Strumigenys dapsilis

Strumigenys dapsilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Strumigenys
Species:	S. dapsilis
Binomial name
	Strumigenys dapsilis; (Bolton, 2000) Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Strumigenys dapsilis.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys schulzi-group. Within the group dapsilis is easily identified by its diastemate mandible with unique dentition, and presence of very dense recurved spatulate pilosity on the disc of the postpetiole. Apart from this it is the only species that combines tiny eyes with long slender scapes, a complete lack of standing hairs on dorsal head and alitrunk, absence of humeral hairs, mostly smooth pleurae and side of propodeum, and a smooth postpetiole disc.

Keys including this Species

Key to Neotropical Strumigenys (as Pyramica)

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -23.517° to -27.818°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Biology

Explore Overview of Strumigenys biology

Strumigenys were once thought to be rare. The development and increased use of litter sampling methods has led to the discovery of a tremendous diversity of species. Many species are specialized predators (e.g. see Strumigenys membranifera and Strumigenys louisianae). Collembola (springtails) and other tiny soil arthropods are typically favored prey. Species with long linear mandibles employ trap-jaws to sieze their stalked prey (see Dacetine trap-jaws). Larvae feed directly on insect prey brought to them by workers. Trophallaxis is rarely practiced. Most species live in the soil, leaf litter, decaying wood or opportunistically move into inhabitable cavities on or under the soil. Colonies are small, typically less than 100 individuals but in some species many hundreds. Moist warm habitats and micro-habitats are preferred. A few better known tramp and otherwise widely ranging species tolerate drier conditions. Foraging is often in the leaf litter and humus. Workers of many species rarely venture above ground or into exposed, open areas. Individuals are typically small, slow moving and cryptic in coloration. When disturbed individuals freeze and remain motionless. Males are not known for a large majority of species.

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Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

dapsilis. Pyramica dapsilis Bolton, 2000: 217, fig. 148 (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 118

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Holotype. TL 1.8, HL 0.50, HW 0.35, CI 70, ML 0.09, MI 18, SL 0.28, SI 80, PW 0.24, AL 0.47. Mandible with a distinct diastema between basal lamella and basal tooth. Basal tooth extremely reduced and teeth 3 and 5 from the base are low broadly rounded plates; dentition discussed under species-group notes above. Anterior clypeal margin transverse. Eye minute, of a single om matidium only (see note on paratype, below). Dorsum of head entirely clothed with quite large curved spoon- shaped hairs; without a transverse row of erect simple hairs behind highest point of vertex. Dorsolateral margins of head in full-face view with anteriorly curved spoon-shaped hairs only; without a differentiated apicoscrobal hair. Scapes in dorsal view slender, not strongly dorsoventrally flattened nor expanded; distal of the subbasal bend the scape of almost uniform width to the apex. Dorsal alitrunk with dense curved spatulate to spoon-shaped ground-pilosity; pronotal humeral hair absent, the entire dorsum without standing pilosity. Dorsal alitrunk entirely reticulate-punctate. Pleurae and side of propodeum mostly smooth and shining, only the narrow area behind the level of the propodeal spiracle punctate. Propodeal teeth minute and subtended by a short narrow lamella. Ventral surface of petiole in profile with an extremely narrow subspongiform carina; lateral spongiform lobe of petiole node small. Postpetiole with distinct lateral and ventral spongiform lobes and the first gastral sternite in profile with a narrow basal pad . Dorsal surfaces of petiole and postpetiole very densely clothed with posteriorly curved short spatulate hairs. On the postpetiole the posteriormost row of these hairs arches backwards over the posterior spongiform collar of the segment. Both waist segments lack standing hairs of any form. Base of first gastral tergite with posteriorly curved spatulate hairs; on the midline of the sclerite these spatulate hairs occur over about the basal half of the segment. Elsewhere on the first tergite pilosity is longer and fine, sinuate or even short-flagellate. Dorsum of petiole node broader than long, feebly reticulate; disc of postpetiole smooth, the surface to some extent obscured by the density of the spatulate pilosity. Basigastral costulae sharply defined but short, the gaster otherwise smooth.

Paratype. TL 1.8, HL 0.50, HW 0.34, CI 68, ML 0.09, MI 18, SL 0.28, SI 82, PW 0.24, AL 0.48. As holotype but eye consists of 2 small ommatidia in total.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Brazil: Sao Paulo, Sales6polis, E. B. Boraceia, 3-5.v.1996 (Brandao, Agosti, Diniz, Silvestre & Yamamoto) (Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo). Paratype. 1 worker with same data as holotype (The Natural History Museum).

References

Baroni Urbani, C. & De Andrade, M.L. 2007. The ant tribe Dacetini: limits and constituent genera, with descriptions of new species. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale “G. Doria” 99:1-191.
Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 217, fig. 148 worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
Silva R.R., and C. R. F. Brandao. 2014. Ecosystem-Wide Morphological Structure of Leaf-Litter Ant Communities along a Tropical Latitudinal Gradient. PLoSONE 9(3): e93049. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093049
Silva T. S. R., and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. Using controlled vocabularies in anatomical terminology: A case study with Strumigenys (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Arthropod Structure and Development 52: 1-26.
Ulyssea M. A., C. R. F. Brandao. 2013. Catalogue of Dacetini and Solenopsidini ant type specimens (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae) deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. Papies Avulsos de Zoologia 53(14): 187-209.