Strumigenys laevinasis Smith, 1931

Booher, Douglas B., 2021, The ant genus Strumigenys Smith, 1860 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in western North America North of Mexico, Zootaxa 5061 (2), pp. 201-248 : 227

Strumigenys laevinasis Smith, 1931

Distribution. USA; widespread in eastern USA from Florida to Maryland and west to Missouri; in western USA occurs in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Comments. Strumigenys laevinasis most often inhabits heavily canopied forest with deep litter accumulation in eastern forests and forest remnants in the western portion of their range. This species is often nests in rotting logs and in pockets of leaf litter.

Strumigenys laevinasis is morphologically most similar to S. brevisetosa but can be easily separated by the shape of the extremely fine setae on the surface of the clypeus. These setae are inclined anteriorly at their base and curve evenly along their midlength so that their apices point upward or posteriorly. Strumigenys laevinasis is less frequently collected than S. brevisetosa but also has a mostly eastern range overlapping almost completely with its close relative. It is suspected that S. laevinasis and S. brevisetosa hybridize infrequently over their range which has led to some taxonomic confusion ( Booher 2019). There are two confirmed collections from Texas, one from Houston County in Big Slough State Park, and one from Walker County, Huntsville State Park ( MacKay & Anderson 1993; Bolton 2000).

Material examined: USA, Kansas, Atchinson Co., 39.570114, -95.352088, 500 m, 22May 1978, casent0875742, 1 worker, coll. M.B. DuBois, 78#3E, [ DBBC] ; USA, Kansas, Atchison Co., 39.563052, -95.121636, 252 m, 22 May 1978, 2 workers, coll. M.B. Dubois, SBSK#365, [ MCZ] ; USA, Oklahoma, Latimer Co., 34.835035, -95.31025, 15 May 1993, 1 worker & 1 queen, coll. K. Stephan, [ ABS] .