Strumigenys manis

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

Well collected for a Strumigenys species, this is a rainforest ant is presently known only from litter samples.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys marginiventris-group. The smallest known species in the group, manis also has the shortest mandibles and scapes and is the only species to possess a preapical denticle in addition to the distal preapical tooth. No other species in the group has a reticulate-punctate postpetiole disc or completely lacks spongiform tissue ventrally on the petiole. In many ways manis resembles Strumigenys boneti (ludia-group) , which is also known from Mexico, but boneti has a strong intercalary denticle and lacks a distal preapical tooth.

Keys including this Species

Key to Neotropical and Nearctic Strumigenys

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 18.64° to 18.0594866°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Colombia, Mexico (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.

manis. Strumigenys manis Bolton, 2000: 542 (w.) MEXICO.

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 2.5, HL 0.63, HW 0.52, CI 83, ML 0.42, MI 67, SL 0.46, SI 88, PW 0.30, AL 0.64. Mandible with a minute denticle just proximal of midlength; this denticle extremely small and difficult to see, only a fraction the length of the distal preapical tooth. Cephalic dorsum with 2 pairs of erect short hairs; one near highest point of vertex, the other close to the occipital margin. Apicoscrobal flagellate hair present (abraded in holotype). Pronotal humeral hair flagellate and a pair of flagellate hairs present on mesonotum. All standing hairs on waist segments and on first gastral tergite short and quite stout, simple to feebly remiform and curved or inclined posteriorly. Sides and dorsum of alitrunk densely reticulate-punctate everywhere; disc of postpetiole completely reticulate-punctate. First gastral tergite behind basigastral costulae more superficially reticulate-punctate than postpetiole, the surface weakly shining. Propodeal spines long and narrowly triangular, stoutly constructed and subtended by a narrow carina down the declivity. Ventral surface of petiole without a spongiform crest or curtain but with a small rounded cuticular process anteriorly. Lateral lobe of petiole feebly developed, scarcely more than an extension of the posterior collar onto the side of the node.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Mexico: Vera Cruz, Tuxtias, 10 km. NNW Sontecomapan, 18°35'N, 95°05'W, 200 m., 20.iii.1985, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), rainforest, #7333-18 (P. S. Ward) (The Natural History Museum).

References

Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028.
Guerrero, R.J., Fernandez, F., Escarraga, M.E., Perez-Pedraza, L.F., Serna, F., Mackay, M.P., Sandoval, V., Vergara, V., Suarez, D., Garcia, E.I., Sanchez, A., Meneses, A.D., Tocora, M.C., Sosa-Calvo, J. 2018. New records of myrmicine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for Colombia. Revista Colombiana de Entomología 44: 238-259 (DOI 10.25100/socolen.v44i2.7115).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Ahuatzin D. A., E. J. Corro, A. Aguirre Jaimes, J. E. Valenzuela Gonzalez, R. Machado Feitosa, M. Cezar Ribeiro, J. Carlos Lopez Acosta, R. Coates, W. Dattilo. 2019. Forest cover drives leaf litter ant diversity in primary rainforest remnants within human-modified tropical landscapes. Biodiversity and Conservation 28(5): 1091-1107.
Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
Longino J. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/
Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133