Strumigenys louisianae

A highly-variable widely-distributed New World species that is one of the most commonly encountered members of the genus.

Identification
See the description below.

Distribution
Bolton (2000) - The distribution area of louisianae is vast. Brown (1953a, 1953d, 1961) noted its presence in many southern states of the U.S.A. (Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas), as well as from Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Cuba, Haiti , Puerto Rico, Brazil , Surinam, Colombia, Bolivia and Argentina. The present survey has added localities in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Ecuador and Paraguay.

This taxon was described from the United States. It is also found in Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Paraguay, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Bahamas and Barbados.

Nomenclature

 *  louisianae. Strumigenys louisianae Roger, 1863a: 211 (w.) U.S.A. Emery, 1895c: 326 (q.); Haug, 1932: 170 (m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1955a: 136 (l.). Senior synonym of unispinulosa: Emery, 1895c: 326; Brown, 1953g: 28; of laticephala: Smith, M.R. 1951a: 826; Brown, 1953g: 28; of bruchi, costaricensis, cubaensis, guatemalensis, longicornis, obscuriventris, soledadensis: Brown, 1953g: 28; of clasmospongia, fusca, unidentata: Brown, 1961a: 64; of producta: Bolton, 2000: 524; of wani: Bolton, Sosa-Calvo, et al. 2008: 62. See also: Wilson, 1954: 481; Bolton, 2000: 525.
 * unidentata. Strumigenys unidentata Mayr, 1887: 575 (w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of louisianae: Brown, 1961a: 64.
 * unispinulosa. Strumigenys unispinulosa Emery, 1890b: 67, pl. 7, fig. 5 (w.q.) COSTA RICA. [Also described as new by Emery, 1894k: 58.] Junior synonym of louisianae: Emery, 1895c: 326; Brown, 1953g: 28.
 * fusca. Strumigenys fusca Emery, 1894c: 215, pl. 1, fig. 8 (w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of louisianae: Brown, 1961a: 64.
 * longicornis. Strumigenys unispinulosa var. longicornis Emery, 1894c: 214 (w.) BOLIVIA. Junior synonym of louisianae: Brown, 1953g: 28.
 * obscuriventris. Strumigenys louisianae var. obscuriventris Wheeler, W.M. 1908a: 145, pl. 12, fig. 14 (w.) PUERTO RICA. Junior synonym of louisianae: Brown, 1953g: 28.
 * bruchi. Strumigenys bruchi Forel, 1912e: 197 (w.m.) ARGENTINA. Junior synonym of louisianae: Brown, 1953g: 28.
 * cubaensis. Strumigenys eggersi var. cubaensis Mann, 1920: 430 (w.) CUBA. Junior synonym of louisianae: Brown, 1953g: 28.
 * laticephala. Strumigenys (Strumigenys) louisianae subsp. laticephala Smith, M.R. 1931c: 690, pl. 1, fig. 2 (w.) U.S.A. Haug, 1932: 170 (m.). Junior synonym of louisianae: Smith, M.R. 1951a: 826; Brown, 1953g: 28.
 * costaricensis. Strumigenys (Strumigenys) louisianae subsp. costaricensis Weber, 1934a: 39 (w.) COSTA RICA. Junior synonym of louisianae: Brown, 1953g: 28.
 * guatemalensis. Strumigenys (Strumigenys) louisianae subsp. guatemalensis Weber, 1934a: 39 (w.) GUATEMALA. Junior synonym of louisianae: Brown, 1953g: 28.
 * soledadensis. Strumigenys (Strumigenys) louisianae subsp. soledadensis Weber, 1934a: 38 (w.q.) CUBA. Junior synonym of louisianae: Brown, 1953g: 28.
 * clasmospongia. Strumigenys clasmospongia Brown, 1953e: 2 (w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of louisianae: Brown, 1961a: 64.
 * producta. Strumigenys producta Brown, 1953e: 3 (w.) BOLIVIA. Junior synonym of louisianae: Bolton, 2000: 524.
 * wani. Pyramica wani Makhan, 2007a: 6, figs. 11, 12 (w.) SURINAM. Combination in Strumigenys: Bolton, Sosa-Calvo, et al. 2008: 62. Junior synonym of louisianae: Bolton, Sosa-Calvo, et al. 2008: 62.

Bolton (2000) - As mentioned in the introduction to the group,louisianae, as presently constituted, is an extremely variable species. It is in need of a detailed investigation that is beyond the scope of the current study. There is considerable variation in distibution, density and intensity of sculpture on the alitrunk, postpetiole and gaster; in relative dimensions of head, mandible and scape; in shape and relative and absolute size of spongiform appendages; in shape, size and density of cephalic ground pilosity; in length and shape of gastral pilosity; and in colour, though this may be altitude-related as in many other dacetines. Brown (1953a, 1961) concluded that all the variation was indicative of a single extremely plastic species, but I suspect that this may not be the case.

Because of the consistency of the character combination used above to diagnose the species, and its duplication in the type-series of producta, I have added this name to the synonymy of louisianae. I have removed Strumigenys infidelis from Brown's synonymy and reinstated it as a valid species because it lacks flagellate hairs at the pronotal humeri.

Worker
Bolton (2000) - TL 1.8 - 3.4, HL 0.46 - 0.70, HW 0.38 - 0.54, CI 71 - 92, ML 0.23 - 0.48, MI 50 - 70, SL 0.24 - 0.45, SI 63 - 85, PW 0.24 - 0.36, AL 0.45 - 0.74 (includes all measurements made by Brown, 1953a, 1953d, 1961; 35 more measured to provide values omitted from these papers). Mandible without a denticle proximal to the preapical tooth. With head in profile postbuccal groove a narrow and deeply incised notch. Apicoscrobal hair short and stiff, remiform. Cephalic dorsum with a single pair of short standing hairs, close to occipital margin. Pronotal humeral hair fine and flagellate; mesonotal standing hairs remiform. Ventral surface of petiole without trace of spongiform tissue.

Type Material
Bolton (2000):

Syntype workers, U.S.A.: Louisiana (location of types not known).

Strumigenys unidentata Mayr, 1887: 570 (in key), 575. Lectotype worker (designated by Brown, 1961: 68), BRAZIL: Santa Catarina [examined].

Strumigenys unispinulosa Emery, 1890: 67, pl. 7, fig. 5. Syntype workers and queen, COSTA RICA: Alajuela [not seen].

Strumigenys unispinulosa var. longicornis Emery, 1894a: 214. Holotype queen, BOLIVIA: Cantoni di Coroico, Chilumani Yungas (Balzan) (MCSN) [not seen].

Strumigenys fusca Emery, 1894a: 215, pl. 1, fig. 8. Holotype worker, BRAZIL: Amazonas, Manicore (MCSN) [not seen].

Strumigenys louisianae var. obscuriventris W.M. Wheeler, 1908: 145, pl. 12, fig. 14. Syntype workers, PUERTO RICO: Utuado and Coamo Springs (W.M. Wheeler) [examined].

Strumigenys bruchi Forel, 1912b: 197. Syntype workers and males, ARGENTINA: La Plata (Bruch) [examined].

Strumigenys eggersi var. cubaensis Mann, 1920: 430. Syntype workers, CUBA: Cienfuegos, 1917 (W.M. Mann) (AMNH, ) [examined].

Strumigenys louisianae subsp. laticephala M.R. Smith, 1931: 690, pl. 1, fig. 2. Syntype workers, U.S.A.: Mississippi, Longview (M. R. Smith) (USNM) [examined].

Strumigenys (Strumigenys) louisianae subsp. soledadensis Weber, 1934a: 38. Syntype workers and queen, CUBA: Soledad, Cienfuegos, Harvard Bot. Gdns, 11, 15 and 29.viii. 1933 (N.A. Weber) (AMNH, USNM) [examined].

Strumigenys (Strumigenys) louisianae subsp. guatemalensis Weber, 1934a: 39. Syntype workers, GUATEMALA: Zacapa, 13.xii.1911 (W.M. Wheeler) (, AMNH) [not seen].

Strumigenys (Strumigenys) louisianae subsp. costaricensis Weber, 1934a: 39. Syntype workers, COSTA RICA: Cartago, 15.xii.1911 (W.M. Wheeler) (MCZ, AMNH) [examined].

Strumigenys ciasmospongia Brown, 1953d: 2. Holotype and paratype workers, BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro, Petropolis, viii.1922, nr. 5884 (T. Borgmeier) (, MCZ, USNM) [examined].

Strumigenys producta Brown, 1953d: 3. Holotype and paratype workers, BOLIVIA: Beni, Rurrenabaque, x.1921, Mulford BioI. Exp. (W.M. Mann) (USNM, MCZ, MZSP) [examined].

Additional References

 * [[Media:Creighton 1937.pdf|Creighton, W. S. 1937. Notes on the habits of Strumigenys. Psyche (Cambridge) 44:97-109. [1937-12] Stamp date in MCZ library: 1938.03.01. PDF]]