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Strumigenys bequaerti
| Strumigenys bequaerti | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Strumigenys |
| Species: | S. bequaerti |
| Binomial name | |
| Strumigenys bequaerti Santschi, 1923
| |
Specimens have been found in wet forest, rainforest and evergreen forest. Collections have been made from litter samples and from digging in soil.
Identification
Bolton (2000) - A member of the Strumigenys lujae-group. In the earlier survey of Afrotropical dacetines (Bolton, 1983: 345) bequaerti was included as a junior synonym of Strumigenys lujae. A re-examination of type-material coupled with the acquisition of fresh material from Cameroun and Zaire (in BMNH) shows that this decision was incorrect. All material assignable to the relatively rare bequaerti uniformly lacks an apicoscrobal hair. In the common and widely distributed lujae such hairs are universally present. The presence or absence of these important sensory hairs is remarkably consistent and significant at species rank, and therefore bequaerti was revived from synonymy and reinstated as a valid species (Bolton, 1995b: 382).
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Cameroun, Democratic Republic of Congo (type locality), Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Uganda.
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. |
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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
Brown (1952) - As reported by Bequarti: “The nest of this ant was found at about 2200 meters altitude in the humid montane forest of the Butagu Valley, on the west side of Ruwenzori. It was situated in the humid and strongly shaded soil.” Additional specimens, which convene well with the cotypes at my disposal, were taken by F. Meneghetti in the similar cool montane forest (Mau Forest) of the Kenya Colony. This series, which contains winged females, reached me through the courtesy of Signor Consani.
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- bequaerti. Strumigenys (Cephaloxys) bequaerti Santschi, 1923e: 286 (w.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. Consani, 1951: 171 (m.). Combination in Serrastruma: Brown, 1952e: 80; in Pyramica: Bolton, 1999: 1673. Junior synonym of lujae: Bolton, 1983: 345. Revived from synonymy: Bolton, 1995b: 382; in Strumigenys: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 116. See also: Bolton, 2000: 311.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Brown (1952) - HL 0.58-D.61 mm., CI 73-78, MI 35-37. Quite similar to medium-sized specimens of Strumigenys lujae, but with the head narrower on the average. Second and third funicular segments long and cylindrical, nearly or quite twice as long as thick. The chief distinction of bequaerti lies with its vestigial propodeal teeth; these are extremely reduced, little more than pronounced angles, obtuse or subrectangular in profile. Other characters as in lujae.
Bolton (2000) - TL 2.1-2.3, HL 0.54-0.66, HW 0.42-0.50, CI 73-77, ML 0.18-0.24, MI 32-38, SL 0.40-0.46, SI 88-100, PW 0.30-0.36, AL 0.62-0.74 (6 measured).
Apicoscrobal hair absent. Leading edge of scape with hairs on the proximal half that are curved toward the scape base. Dorsum of head with a pair of standing hairs at or just in front of the highest point of the vertex. Pronotal humerus with a flagellate hair. Pronotal dorsum reticulate-punctate. Mesonotum with a single pair of standing hairs. Propodeal teeth very small or obsolete.
Type Material
Bolton (2000) - Syntype workers, ZAIRE: Ruwenzori, 10.vii.1914 (Bequaert) (The Natural History Museum, Musee Royal de I' Afrique Centrale, Museum of Comparative Zoology) [examined].
References
- Baroni Urbani, C. & De Andrade, M.L. 2007. The ant tribe Dacetini: limits and constituent genera, with descriptions of new species. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale “G. Doria”. 99:1-191.
- Bolton, B. 1983. The Afrotropical dacetine ants (Formicidae). Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Entomol. 46:267-416. (page 345, junior synonym of lujae)
- Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 382, revived from synonymy: revived status)
- Bolton, B. 1999. Ant genera of the tribe Dacetonini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Natural History. 33:1639-1689. (page 1673, combination in Pyramica)
- Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 311, redescription of worker)
- Brown, W. L., Jr. 1952h. Revision of the ant genus Serrastruma. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 107:67-86. (page 80, Combination in Serrastruma)
- Consani, M. 1951. Formiche dell'Africa Orientale I. Boll. Ist. Entomol. Univ. Studi Bologna 18: 167-172 (page 171, male described)
- Santschi, F. 1923e. Descriptions de nouveaux Formicides éthiopiens et notes diverses. I. Rev. Zool. Afr. (Bruss.) 11:259-295 (page 286, worker described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Brown W. L., Jr. 1952. Revision of the ant genus Serrastruma. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 107: 67-86.
- CSIRO Collection
- Consani M. 1951. Formiche dell'Africa Orientale I. Bollettino dell'Istituto di Entomologia della Università degli Studi di Bologna 18: 167-172.