Strumigenys hemichlaena

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Strumigenys hemichlaena
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Strumigenys
Species: S. hemichlaena
Binomial name
Strumigenys hemichlaena
Brown, 1971

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Specimen Labels

This species is apparently widespread in mid-mountain altitudes (900-1900 m) in New Guinea, where it replaces Strumigenys szalayi. Collections have been made from downed branches, sticks, and rotten logs.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys szalayi-group. Specimens of hemichlaena are like those of populations of Strumigenys szalayi in which the gaster is distinctly darker than the head and alitrunk, except for the fact that in hemichlaena the pronotum and anterior mesonotum are also darkly coloured (alitrunk is unicoloured in szalayi). The validity of this character is weakened by the presence in LACM of two workers collected by Roy Snelling at Lakekamu Basin, Papua New Guinea, in which the pronotum and anterior mesonotum are only very slightly darker than the remainder of the alitrunk. Whether these represent intermediates or are teneral forms of hemichlaena remains undecided. Nevertheless, the suspicion arises that hemichlaena may merely be another colour-morph of szalayi (see note under Strumigenys tigris); only the acquisition of more material can resolve the problem.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -4.5° to -7.734722222°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia (type locality), New Guinea.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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.
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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.
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Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • hemichlaena. Strumigenys hemichlaena Brown, 1971c: 78 (w.) NEW GUINEA. See also: Bolton, 2000: 904.

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

Description

Worker

Bolton (2000) - TL 3.2-3.5, HL 0.76-0.90, HW 0.52-0.64, CI 68-71, ML 0.40-0.46, MI 48-53, SL 0.50-0.58, SI 91-97, PW 0.32-0.36, AL 0.86-0.94 (4 measured). As szalayi but with different colour pattern. Head yellow to yellowish brown; pronotum and anterior mesonotum black or blackish brown; posterior mesonotum, propodeum and waist segments same shade as head; gaster glossy dark brown.

Queen

Dealate (from type nest series): TL 3.75, HL 0.88, ML 0.43, WL 0.95 mm.; CI 72, MI 49.

Eves very large, their anterior borders narrowly rounded and overhanging th deep narrow preocular groove. Mesonotum with a weak anterior median sulcus; posterior half with about 8 separated, continuous and slightly vermiculate longitudinal rugulae. Scutellum convex, with a median carinula; mesonotal ground sculpture the usual dense punctulation. Propodeal teeth stouter than in worker. Petiolar node as broad as long. Anterior corner of anepisternum, most of katepisternum, and procoxae smooth and shining. Mesonotum with a few fine erect hairs like those of head and gaster.

Ground color ferruginous yellow; dorsum of head, except occipital lobes, slightly infuscated; pronotum (not cervix) and mesonotum entirely deep ferruginous-black, metanotum deep ferruginous; gaster dark castaneous. Deposited with holotype.

Immature

Pupae with mandilbes open to more than 180 as figured by Emery for szalayi. (see above) Larvae described as “Strumigenys sp. (szalayi group)” by G. C. and J. Wheeler, 1960. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash., 62: 27.

Type Material

Holotype worker (Zoological Museum, Bogor. lndonesia) from a type nest series of 45 workers and a single queen. Baliem River, Netherlands New Guinea. 1600 m. in rotten branch. 14 Dec., 1938, L. J. Toxopeus. For particulars concerning type locality see Toxopeus, 1940. Treubia, 17: 273-274, 278-279, or Archbold, Rand and Brass, 1942, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 79: 246-250.

Bolton (2000) - Holotype worker, paratype workers and queen, INDONESIA: Irian Jaya, Baliem River, 1600 m., 14.xii.1938, in rotten branch (L. J. Toxopeus) (BZB, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Australian National Insect Collection, California Academy of Sciences) [examined].

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
  • Brown W. L., Jr. 1971. The Indo-Australian species of the ant genus Strumigenys: group of szalayi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pp. 73-86 in: Asahina, S., et al. (eds.) Entomological essays to commemorate the retirement of Professor K. Yasumatsu. Tokyo: Hokuryukan Publishing Co., vi + 389 pp.
  • CSIRO Collection
  • Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
  • Snelling R. R. 1998. Insect Part 1: The social Hymenoptera. In Mack A. L. (Ed.) A Biological Assessment of the Lakekamu Basin, Papua New Guinea, RAP 9. 189 ppages