Strongylognathus

Radchenko and Duibovikoff (2011) - The ant genus Strongylognatus comprises obligatory social parasites, so-called degenerate slavemakers, which live in nests of Tetramorium species. The parasite queen does not kill the host queen, but it pheromonally inhibits production of its sexual brood. The share of parasite workers in mixed colonies seldom exceeds 2%; under natural conditions, they only sporadically raid colonies of the host species to obtain more slaves.

Identification
Radchenko and Duibovikoff (2011) - Morphologically Strongylognathus well differs from any known Palaearctic Myrmicinae genera by its highly specialized, long and narrow mandibles with not defined masticatory margin. Bolton (1976) proposed to divide this genus into two species-groups: testaceus- and huberi-group. The species of the first group are characterized by the strongly concave occipital margin and by prominent posterio-lateral corners of the head. In contrary, the species of the huberi-group have straight or at most very shallowly concave occipital margin and rounded, not prominent posterio-lateral corners of the head.

Distribution
Radchenko and Duibovikoff (2011) - Strongylognathus species are distributed only in the Palaearctic Region, from Iberian Peninsula to Tien-Shan Mts. in the west, and also in eastern China, Korea and Japan. Nevertheless, at least three more new undescribed species are known from Iran (Paknia et al. 2008), Pakistan (Andres Schulz, pers. comm.) and Armenia (unpublished personal data).

Species richness
Species richness by country based on regional taxon lists (countries with darker colours are more species-rich). View Data



Nomenclature

 *  STRONGYLOGNATHUS [Myrmicinae: Tetramoriini]
 * Strongylognathus Mayr, 1853d: 389. Type-species: Eciton testaceum, by monotypy. Replacement name for Myrmus Schenck, 1853: 188. [Junior homonym of Myrmus Hahn, 1832: 81 (Hemiptera).]
 * MYRMUS [junior homonym, see Strongylognathus]
 * Myrmus Schenck, 1853: 188. Type-species: Myrmus emarginatus (junior synonym of Eciton testaceum), by monotypy. [Junior homonym of Myrmus Hahn, 1832: 81 (Hemiptera).]
 * Strongylognathus Mayr, 1853d: 389, replacement name for Myrmus Schenck.

Radchenko and Duibovikoff (2011) - The taxonomy of Strongylognathus is comparatively well studied, while there are still several unresolved particular problems on this subject (Pisarski 1966, Baroni Urbani 1969, Radchenko 1985, 1991, Sanetra et al. 1999; see also Bolton 1995, Bolton et al. 2006).