Strumigenys membranifera (Emery, 1869)

Herrera Léon Baert Wouter Dekoninck, Henri W., Causton, Charlotte E., Sevilla, Christian R., Pozo, Paola & Hendrickx, Frederik, 2020, Distribution and habitat preferences of Galápagos ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 93, pp. 1-60 : 36

Strumigenys membranifera (Emery, 1869)

Bare Pygmy Snapping Ant ( DEYRUP et al., 2000)

(ANTWEB: CASENT0173252). ( Map 35 )

A pantropical ant, but also found in some subtropical and temperate areas ( KEMPF, 1972; BOLTON et al., 2006; WETTERER 2011b). Strumigenys membranifera is a tramp ant which was introduced to Galápagos through human activities. It is known from a few localities on Isabela and Santa Cruz Islands in the Transition and Humid Zone. It was recorded for the first time in 2008. Elsewhere it is known to feed on Collembola and Campodeidae species (WILSON, 1953; DEYRUP et al., 2000; HERRERA & LONGINO, 2008). Workers were recorded in areas with B. graveolens , W. ovata , M. laricifolia , O. insularis , Paspalum conjugatum Bergius , Verbena litoralis Kunth , T. rufo –sericea, Kyllinga brevifolia Rottb. , ferns ( Pteridium arachnoideum (Kaulf.) Maxon ) and Commelina diffusa Burm. f. This species of ant may be impacting small soil arthropods in Galápagos, as found in other parts of the world (WETTERER, 2011b).

Figures

Map 35. Distribution of Strumigenys membranifera (Emery, 1869).