Strumigenys geryon

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

Known from the holotype worker. The specimen was found under a large flat rock, in galleries of Amblyopone australis, on a hillside with dry schlerophyll vegetation.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the signeae complex in the Strumigenys godeffroyi-group. The only specimen of this species does not have pronotal humeral hairs and therefore keys out with species where this condition is known to be universal. However, it belongs to a group where the presence of such hairs is predominant, so there must be a suspicion that perhaps the humeral hairs have been lost from the holotype but will be present when fresh material is discovered. If this is the case then geryon will key out either with gryphon or among the New Caledonian relatives of lamia, depending on the form of the hair. The presence of three pairs of stiff erect mesonotal hairs will quickly separate geryon from the New Caledonian taxa, where they do not occur. Strumigenys gryphon is distinguished by its possession of very long femoral gland bullae, a small but distinct lateral spongiform lobe and spongiform ventral curtain on the petiole, and obviously spongiform larger lateral and ventral lobes on the postpetiole.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -35.01667023° to -35.01667023°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (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.

  • geryon. Strumigenys geryon Bolton, 2000: 961, fig. 549 (w.) 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 2.6, HL 0.64, HW 0.45, CI 70, ML 0.26, MI 41, SL 0.40, SI 89, PW 0.26, AL 0.65. With characters of signeae-complex. Apicoscrobal hair absent. Cephalic dorsum sharply reticulate-punctate and with narrowly spatulate curved ground pilosity. About 4 short inconspicuous standing hairs present on cephalic dorsum, located close to occipital margin; these hairs distinctly straighter and more elevated than the ground-pilosity but only slightly longer. Eye of moderate size, with 12 ommatidia in total. Pronotal humeral hair absent (see below); pronotal dorsum with 2 pairs of stiffly erect simple hairs and mesonotum with 3 similar pairs, the posterior pair the shortest. Entire dorsal alitrunk finely and densely reticulate-punctate, finest on pronotum. Propodeal declivity with posterior (free) margin of lamella shallowly concave. Katepisternum with a smooth median patch. Metapleuron and side of propodeum with a small patch where sculpture is weaker and more diffuse than elsewhere, that extends only over the uppermost portion of the metapleuron and lowermost portion of the side of the propodeum. Petiole with a very slender posterior transverse collar, entirely lacking a lateral spongiform lobe. Ventral curtain of petiole well developed but laminate rather than spongiform. Dorsum of petiole node feebly sculptured; postpetiole subglobular and glassy smooth. Lateral spongiform lobe of postpetiole very small, in dorsal view not extending to anterolateral corners of disc. Ventral lobe of postpetiole laminate rather than spongiform. Hairs on first gastral tergite very long and fine, curved filiform to flagellate. Basigastral costulae sparse (only about 7 in total) and distinctly shorter than disc of postpetiole.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Australia: South Australia, Aldgate, 1100 ft, 9.xi.1969, "Strumigenys perplexa E Sm.", in galleries of Amblyopone australis under large flat rock; (SA 247, 4 workers collected , (written on underside of labels)) (B. B. Lowery) (Australian National Insect Collection). [Note. Only the one worker present in ANIC collection.]

References

  • Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 961, fig. 549 worker described)