Strumigenys membranifera Emery, 1869

Brassard, Francois, Leong, Chi-Man, Chan, Hoi-Hou & Guenard, Benoit, 2020, A new subterranean species and an updated checklist of Strumigenys (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Macao SAR, China, with a key to species of the Greater Bay Area, ZooKeys 970, pp. 63-116 : 63

Strumigenys membranifera Emery, 1869 Figure 9

Strumigenys (Trichoscapa) membranifera Emery, 1869: 24, fig. 11 (w.) Italy. Palearctic.

Strumigenys (Cephaloxys) membranifera (Emery, 1869). Combination in Strumigenys (Cephaloxys) : Emery 1916: 205.

Trichoscapa membranifera (Emery, 1869). Combination in Trichoscapa : Brown 1948: 113.

Pyramica membranifera (Emery, 1869). Combination in Pyramica : Bolton 1999: 1673.

Strumigenys membranifera (Emery, 1869). Combination in Strumigenys : Baroni Urbani and De Andrade 2007: 123.

Senior synonym of S. foochowensis , S. membranifera marioni , S. membranifera santschii , S. silvestriana , S. membranifera simillima , S. vitiensis , S. membranifera williamsi : Brown, 1948: 114.

Geographic distribution.

Native: Ghana, Sierra Leone, South Africa. Introduced : Widespread, Australasia, European, Indo-Malayan, Malagasy, Nearctic, Neotropical, Oceanian, Saharo-Arabian realms, see antmaps.org for a global account ( Janicki et al. 2016). Within China, found in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Fujian, Macao, Sichuan, and Yunnan.

Comments.

This species, originally from Africa, is associated with disturbed habitats. For instance, in Hong Kong it was collected near Disneyland and the Hong Kong Airport; two heavily disturbed localities ( Tang et al. 2019). The exact date of its introduction in the region is unknown. It was first recorded in Hong Kong in 2019 ( Tang et al. 2019), but has been known in Macao since 1928 where it was described from six specimens as S. silvestriana (Wheeler, 1928). As such, its initial introduction to the Greater Bay Area may date beyond a hundred years. Nevertheless, during the 2019 survey in Coloane the species was not frequently collected and was found only in two nature parks, which consisted of relatively small patches of young secondary forests within an urban matrix.

Material examined.

Macao SAR, China • 1 Worker; Macao, Coloane Island, Coloane Trail (Near C3 information point); 22.1217°N, 113.5560°E, ca. 110 m; 27 June 2019; F. Brassard leg.; Winkler; MAC_S21_LLSP_Sp.2; IBBL. • 2 Workers; Macao, Coloane Island, Morro de Hac Sa family trail near 1-07-08; 22.1144°N, 113.5699°E, ca. 50 m; 5 June-11 Sep 2019; F. Brassard leg.; Ground Nest; MAC_S15_GN3_H3_n1; IBBL.

Figures

Figure 9. Strumigenys membranifera A-C worker A full-face view B profile view C dorsal view.