Strumigenys mododonta

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

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Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Strumigenys mododonta.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the caniophanes complex in the Strumigenys caniophanes-group. Within the group only 6 species, Strumigenys lebratyx, Strumigenys lopotyle, Strumigenys macerina, mododonta, Strumigenys natynion and Strumigenys nothomopyx have the following four characters in combination.

1 Inner margin of mandible without a cuticular lamella.

2 Preapical tooth or denticle present on mandible.

3 Dorsal (outer) surfaces of middle and hind tibiae and basitarsi with freely projecting long hairs.

4 Katepisternum completely sculptured, without a smooth shining area.

Of the six lopotyle is immediately isolated by the massive bonnet-like development of spongiform tissue that completely covers the sides and dorsum of the petiole node. Of the remainder S. nothomopyx is the only species to lack suberect/erect fine hairs on the dorsum of the hind femur. Also in this species the mandible has only a minute preapical denticle rather than a distinct tooth; its head is broad (CI 82-83) and its scapes short (SI 63), but its mandibles remain relatively long (MI 48-49).

Of the remainder two species, lebratyx and macerina, are characterised by short mandibles, MI 36-38 (as opposed to MI 45-50 in mododonta and natynion). The scapes of lebratyx are much shorter (SI 65) than those of macerina (SI 83-87), and in the latter the long hairs that project from the dorsolateral margin of the head arise from strong triangular tubercles.

Of the final two species the scapes of mododonta are distinctly longer (SI 85) than in natynion (SI 71-77) and the cephalic dorsum of the former has erect hairs relatively widely distributed, arising from the level of the eye to the occipital margin; in natynion erect hairs are either restricted to the occipital margin or at most there may be a pair between the margin and the highest point of the vertex, but erect hairs never arise anterior to this.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo (type locality), Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines.

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

Explore-icon.png 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.

Castes

Worker

Strumigenys-mododontaH8.0x.jpgStrumigenys-mododontaL5.0x.jpgStrumigenys-mododontaD5.0x.jpg
. Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Nomenclature

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

  • mododonta. Strumigenys mododonta Bolton, 2000: 761 (w.) BORNEO.

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 0.82, HW 0.54, CI 66, ML 0.38, MI 46, SL 0.46, SI 85, PW 0.34, AL 0.84. Mandible with a preapical tooth. Dorsolateral margin of head in full-face view with 5-6 freely laterally projecting filiform hairs and also with a number of shorter hairs that are directed dorsally. Cephalic dorsum with erect fine hairs present from in front of level of eye to occipital margin. Ventral surface of head with a few shorter erect hairs. Dorsum of head finely and densely punctate-rugulose. Apical funicular segment moderately tapered basally. Promesonotal dorsum finely densely punctate-rugulose. Pleurae and side of propodeum everywhere densely punctate to reticulate-punctate. Pronotal humeral hair long, filiform and shallowly curved. Dorsal alitrunk with numerous erect simple hairs; 4-5 pairs on pronotum and 6 or more on mesonotum. Waist segments and first gastral tergite with numerous similar hairs. Dorsal and ventral surfaces of hind femur with suberectlerect hairs; dorsal (outer) surfaces of hind tibia and basitarsus each with long erect freely projecting hairs. Propodeal teeth long and slender, much longer than basal width in profile and approximately straight. Petiole in profile claviform, in dorsal view much longer than broad.

MISC The non-paratypic specimen (NMV) has dimensions HL 0.81, HW 0.52, CI 64, ML 0.31, MI 38, SL 0.44, SI 85. Its mandibles are shorter than the holotype. It also has a distinctly longitudinal costulate component to the sculpture of the postpetiole disc that is absent from the holotype and its basigastral costulae are somewhat longer. However, the overall similarity is so striking that I regard these features as geographical variation within a single species.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Malaysia: Sarawak, 4th Div., Gn. Mulu N. P., v-viii. 1978, BM 1978-49 (P.M. Hammond & J. E. Marshall) (The Natural History Museum).

References

  • Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 65:1-1028. (page 761, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
  • Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58