Strumigenys exilirhina Bolton, 2000

Tang, Kit Lam & Guénard, Benoit, 2023, Further additions to the knowledge of Strumigenys (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) within South East Asia, with the descriptions of 20 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 907, pp. 1-144 : 50-53

Strumigenys exilirhina Bolton, 2000

Fig. 17D–F ; Table 2

Strumigenys exilirhina Bolton 2000: 881 (w.q.) NEPAL. Indomalaya.

Material examined

MAINLAND CHINA – Guangxi Province • 1 worker; Dapingshan; 25 Sep. 1998; J. Fellowes leg.; IBBL ANTWEB1011908 . – Hainan Province • 2 workers; Diaoluoshan; 24 May 1999; J. Fellowes leg.; IBBL ANTWEB1011909 • 39 workers; BM6; 19.925° N, 110.261° E; 12 Aug. 2015; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 1 worker; BM6; same collection data as for preceding; IBBL • 6 workers; BM6; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 2 workers; BM7; 19.194° N, 109.739° E; 23 Aug. 2015; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 12 random; IBBL • 1 worker; BM7; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 4 corners; IBBL • 10 workers; Bawangling, BWLR2; 19.162828° N, 109.034511° E; 12 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 12 random; IBBL • 3 workers; Bawangling, BWLR3; 19.17547° N, 109.02785° E; 12 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 12 random; IBBL • 5 workers; Bawangling, BWLR4; 19.13014° N, 109.06585° E; 13 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 12 random; IBBL • 4 workers; Bawangling, BWLR6; 19.12737° N, 109.07055° E; 13 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 12 random; IBBL • 1 worker; Bawangling, BWLR7; 19.19498° N, 109.02010° E; 15 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 12 random; IBBL • 2 workers; Bawangling, BWLS1; 19.11877° N, 109.16342° E; 22 Jun. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 12 random; IBBL • 19 workers; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 4 corners; IBBL • 1 worker; Bawangling, BWLS10; 19.11878° N, 109.15562° E; 9 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 12 random; IBBL • 10 workers; Bawangling, BWLS11; 19.11678° N, 109.14003° E; 10 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 20 workers; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 1 worker; Huoshankou, HSK2; 5 Jul. 2015; L. Wang leg.; Winkler, 4 corners; IBBL • 8 workers; Jianfengling, JFLFW1; 19.117° N, 109.152° E; 24 Dec. 2015; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 2 workers; Jianfengling, JFLFW2; 19.115° N, 109.159° E; 26 Dec. 2015; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 12 random; IBBL • 5 workers; Jianfengling, JFLFW3; 19.121° N, 109.118° E; 26 Dec. 2015; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 14 workers; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 33 workers; Jianfengling, JFLFW5; 18.697° N, 108.849° E; 4 Jan. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 2 workers; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 8 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK1; 19.03775° N, 109.39278° E; 30 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 12 random; IBBL • 33 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK10; 19.07874° N, 109.50318° E; 2 Aug. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 12 workers; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 5 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK11; 19.07802° N, 109.50424° E; 2 Aug. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 3 workers; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 3 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK12; 19.08446° N, 109.50425° E; 2 Aug. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 20 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK13; 19.08432° N, 109.26697° E; 3 Aug. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 22 workers; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 3 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK14; 19.10743° N, 109.25845° E; 3 Aug. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 12 random; IBBL • 11 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK15; 19.11494° N, 109.26105° E; 3 Aug. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 1 worker; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 1 worker; Yinggeling, YGLK2; 19.03875° N, 109.39525° E; 30 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 3 workers; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 16 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK3; 19.04399° N, 109.39297° E; 30 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 1 worker; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 12 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK4; 19.07700° N, 109.52288° E; 31 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 5 workers; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 2 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK5; 19.07558° N, 109.52462° E; 31 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 3 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK5; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 14 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK6; 19.07632° N, 109.52365° E; 31 Jul. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 1 worker; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 3 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK7; 19.09177° N, 109.53691° E; 1 Aug. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 2 workers; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL • 5 workers; Yinggeling, YGLK9; 19.09269° N, 109.53455° E; 1 Aug. 2016; L. Wang leg.; Winkler , 4 corners; IBBL • 2 workers; same collection data as for preceding; Winkler, 12 random; IBBL .

HONG KONG • 1 worker, 1 queen; Sai Kung District , Tit Kim Hang East; 22.40541° N, 114.30226° E; 90 m a.s.l.; 1 Aug. 1996; J. Fellowes leg.; HKBM • 4 workers; Sai Kung District , Tit Kim Hang West; 22.40446° N, 114.30130° E; 60 m a.s.l.; 14 Nov. 1996; J. Fellowes leg.; HKBM .

Geographic range

Bhutan, mainland China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong, Jiangxi, Macau, Tibet, Yunnan), India (Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh), Japan (Okinawa Prefecture), Nepal, Thailand.

New record for Guangxi and Hainan.

Ecology

Another frequently collected species in Hainan, which has been collected in primary and secondary forest, urban park, plantations and agro-rubber plantations. Indochinese specimens have also been collected in similar range of habitats, with known elevation from 174 to 911 m.

Comments

Species with widespread distribution across continental China and east to India. Its presence in Guangxi and Hainan provinces completes the known distribution range of this species within Southeast China.

Most specimens collected from southern Thailand and Vietnam, after a careful examination of the morphology of their mandibles, in particular the preapical tooth, were identified as closer to S. feae Emery, 1895 than S. exilirhina ( Fig. 18F ). Together with the remarks made by Bolton (2000) on the preapical tooth morphology of specimens from Thailand, it is possible that at least some of the S. exilirhina previously recorded in Thailand should be reconsidered, thus a re-examination of specimens is recommended. It is also possible that these Indochinese specimens constitute a separate species, though at the moment they cannot be delimited as a new species without ambiguity. Refer to S. feae for a detailed discussion.

Figures

Fig. 17. New species records of Strumigenys Smith, 1860 in full-face, profile and dorsal views. A–C. Worker ofS. emmae Emery, 1890 from Thailand (ANTWEB1011939).D–F. Worker ofS. exilirhina Bolton, 2000 from Hainan, mainland China (HNA-00471). G–I. Worker of S. feae Emery, 1895 from Hainan, mainland China (HNA-01127).

Fig. 18. Mandible close-ups of sibling species of Strumigenys Smith, 1860 from the feae-complex of the S. mayri-group. A. Syntype worker of S. formosensis syn. nov. before synonymization. B–C, F. Workers of S. feae Emery, 1895 from Hainan, mainland China. D. Syntype worker of S. feae. E. Worker of S. feae from Hong Kong. G–H. S. cf. feae from Vietnam. I. S. exilirhina from Hainan, mainland China. A. CASENT0909309, from AntWeb, taken by Zach Lieberman. B. HNA-01503. C. HNA-01127. D. CASENT0904951, from AntWeb, taken by Will Ericson. E. RHL01266. F. HNA-01520. G. CT- S13-4m2-sp15. H. NN-S69-sp18-W1. I. HNA-00471.