym of S. talpa). Setae on the anterior margin of the scape are typically directed towards the apex of the scape in S. talpa but some setae are directed towards the base of the scape in specimens collected in Florida from where S. deyrupi was described. Mark Deyrup (for whom S. deyrupi was named), has also come to this realization and we believe S. deyrupi to either be the same species or to hybridize heavily where their ranges overlap (southern half of Georgia into Florida). I have not observed scape setae variation anywhere else across the range of S. talpa except in specimens from Texas and there is no evidence of discrete forms in sympatry. All other setae characters of the Texas specimens are congruent with S. talpa. Texas specimens all have flagellate setae on their mesosoma, pronotal shoulders, abdominal tergites, and femur/tibia. Also unusual are the Oklahoma workers that lack elongate apicoscrobal setae. This character is uniformly present in all other collections across S. talpa’s range that I have examined including those from Texas. Although these setae could have been abraded, this is unlikely as the specimens examined were in excellent shape and had no missing or broken flagellate setae on other portions of the body. I expect the Oklahoma specimens represent a new species but am grouping them with S. talpa until more specimens are found and S. talpa is examined across its range. (Booher, 2021)

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys talpa-group. As Brown (l953a) has pointed out, the three older species currently placed in this group are very closely related, and best separated by differences in their clypeal pilosity. Strumigenys wrayi has hairs on the anterior clypeal margin that curve away from the midline and spoon-shaped hairs on the lateral margins that are weakly reflexed; hairs on the clypeal dorsum are inclined posteriorly. Clypeal hairs with these orientations are absent from Strumigenys filitalpa and talpa. In particular the fringe of hairs on the lateral margins curves anteriorly; those of talpa being decidedly spatulate or weakly spoon-shaped whilst those of filitalpa are slender and filiform. Neither has posteriorly inclined hairs on the clypeal dorsum.

Pyramica deyrupi

Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys pulchella-group. In addition to the comparative features noted under Strumigenys creightoni, Strumigenys deyrupi differs from Strumigenys metazytes as the latter has distinctly smaller and narrower spongiform lobes on the waist segments. As well as the character noted in the key, the petiole of metazytes in profile has the maximum length of the lateral lobe less than half the length of the node; in deyrupi this lobe is distinctly greater than half the node length. The size difference in clypeal pilosity between the hairs located mid-dorsally and those that fringe the lateral margins is obviously different in deyrupi and Strumigenys abdita, and easily discerned even under low magnification.

P. deyrupi bears a striking resemblance to Strumigenys talpa, but in the latter species all the hairs on the leading edge of the scape are curved toward the scape apex.

Distribution
USA; in eastern USA from Florida to New Jersey and west to Missouri; in western USA occurs in Oklahoma and Texas (Booher, 2021).

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

Biology
Wesson and Wesson (1939) from their description of the synonymized S. venatrix: described from a colony containing about 60 workers. Eight colonies and occasional scattered workers have been taken in Pike, Lawrence, Scioto and Adams Counties. The species is definitely a soil or humus dweller and forages for Collembola under the leaves and dead vegetable matter on the surface of the ground. So far as we can tell, it is not associated with other species for the purpose of obtaining the Collembola about their nest. Specific examples of the colonies may give a better idea of the habitus. A colony was found in a small opening near the edge of some young oak woods on a rather dry, gently-sloping hillside. The soil was a sandy clay. Several workers were first observed around a light cover of dead leaves. One of these, carrying a springtail in its mandibles, led to the nest, the entrance of which, was a tiny hole under a flake of stone in the middle of a small bare area 30 sq. cm. in extent. Just below the surface, this hole widened out into a spacious, elongate chamber 5 to 10 mm. in diameter and 10 cm. in length, which appeared to be the hollow interior of a dead and decayed root. Another colony was found in the grassy humus on the edge of a bushy thicket in a field. A colony of Aphaenogaster fulva was under an adjacent stone. Four colonies, including the type, were found in a grassy clearing in some dry, open woods. Two of these colonies were on the surface in the tangled roots of the grass, while the other 2 were in the soil 2 to 8 cm. below the surface. Galleries of Camponotus americanus ran close to one nest, but we were unable to find any connection between the two. Two colonies were 2ound in the cedar thicket described above under Strumigenys missouriensis. One of these was nesting in an opening at the bottom of the humus, the other in a small cavity at the base of an old rotted cedar stump. Stray workers in these and other places were often found by pulling back the top cover of the humus in places where springtails were abundant.

Nomenclature

 *  talpa. Strumigenys (Cephaloxys) talpa Weber, 1934b: 63, fig. 1 (w.) U.S.A. Brown, 1953g: 77 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1955a: 141 (l.). Combination in S. (Trichoscapa): Smith, M.R., 1947f: 587; Creighton, 1950a: 310; in Smithistruma: Smith, M.R., 1951a: 828; Brown, 1953g: 76; in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1673; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 128. Senior synonym of venatrix: Wesson, 1949: 21. See also: Wilson, 1954: 486; Bolton, 2000: 132.
 * deyrupi. Pyramica deyrupi Bolton, 2000: 119 (w.) U.S.A.
 * Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 118.
 * Status as species: Deyrup, 2003: 46.
 * Junior synonym of talpa: Deyrup, 2017: 140.
 * venatrix. Strumigenys (Cephaloxys) venatrix Wesson, L.G. & Wesson, R.G., 1939: 103, pl. 3, fig. 5 (w.) U.S.A. Combination in S. (Trichoscapa): Smith, M.R., 1943f: 307. Junior synonym of talpa: Wesson, 1949: 21; Brown, 1953g: 76.

Worker
TL 2.0-2.2, HL 0.53-0.60, HW 0.36-0.39, CI 64-69, ML 0.08-0.11, MI 15-19, SL 0.25-0.29, SI 66-76, PW 0.23-0.26, AL 0.50-0.59 (20 measured).

Fully closed mandibles with a basal gap between anterior clypeal margin and basal tooth that is distinctly longer than length of basal tooth. Anterior clypeal margin very evenly and shallowly broadly convex. In full-face view lateral clypeal margins with a continuous fringe of distinctly projecting, anteriorly curved hairs that are spatulate to very feebly spoon-shaped. Row of hairs on clypeal dorsum closest to lateral margin also project outward and curve anteriorly above the principal row; these hairs shorter than the principal marginal hairs but longer than those situated more centrally on the dorsum. Anterior clypeal margin without hairs that curve away from the midline. Dorsum of clypeus densely clothed with small spatulate hairs that curve anteriorly or anterolaterally. Dorsolateral margin of head with a single projecting flagellate hair, in apicoscrobal position. Dorsum of head close to occipital margin with 1-2 pairs of flagellate hairs. Flagellate hairs also present at pronotal humeri, on pronotal dorsum and mesonotum (1 pair each), on first gastral tergite and dorsal (outer) surfaces of hind tibia and basitarsus. Basigastral costulae strongly developed, extending one-third or more the length of the tergite.

Pyramica deyrupi

Holotype. TL 1.9, HL 0.52, HW 0.33, CI 63, ML 0.09, MI 17, SL 0.26, SI 79, PW 0.22, AL 0.48. Anterior clypeal margin almost transverse in full-face view. Dorsum of clypeus with numerous small short spatulate hairs that are somewhat elevated and curved anteriorly; these hairs tiny by comparison with the long, laterally projecting, anteriorly curved spatulate to narrowly spoon-shaped hairs that fringe the lateral clypeal margins. Dorsolateral margin of head with a flagellate apicoscrobal hair. Cephalic ground pilosity curved and narrowly spatulate, elevated; vertex near occipital margin with a pair of longer erect flagellate hairs. Pronotal humeral hair very long and fine, flagellate. Pronotal dorsum with 1 pair of erect flagellate hairs; mesonotum with a pair of flagellate hairs. Hairs on first gastral tergite very fin e and flagellate ; similar hairs present on waist segments. Hind basitarsus with a fine flagellate hair projecting from the dorsal (outer) surface close to its base. Basigastral costulae coarse, strongly developed, extending over the basal quarter of the tergite.

Paratypes. TL 1.9-2.0, HL 0.52-0.54, HW 0.33-0.35, CI 63-65, ML 0.09-0.10, MI 17-19, SL 0.26-0.28, SI 78-81, PW 0.22-0.24, AL 0.48-0.50 (5 measured).

Type Material
Holotype worker, U. S. A. Illinois, Herod, 12.x.1933 (T.H. Frison & H.H. Ross) [not seen].

Pyramica deyrupi

Holotype worker, U.S.A.: Florida, Ocala, 9 mi. SSW Marion Co., 16.x.1990, Ocala waterway, scrub area (M. Deyrup) [holotype is top specimen on a pin of three].

Paratypes. All specimens from same series (absolute number not known) (, Archhold Biological Station Florida, UTEL, )

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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