Strumigenys ornata Mayr, 1887

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 : 239

Strumigenys ornata Mayr, 1887

Distribution. USA to Mexico; in eastern USA from Florida to Maryland and west to Iowa including Michigan; in eastern USA occurs in Oklahoma and Texas.

Comments. Strumigenys ornata is a wide-ranging and common eastern species with a western distribution extending into Texas and Oklahoma. Although not previously collected outside the USA, a specimen examined and housed at the MCZ was collected at high-altitude in Cerro Potosi, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, expanding the known range. This species has often been found in forested habitats nesting in litter, crevices, and log debris, but is rarely found in hollowed twigs or nuts on the ground where many other Strumigenys often nest ( Brown 1953; Duffield & Alpert 2011; Booher et al. 2017).

Material examined: MEXICO, Cerro Potosi, Galeana N.L., 24.861823, -100.229436, 3400 m ±500, 14 Apr 1988, 1 worker, coll. R. Anderson, #12762, [ TAMUIC] ; USA, Oklahoma, Latimer Co., 34.835035, -95.31025, 224 m, 15 May 1983, 1 worker, coll. K. Stephan, [ ABS] ; USA, Texas, Angelina Co., 2 miles south of Lufkin, 31.298494, -94.737509, 79 m, 24 Mar 1984, Riparian Mosses on Stream Bank Litter , 1 queen & 1 worker, coll. Walter Suter, [ ABS] ; USA, Texas, Brazos Co., College Station, Big Creek Park , 30.32832, -96.574313, 82 m, 19 Sep 1996, berlese, 1 worker, coll. J.L. Cook, [ SHSU] ; USA, Texas, Houston Co., Big Slough Wilderness , 31.487537, -95.117138, 68 m, 9 May 1988, 2 workers, coll. R. Anderson, 12760, [ TAMUIC] ; USA, Texas, Lamar Co., Camp Maxey, Osmuda bog, 33.848745, -95.538077, 165 m, 25 Sep 2003, malaise, 1 alate queen, coll. S.F. Godwin, [ DBBC] ; USA, Texas, Nacadoches Co., 12 miles southwest of Nacogdoches , 31.496515, -94.798552, 74 m, 11 Feb 1984, 1queen & 3 workers, coll. Byers and Jenks, [ ABS] ; USA, Texas, Polk Co., Big Thicket Nature Preserve , 30.473533, - 94.346036, 25 m, 12 May 1988, litter, 1 worker, coll. R. Anderson, [ TAMUIC] ; USA, Texas, Sabine Co., Hemphill, 31.327373, -93.84642, 90 m, 25 Aug 1989, Berlese, Magnolia trunk in Beech Bottom , 1 worker, coll. R. Anderson & E. Riley, [ TAMUIC] ; USA, Texas, San Jacinto Co., Cold Spring 6 mi E; at Big Creek , 30.598469, -95.030912, 26 m, 1 Apr 1995, 1 worker, coll. J.L. Cook & J.B. Martin, [ SHSU] ; USA, Texas, Tyler Co., Camp Cove, dam B, 32.431824, -95.362425, 155 m, 16 Aug 1975, Berlese of Sycamore Litter , Hardwood , 3 workers, coll. S.J. Merritt, [ DBBC] ; USA, Texas, Walker Co., Huntsville State Park , 30.621113, -95.521798, 106 m, 1 specimen, [ MCZC] .