Strumigenys varanga

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

Known from the type collection, taken from a rotten log in a rainforest.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys mayri-group. Because of its combination of apical mandibular dentition, basally attenuated apical antennomere, concave anterior clypeal margin, presence of two laterally projecting hairs on the upper scrobe margin and presence of long erect hairs on the hind basitarsus, this large, long-scaped species is unlikely to be confused with any other.

Keys including this Species

Key to Australian Strumigenys Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -26.17° to -26.28333°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (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.

Elevation Range

Occurrence at collecting sites during elevational surveys of rainforest in the Eungella region, Queensland, Australia (Burwell et al., 2020).
Species	Elevation (m asl)
Species	200	400	600	800	1000	1200
Strumigenys varanga				0-10
Shading indicates the bands of elevation where species was recorded. Numbers are the percentage of total samples containing this species.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

varanga. Strumigenys varanga Bolton, 2000: 982, fig. 535 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA.

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 3.1, HL 0.81, HW 0.49, CI 60, ML 0.40, MI 49, SL 0.52, SI 106, PW 0.30, AL 0.82. Apicodorsal and apicoventral teeth of mandible widely separated, with 2 intercalaries arising from the more or less flat vertical margin between them (not arising from dorsal surface of apicoventral tooth). Upper intercalary a small tooth, located close to apicodorsal tooth; lower intercalary an even smaller tooth or denticle. In full-face view preocular carinae very broad, conspicuously convex below frontal lobes. Apicoscrobal hair simple; a similar projecting hair present anterior to it, at level of eye. Ground-pilosity of head simple to extremely narrowly linear-spatulate, curved and somewhat elevated. A number of longer simple hairs along occipital margin, the pair that straddles the midline longest, erect or slightly hooked at apex; dorsum without erect hairs anterior to this. Dorsum of head and alitrunk reticulate-punctate, sculpture weakest on pronotal dorsum (effaced in some specimens). Lateral alitrunk with smooth areas on side of pronotum, on katepisternum and on metapleuron-propodeum. Pronotal humeral hair simple to subflagellate. Dorsal alitrunk with long elevated curved ground-pilosity and a number of longer straighter more erect hairs; usually 1-2 pairs on pronotum and 2-3 pairs on mesonotum. Propodeal declivity with a broad lamella, its posterior (free) margin shallowly convex to shallowly concave. Disc of postpetiole smooth anteriorly and medially, but laterally and posteriorly usually punctulate to finely reticulate-punctate. Hairs on first gastral tergite long and fine, simple to subflagellate and acute apically. Basigastral costulae short, restricted to zone immediately posterior to limbus.

Paratypes. TL 2.9-3.1, HL 0.77-0.82, HW 0.45-0.49, CI 58-60, ML 0.37-0.41, MI 47-51, SL 0.48-0.52, SI 106-109, PW 0.29-0.33, AL 0.78-0.86.

Dimensions of non-paratypic workers. HL 0.78-0.86, HW 0.46-0.50, CI 57-59, ML 0.36-0.42, MI 46-50, SL 0.50, 0.56, SI 108-114 (10 measured).

Type Material

Holotype worker, Australia: Queensland, Cooran Plateau, nr Traveston, 26.17S X 152.50E, c 400 m., 18.iii.1973, accession 73.226, ex rotten log, rainforest, ANIC ants vial 37.231 (R. Kohout & R. W. Taylor) (Australian National Insect Collection). Paratypes. 8 workers and 1 queen with same data as holotype, or with collector's name as R.W. Taylor only (ANIC, The Natural History Museum).

Holotype, worker, Cooran Plateau near Traveston, Queensland, Australia, Taylor,R.W. & Kohout,R., ANIC32-017712, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 5 workers, 1 queen, Cooran Plateau near Traveston, Queensland, Australia, Taylor,R.W. & Kohout,R., ANIC32-017712, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 3 workers, Cooran Plateau near Traveston, Queensland, Australia, The Natural History Museum.

References

Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 982, fig. 535 worker described)
Burwell, C.J., Nakamura, A. 2020. Rainforest ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) along an elevational gradient at Eungella in the Clarke Range, Central Queensland coast, Australia. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 125: 43-63.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65