Strumigenys balux

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Strumigenys balux
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Strumigenys
Species: S. balux
Binomial name
Strumigenys balux
Fisher, 2000

Strumigenys balux casent0005490 profile 1.jpg

Strumigenys balux casent0005490 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

The type material was collected from sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood) in rainforest.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the chroa complex in the Strumigenys scotti-group. S. balux is distinguished from other species in the chroa-complex by lacking a pronotal humeral hair, having a single pair of clavate hairs on the anterior margin of the mesonotum, and having mandibular lamellae more or less touching at full closure. See under Strumigenys cabira for further discussion.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar (type locality).

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.

  • balux. Strumigenys balux Fisher, in Bolton, 2000: 672 (w.) MADAGASCAR.

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 0.62, HW 0.47, CI 77, ML 0.32, MI 51, SL 0.40, SI 85, PW 0.29, AL 0.69. Characters of chroa-complex. Mandibles almost straight and at full closure parallel except near base. Ventral surface of apicoventral fork tooth with 1 or 2 basally located denticles. A narrow lamella present on inner margin of mandible from base to proximal preapical tooth; in full-face view inner margins of lamellae shallowly and evenly convex and more or less touching at full closure. Upper scrobe margin rounding into the sides of head near posterior margin of eye. Eye large, the maximum diameter distinctly greater than the maximum width of the scape. Hairs on leading edge of scape slender, slightly flattened or spoon-shaped apically. Cephalic dorsum with curved narrow spatulate to spoon-shaped ground-pilosity, the upper scrobe margins fringed with a row of hairs which are the same shape and size as those on the dorsum. Cephalic dorsum with 4 simple standing hairs arranged in a transverse row close to the occipital margin. Pronotal humeral hair absent. Anterior margin of mesonotum with a pair of erect clavate hairs. Ground-pilosity on alitrunk as on head. Posterior portion of mesonotum shallowly concave dorsally; propodeal dorsum sloping gradually to declivity. Propodeal teeth slender and acute; lamella on declivity narrow. Head, alitrunk dorsum and sides, petiole, and postpetiole disc in dorsal view reticulate-punctate. Ventral spongiform tissue on petiole moderately developed, lateral lobes small and vestigial. Postpetiole with distinct lateral and ventral spongiform lobes. Base of first gastral tergite with a continuous row of costulae. Dorsal surfaces of petiole, postpetiole and gaster with stout standing hairs which are thickened apically. Colour dull yellowish brown.

Measurements of non-paratypic material: TL 2.3-2.5, HL 0.57-0.61, HW 0.45-0.50, CI 77-82, ML 0.29-0.30, MI 49-51, SL 0.36-0.40, SI 75-86, PW 0.27-0.29, AL 0.62-0.67 (4 measured).

Type Material

Holotype worker, Madagascar: 45 km. S Ambalavao, 22°13'S, 47°I'E, 785 m., 25.ix.1993, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood) rainforest #696 (26)-10 (B. L. Fisher) Museum of Comparative Zoology.

References

  • Fisher, B.L. 2000. The Malagasy fauna of Strumigenys. Pp. 612-696 in: Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 672, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
  • Fisher B. L. 2003. Formicidae, ants. Pp. 811-819 in: Goodman, S. M.; Benstead, J. P. (eds.) 2003. The natural history of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, xxi + 1709 pp.