The ant genus Strumigenys Smith, 1860 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in western North America North of Mexico
Author
Booher, Douglas B.
text
Zootaxa
2021
2021-11-04
5061
2
201
248
journal article
3590
10.11646/zootaxa.5061.2.1
ae20ec3e-7a6b-4ff0-b9de-e2a846c79efc
1175-5326
5649379
D3925450-125B-4E92-8988-64ED1C544672
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
]
.