Strumigenys buleru

Strumigenys buleru
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Strumigenys
Species:	S. buleru
Binomial name
	Strumigenys buleru; Brown, 1988 Specimen Labels

The type material was found in a colony of Pseudoneoponera oculata. The published description by Brown's also states "this is a species of the dry to medium sclerophyll forest, where it is found mainly under stones or logs on the ground surface.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the buleru complex in the Strumigenys horvathi-group. Brown (1988b, 1988c) stresses the close relationship between buleru and Strumigenys cochlearis, pointing out that the differences in size and in the mandibles offer the best chance of species discrimination. S. buleru is a somewhat larger species in which the mandibles are shorter, straighter and stouter than in cochlearis. However, in the material I have seen buleru always has a better developed lamella on the inner margin of the mandible than does cochlearis, and the former also tends to have reduced sculpture in the upper half of the scrobe.

Keys including this Species

Key to Australian Strumigenys Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -27.56666756° to -36.91666667°.


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.

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.

buleru. Strumigenys buleru Brown, 1988c: 39, fig. (w.q.) AUSTRALIA. See also: Bolton, 2000: 973.

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

Description

Worker

TL 3.5-3.7, HL 0.79-0.90, HW 0.64-0.74, CI 79-84, ML 0.34-0.38, MI 40-46, SL 0.49-0.60, SI 76-83, PW 0.38-0.40, AL 0.90-0.97 (15 measured).

Characters of buleru-complex. With head in full-face view and mandibles fully closed outer margin of mandible more or less straight from level of preapical tooth to basal inflection. Conical preapical tooth of mandible subtended by a translucent cuticular lamella that commences just proximal of the tooth and extends along the inner mandibular margin to the base. Maximum width of lamella one-quarter to one-third length of preapical tooth. Head finely and densely reticulate-punctate everywhere except in upper half of scrobe, where sculpture is superficially reticulate and less sharply defined than on cephalic dorsum. Ground-pilosity on dorsum of head, and fringing upper scrobe margins and leading edge of scape, curved spatulate; all hairs of approximately the same size. Scrobe deep and sharply defined; in full-face view outer curvature of eye visible. Entire alitrunk finely reticulate-punctate , without smooth areas anywhere on side. Petiole reticulate-punctate; disc of postpetiole similarly but somewhat more weakly sculptured, or with a smoother or weakly costulate patch anteromedially. Ground-pilosity of alitrunk same as on head; dorsal alitrunk without standing hairs. Hairs on first gastral tergite stiffly spatulate, broadened apically to weakly remiform, quite short and dense.

Type Material

Holotype worker, AUSTRALIA: New South Wales, Deep Water, 5.xii.1949, no. 10299 (T. Greaves); New South Wales, Armidale, 31.viii.1956 (B. B. Lowery); Queensland, Mt Lofty, Toowoomba, 15.iv.1972 (L. Weatherill); Biloela, in nest of Pseudoneoponera oculata (F. A. Cudmore); Queensland, 10 miles W Crow’s Nest, 440 m, 23.xi.1962 (Ross & Cavagnaro); Victoria, Heathcote, 26.v.1961 (B. B. Lowery) (Museum of Comparative Zoology, Australian National Insect Collection, The Natural History Museum, California Academy of Sciences) [examined].

Holotype, queen (dealate), Deep Water, New South Wales, Australia, Greaves,T.S., ANIC32-017755, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 2 workers, Deep Water, New South Wales, Australia, Greaves,T.S., ANIC32-017756, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 3 workers, Heathcote, Victoria, Australia, Lowery,B.B., ANIC32-017757, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 3 workers, Mt. Lofty, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, Lowery,B.B., ANIC32-017758, Australian National Insect Collection.

References

Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 973, fig. 528 redescription of worker)
Brown, W. L., Jr. 1988c. Strumigenys buleru species nov. Pilot Regist. Zool. Card No. 39.
Shattuck, S. O. 1999. Australian ants. Their biology and identification. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing, xi + 226 pp. (page 168, see also)