Strumigenys godeffroyi

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Strumigenys godeffroyi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Strumigenys
Species group: godeffroyi
Species: S. godeffroyi
Binomial name
Strumigenys godeffroyi
Mayr, 1866

Strumigenys godeffroyi casent0060226 profile 1.jpg

Strumigenys godeffroyi casent0060226 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Synonyms

The widespread tramp species is native to the Oriental realm and was introduced to multiple states of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and numerous islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Its native range is likely to include Cambodia, Laos and Thailand (Tang & Guenard, 2023).

At a Glance • Invasive  

Photo Gallery

  • Worker with prey.
  • Worker with prey.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the godeffroyi complex in the Strumigenys godeffroyi-group. Thirteen species in the godeffroyi-complex have predominantly smooth pleurae and side of propodeum. Seven of these, Strumigenys geminata, godeffroyi, Strumigenys juliae, Strumigenys lewisi, Strumigenys nytaxis, Strumigenys peraucta and Strumigenys uberyx, have the pair of erect hairs closest to the midline on the occipital margin short and stiff (best seen with the head in profile). This pair of hairs is erect or nearly so, and straight or at most only very shallowly evenly curved. In the other six (see under Strumigenys nanzanensis) the pair of hairs at this location are long and fine, sometimes subflagellate, and are either abruptly angled anteriorly in their apical halves or have their apical halves looped.

Of the seven listed above the first two, godeffroyi and nytaxis, do not have elongate standing hairs on the pronotum except for the humeral pair. These two are easily differentiated as follows.

1 In godeffroyi the dorsolateral margin of the head posterior to the flagellate apicoscrobal hair has a row of 3-4 stiffly anterolaterally projecting hairs that are more or less cylindrical; these contrast with the more strongly curved narrowly spatulate hairs that occur on the upper scrobe margin anterior to the flagellate hair. In nytaxis there are no stiffly projecting cylindrical hairs posterior to the flagellate hair.

2 In godeffroyi the dorsum and side of the pronotum is densely clothed with a conspicuous pelt of curved linear-spatulate ground-pilosity that gives the sclerite a vaguely furry appearance. In nytaxis pronotal ground-pilosity is sparse and inconspicuous dorsally, almost absent laterally.

3 In godeffroyi, with the propodeum in profile the lamella on the declivity terminates dorsally in a convex rim or crest of spongiform tissue that lies on top of the propodeal tooth or its vestige. In nytaxis the lamella on the declivity is flat-topped, the dorsal surface of the propodeal tooth or its vestige is not adorned with a convex crest of spongiform tissue.

4 In godeffroyi the dorsum of the petiole node is finely and densely reticulate-punctate, contrasting with the disc of the postpetiole which is mostly or entirely unsculptured. In nytaxis the dorsum of the petiole node is un sculptured or nearly so, very similar to the disc of the postpetiole.

The remaining five species, lewisi, juliae, geminata, peraucta and uberyx, are closely related and have a pair of erect hairs on the pronotal dorsum in addition to the humeral pair. In juliae and uberyx the dorsum and sides of the pronotum are mostly to entirely smooth and shining when clean; see comments under the latter name. This sclerite in lewisi, geminata and peraucta bears extensive reticulate-punctate sculpture either dorsally, laterally, or both. The Indian peraucta has cephalic ground-pilosity that is almost reclinate, each hair being so strongly curved basally that the main length of the hair-shaft parallels the surface or even inclines back down toward the surface. In both lewisi and geminata the cephalic ground-pilosity is decidedly elevated; the main length of each hair distinctly inclines upward, away from the surface, from base to apex. Finally, lewisi is a larger and more stockily built species than geminata, compare measurements and see comments under the latter name.

Sarnat and Economo (2012) - Fiji: Strumigenys godeffroyi is immediately recognizable among the Fijian dacetines by the plethora of long fine flagellate hairs that occur on all dorsal surfaces, including those of the gaster.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Native: India (Meghalaya, West Bengal, Sikkim), Indonesia (Borneo, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Sumatra), Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam (Tang & Guenard, 2023).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 5.016666667° to -20.992°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia, New Caledonia.
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Fiji, Guam, Hawaii, Indonesia, Krakatau Islands, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), New Guinea, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Philippines, Samoa (type locality), Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna Islands.
Malagasy Region: Mauritius, Seychelles.
Nearctic Region: United States.
Oriental Region: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Biology

This ant is associated with three species of mealybugs, namely: Geococcus coffeae Green, Geococcus associatus Lit and Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell). All are found on roots of Beaucarnea recurvata (Lem.) Hemi. This was also mentioned by Lit (1992) in his description of G. associatus.

Brown (1949) - This species ranges very widely, being found on many insignificant islands and coral atolls in the Pacific. It will probably be found on any really tropical shore in the central and western part of the Pacific. Since specimens have been taken in the U. S. Plant Quarantine and in other circumstances which leave no doubt that godeffroyi can and does spread through commerce as a tramp, the extent to which the species had colonized the present range through natural means, such as by floating logs and debris, may never be known. The presence of closely related species on New Zealand, Australia, and elsewhere in the Pacific indicates that the group in general is one which has been able to travel over long stretches of open sea and establish successful populations without help from man.

Castes

Worker

Strumigenys-godeffroyiH10a.jpgStrumigenys-godeffroyiL6.3x.jpgStrumigenys-godeffroyiD6.3x.jpgStrumigenys-godeffroyiLabel.jpg
. Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Images from AntWeb

Strumigenys godeffroyi casent0060343 head 1.jpgStrumigenys godeffroyi casent0060343 profile 1.jpgStrumigenys godeffroyi casent0060343 dorsal 1.jpgStrumigenys godeffroyi casent0060343 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0060343. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Strumigenys godeffroyi casent0101214 head 1.jpgStrumigenys godeffroyi casent0101214 profile 1.jpgStrumigenys godeffroyi casent0101214 dorsal 1.jpgStrumigenys godeffroyi casent0101214 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0101214. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
Strumigenys godeffroyi casent0101215 head 1.jpgStrumigenys godeffroyi casent0101215 profile 1.jpgStrumigenys godeffroyi casent0101215 dorsal 1.jpgStrumigenys godeffroyi casent0101215 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0101215. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Strumigenys godeffroyi casent0060224 head 1.jpgStrumigenys godeffroyi casent0060224 profile 1.jpgStrumigenys godeffroyi casent0060224 dorsal 1.jpgStrumigenys godeffroyi casent0060224 label 1.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0060224. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

  • godeffroyi. Strumigenys godeffroyi Mayr, 1866a: 516 (w.) SAMOA. Mayr, 1887: 569 (q.); Imai, Brown, et al. 1984: 68 (k.). Senior synonym of butteli, indica: Brown, 1949d: 17; of geococci: Bolton, 2000: 791. See also: Bingham, 1903: 149.
  • indica. Strumigemys godefroyi var. indica Forel, 1902c: 243 (q.) INDIA. Junior synonym of godeffroyi: Brown, 1949d: 17.
  • butteli. Strumigenys godeffroyi var. butteli Forel, 1913k: 83 (w.q.) SRI LANKA. Junior synonym of godeffroyi: Brown, 1949d: 17.
  • geococci. Strumigenys godeffroyi subsp. geococci Calilung, 2000: 70, fig. 3 (w.) PHILIPPINES (Luzon). Junior synonym of godeffroyi: Bolton, 2000: 791.

Type Material

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

Description

Worker

TL 2.1-2.5, HL 0.54-0.64, HW 0.40-0.45, CI 67-73, ML 0.24-0.30, MI 45-49, SL 0.33-0.40, SI 86-95, PW 0.26-0.28, AL 0.56-0.67 (20 measured).

Characters of godeffroyi-complex. Cephalic dorsum with pair of erect hairs closest to midline on occipital margin short stiff and erect, straight to shallowly evenly curved, the apical half not abruptly curved anteriorly nor looped. With head in full-face view the dorsolateral margin posterior to the flagellate apicoscrobal hair has a row of 3-4 stiffly projecting hairs. These hairs contrast with the marginal hairs anterior to the flagellate hair as they are more cylindrical (i.e. not spatulate), more elevated and less strongly curved anteriorly. Pronotum with a somewhat furry appearance: ground-pilosity on pronotal dorsum dense and conspicuous, linear-spatulate, arched and somewhat elevated, in profile appearing as a pelt; side of pronotum also densely clothed with similar ground-pilosity. Dorsum of pronotum without flagellate hairs apart from the humeral pair. Pleurae and side of propodeum mostly to entirely smooth, any reticulate-punctate sculpture present is confined to periphery. Propodeal declivity with a broad and very conspicuous spongiform lamella, the propodeal teeth only weakly expressed (may be vestigial) and entirely buried in the lamella. Dorsal surface of propodeal tooth in profile surmounted by a convex crest or ridge of spongiform tissue. Disc of postpetiole un sculptured. Basigastral costulae conspicuous but not extending half the length of the tergite.

Karyotype

  • 2n = 44 (Indonesia) (Imai et al., 1985).
  • 2n = 40 (Malaysia) (Imai et al., 1983).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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