Strumigenys is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of myrmicine

Myrmicinae

Myrmicinae is a subfamily of ants. There are about 140 genera within the group, with the family being cosmopolitan. The pupae lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting. The petioles of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes...

 ant

Ant

Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...

s in the tribe Dacetini.

Biology

Strumigenys form small nests in soil, under or between rocks, or in and under logs or under cattle dung. Some species nest in association with other ants such as Bothriomyrmex mayri or Rhytidoponera

Rhytidoponera

Rhytidoponera is a genus of ant in the Formicidae family.-Species:* Rhytidoponera abdominalis Viehmeyer, 1912* Rhytidoponera acanthoponeroides Viehmeyer, 1924* Rhytidoponera aciculata...

 metallica. Although they are normally small moving, they can run quickly when disturbed.

S. xenos is a permanent social parasite, which forms no workers and lives in the nests of its host S. perplexa.

Most species specialize in the hunt of springtail

Springtail

Springtails form the largest of the three lineages of modern hexapods that are no longer considered insects...

s, and the others eat other soft-bodied arthropods.

Distribution

Strumigenys is found worldwide in the tropics and subtropics. 18 species are known from Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

Selected species

• Strumigenys abdera Fisher, 2000
• Strumigenys bryanti Wheeler, 1919
• Strumigenys emmae
  Strumigenys emmae
  Strumigenys emmae is a species of ant that is 1.5 millimeters long and is yellowish brown. It has a 4 segmented antennae, small eyes, and has hairs on the head, mesosoma, and petiole that are mostly scale-like or orbicular. They are difficult to find other than when encountered in leaf litter...
  
  Emery, 1890
• Strumigenys formosensis
  Strumigenys formosensis
  Strumigenys formosensis is a species of ant endemic to Taiwan. It is widely distributed within the island at low and middle elevations.It can be distinguished from other Strumigenys ants found on Taiwan by the sickle-shaped mandibles, clypeus with concave anterior margin and numerous short, broad...
  
  Forel, 1912
• Strumigenys godeffroyi
  Strumigenys godeffroyi
  Strumigenys godeffroyi is a species of ant. This is a very widespread species found in South East Asia as far east as southern India and Sri Lanka, and also Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, New Guinea, northern Australia and much of Oceania....
  
  Mayr, 1866
• Strumigenys heteropha Bolton, 2000
• Strumigenys hispida
  Strumigenys hispida
  Strumigenys hispida is a species of yellow ant up to 3 mm in length. It is endemic to Taiwan.This ant is very similar to Strumigenys solifontis but there are several distinguishing features including much more prominent lamellae on the propodeum, and thorax with a flatter upper profile....
  
  Lin & Wu, 1996
• Strumigenys indigatrix Wheeler, 1919
• Strumigenys lacunosa
  Strumigenys lacunosa
  Strumigenys lacunosa is a species of reddish-brown ant up to 3.4 mm in length. It is endemic to Taiwan.This species can be distinguished from all congeners by the ornate sculpturing on the head, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole which gives the ant its specific name....
  
  Lin & Wu, 1996
• Strumigenys lanuginosa Wheeler, 1905
• Strumigenys lichiaensis
  Strumigenys lichiaensis
  Strumigenys lichiaensis is a species of yellow ant up to 2.8 mm in length. It is endemic to Taiwan.This species can be distinguished from all Taiwanese congeners except Strumigenys liukueiensis by the numerous stout hairs on the dorsal surface of the mesosoma. It can be separated from S....
  
  Lin & Wu, 1996
• Strumigenys liukueiensis
  Strumigenys liukueiensis
  Strumigenys liukueiensis is a species of ant endemic to Taiwan.This ant is similar to Strumigenys solifontis but can be identified by the abundant hairs on the head and mesosoma. The only similarly hairy Strumigenys ant found in Taiwan is S. lichiaensis which is much smaller than S. liukueiensis....
  
  Terayama & Kubota, 1989
• Strumigenys mandibularis Smith, 1860
• Strumigenys minutula
  Strumigenys minutula
  Strumigenys minutula is a species of ant found in Japan and Taiwan.This is the smallest ant in its genus and can be easily identified by size alone, as well as by characteristically short, strongly curved mandibles....
  
  Terayama & Kubota, 1989
• Strumigenys nanzanensis
  Strumigenys nanzanensis
  Strumigenys nanzanensis is a species of yellow ant endemic to Taiwan.This ant is similar to Strumigenys minutula but is larger , hairier and with straighter mandibular shafts....
  
  Lin & Wu, 1996
• Strumigenys perplexa (Smith, 1876)
• Strumigenys solifontis Brown, 1949
• Strumigenys tigris Brown, 1971
• Strumigenys trada
  Strumigenys trada
  Strumigenys trada is a species of ant that was discovered and described by Lin, C. C. & Wu, W. J. in 1996.This species is only known from Taiwan. It is similar to Strumigenys godeffroyi but is smaller and shinier, with smaller eyes....
  
  Lin & Wu, 1996
• Strumigenys trinidadensis Wheeler, 1922
• Strumigenys wallacei Emery, 1897
• Strumigenys xenos
  Strumigenys xenos
  Strumigenys xenos is a species of insect in family Formicidae. It is found in Australia and New Zealand.-Source:* Social Insects Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 10 August 2007....
  
  Brown, 1955

Further reading

• Smith, F. 1860. Descriptions of new genera and species of exotic Hymenoptera. Journal of Entomology 1: 65-84. PDF

External links

• antweb.org: Pictures of Strumigenys species