Strumigenys montu

Strumigenys montu
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Strumigenys
Species:	S. montu
Binomial name
	Strumigenys montu; Bolton, 2000

The type material was collected from litter between tree buttresses in lowland secondary rainforest.

Identification

Bolton (2000) - A member of the mayri complex in the Strumigenys mayri-group. Within the mayri-complex only three species, montu, Strumigenys nysu and Strumigenys racabura, have one or two erect long fine hairs projecting from the dorsal (outer) surface of the hind basitarsus. All are known from New Guinea and racabura has also been recorded from Queensland, Australia.

Of the three nysu has the postpetiole disc un sculptured and has basigastral costulae that in dorsal view are shorter than the disc of the postpetiole. In the other two species the disc is sculptured and the basigastral costulae are at least as long as the postpetiole disc. S. montu is larger than racabura, with a narrower head and longer scapes (compare measurements). The propodeal spines of racabura are short, elevated at about 45° and are more or less straight, whilst those of montu are longer, more elevated and weakly upcurved.

Keys including this Species

Key to Strumigenys of East Asia

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia, New Guinea (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.

montu. Strumigenys montu Bolton, 2000: 889 (w.) NEW GUINEA.

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 0.69, HW 0.43, CI 62, ML 0.31, MI 45, SL 0.44, SI 102, PW 0.26, AL 0.66. Characters of the mayri-complex. Preapical tooth spiniform, slightly longer than maximum width of mandible. Cephalic dorsum with 4-6 erect hairs along the occipital margin, the pair nearest the midline narrowly looped; a similar pair present at level of highest point of vertex. Preocular notch strongly present; ventral surface of head with a broad shallow preocular transverse impression posterior to the broad and deep postbuccal groove. Pronotal humeral hair flagellate, pronotum otherwise without erect hairs; mesonotum with one pair of erect flagellate hairs. Dorsal alitrunk reticulate-punctate. Dorsal surfaces of waist segments and first gastral tergite with flagellate hairs, those on the first gastral tergite erect and very long, sparse, restricted to a pair near the base and another pair near the apical margin. Katepisternum and most of metapleuron and side of propodeum smooth. Propodeum armed with a pair of strongly elevated and shallowly upcurved narrow spines, the length of one of which is slightly greater than distance separating their bases. Dorsal (outer) surface of hind basitarsus with 1-2 long erect flagellate hairs. Petiole in profile with anterior face of node shorter than length of the shallowly convex dorsum, in dorsal view petiole node as broad as long. Disc of postpetiole finely punctate but not as densely sculptured as dorsum of petiole node. In dorsal view basigastral costulae about as long as disc of postpetiole.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Indonesia: Irian Jaya, PT. Freeport Concession, Siewa camp, 3.04°S, 136.38°E, 200 ft, 7.iv.1998, #1998-43, lowland secondary rainforest, ex sifted litter from between tree buttresses (R. R. Snelling) (Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History).

References

Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 65: 1-1028 (page 889, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.