Strumigenys archboldi

Most of the collections of S. archboldi are from riparian or lakeside habitats with mixed conifer and broadleaf trees. It appears to inhabit a transition zone between xeric uplands and riparian or lakeside forest. A preference for relatively narrow ecotonal bands of habitat might explain why this species was not collected and described long ago. It is also possible that the species is restricted to uplands of the southeastern coastal plain, where sandy soils reduce the incidence and duration of flooding along the shores of streams and lakes. (Deyrup and Cover 1998)

Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys talpa-group. The long tapering basal lamella appears to be a secondary development, filling in the site of an original diastema that was about equivalent in extent to that seen in other talpa-group members.

Deyrup and Cover (1998) - Head, in frontal view strongly wedge-shaped, the result of convergent ocular lamellae and a narrow clypeus; shape of head therefore resembling that of a number of other species such as Strumigenys clypeata, Strumigenys ohioensis and Strumigenys laevinasis but unlike these and other species with a wedge-shaped head, S. archboldi has a conspicuous gap between the apical series of teeth and the c1ypeal border.

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



Biology
Deyrup and Cover (1998) - It is reasonable these days to consider the conservation status of newly described species if there is reason to believe that the species are rare, localized, or have narrow habitat requirements. The holotype locality of S. archboldi is within the Ocala National Forest, and many of the paratypes are from the Ordway Preserve, administered by the University of Florida, or the Spruce Creek Preserve, administered by the Nature Conservancy. The chances are good that there are protected populations of S. archboldi that can persist. Conditions at the Spruce Creek Preserve serve as a reminder that habitat destruction is not the only threat to many species of arthropods. At Spruce Creek there are populations of the exotic dacetonines. Strumigenys eggersi and Strumigenys rogeri, two species that appear to have replaced most of the native dacetonines at several of our survey sites in central Florida.

Southeastern Strumigenys are centered around the southern Appalachians, with some species having ranges extending up to southern New England, or down into Florida, or west to eastern Texas. Because of the consistency of this pattern, we suspect that this species will be found to have ranges considerably north of the localities listed above.

Nomenclature

 *  archboldi. Smithistruma archboldi Deyrup & Cover, 1998: 217, fig. 2 (w.q.) U.S.A. Combination in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1673; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 115. See also: Bolton, 2000: 131.

Worker
Holotype. Total length (calculated as in Brown 1953): 1.91; head length: .51; head width: .33; length of mesosoma: .54.

Mandible in frontal view with a broadly based triangular lamina, tapering gradually apically, terminating at about rnidlength; a conspicuous gap between most proximal teeth of apical series and c1ypeal border; 8 teeth in apical series, second longest, first and fourth subequal, third about half length and much more slender than second, teeth 5-8 slightly shorter than third; clypeus finely reticulate, not shining, about as long as wide, with a submarginal median tubercle, anterior border evenly rounded, with 12 elongate, spatulate, marginal hairs curved toward midline, disc with small, sparse, curved, spatulate hairs; head in frontal view wedge-shaped, with converging ocular lamellae, as in the clypeata group of Brown (1953); head strongly reticulate, except for small frontal triangle; enlarged hairs on front of head elongate, curved, slightly broadened; a flagelliform hair on each side of vertex; antennal scapes curved at basal third but not angulate, inner borders of scapes with a row of elongate spatulate hairs, all proclinate.

We find no consistent differences in the body and legs between S. archboldi and Strumigenys talpa (as described by Brown 1953).

Color light ferrugineous.

Bolton (2000) - TL 1.9-2.0, HL 0.52-0.56, HW 0.36-0.38, CI 67-69, ML 0.09-0.10, MI 16-19, SL 0.28-0.29, SI 75-78, PW 0.21-0.24, AL 0.48-0.54 (5 measured).

Diagnosed within the group by its extensive mandibular basal lamella. This is clearly visible in full-face view with the mandibles fully closed and extends forwards from the anterior clypeal margin for about one-third of the exposed mandible length. It is highest posteriorly and tapers down anteriorly to the base of the first (basal) tooth; there is no diastema or at most a tiny gap, that is much shorter than the length of the basal tooth, between narrow apex of lamella and base of first tooth. This contrasts strongly with the condition seen in the other three members of the group where the basal lamella is partially or mostly concealed at full mandibular closure, occupying at most only a tiny percentage of the exposed length of the mandible and separated from the basal tooth by a long diastema.

Queen
total length (calculated as in Brown 1953): 2.53; head length: .59; head width: .42; length of mesosoma: .67.

Usual queen modifications present: ocelli present, compound eyes large, mesosoma modified for flight. Otherwise resembling the holotype worker, including the diagnostic characters of a wedge-shaped head in frontal view, conspicuous gap between the apical series of mandibular teeth and clypeal border, and type and disposition of hairs on clypeus.

Type Material
Holotype worker, 210 worker and 8 dealate 2 paratypes. Holotype, 1 dealate 2, 19 worker paratypes: FLORIDA: Lake Co., Ocala National Forest, Road 445 at Alexander Springs Creek, mesic oak and pine forest, west side of creek on south side of road, 3 Sept. 1995, M. Deyrup. Paratypes: 11 workers, same site as holotype, 2 Apr. 1992, M. Deyrup and B. Ferster; 42 workers, 1 dealate 2: FLORIDA: Putnam Co., three miles east of Melrose, Ordway Preserve, near Lake Rowen, Berlese sample, 24 Feb. 1995, Lloyd R. Davis; 28 workers: Putnam Co., three miles east of Melrose, Ordway Preserve, Berlese sample OK021195-B, 11 Feb. 1995, Lloyd Davis; 23 workers, 1 dealate queen Volusia Co., Spruce Creek Nature Conservancey Preserve, 22 Oct. 1994, M. Deyrup, B. Ferster, Z. Prusak; 7 workers, 1 dealate queen: Bradford Co., Starke, 30 Apr. 1993, Lloyd R. Davis; 51 workers, 1 dealate queen: Bradford Co., Hampton, 30 Apr. 1993, Lloyd R. Davis; 1 dealate queen: Volusia Co., Deland, oak litter from vacant lot, 25 Dec. 1985, M. Deyrup; 1 dealate queen: Putnam Co., Rodman Resevoir, scrub just west of dam, 3 Apr. 1988, Clifford Johnson; 1 dealate queen, 11 workers: Alachua Co., Gainseville, mesic hammock by hospital, 24 JuI. 1986, Clifford Johnson; 1 dealate queen, 7 workers: Bradford Co., Keystone Heights, 2 miles west, north side of Little Santa Fe Lake, 23 Feb. 1995, Lloyd Davis: 1 worker: Jefferson Co., Capps, 1 mile east, U.S. 19-27, in leaf litter, 24 July 1965. Waiter Suter; 10 workers: GEORGIA: Charlton Co., St. George, 6 miles south. leaf litter from magnolia, pine and cypress swamp, 18 Aug. 1965, Walter Suter.

Holotype, 32 workers, 3 dealate queen: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; 18 workers: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; 20 workers, 1 dealate queen: Los Angeles county Museum; 21 workers, 1 dealate queen: The Natural History Museum, London; 18 workers: Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Gainesville, Florida; 9 workers: Canadian National Collection, Ottawa, Ontario; 6 workers: Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois; 7 workers: collection of Mark DuBois, Washington, Illinois; 7 workers: collection of William MacKay, El Paso, Texas; 7 workers: collection of Philip Ward, University of California, Davis, California; remaining paratypes in the arthropod collection of Archbold Biological Station, Lake Placid, Florida.

Etymology
This species is named for Richard Archbold, who founded the Archbold Biological Station, which has supported a survey of Florida ants for the past decade.