Strumigenys arizonica ( Ward, 1988 )

Booher, Douglas B., 2021, The ant genus Strumigenys Smith, 1860 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in western North America North of Mexico, Zootaxa 5061 (2), pp. 201-248 : 222

Strumigenys arizonica ( Ward, 1988)

Distribution. USA to Mexico; in USA occurs in Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Comments. Strumigenys arizonica forms mutualistic compound nests with Trachymyrmex arizonensis , where it feeds on Collembola in moist underground refuse chambers ( Gray et al. 2018). Although other Strumigenys species have been collected in associations with other ant refuse piles, they are not exclusively associated. For example, S. pergandei is found nesting with Aphaenogaster rudis Wesson & Wesson, 1940 , Aphaenogaster fulva Roger, 1863 , and others, but it also nests freely and unassociated with other ant species ( Brown 1964; Wesson 1935). In contrast, S. arizonica has never been found nesting separately from T. arizonensis . The new species S. mendezi is morphologically similar to S. arizonica , and sympatric with it, but nests freely, without associations with T. arizonensis or other ants.

Strumigenys arizonica is most often collected above 1000 m in the Madrean Sky Islands of Arizona and Northern Mexico, in woodlands (oak, pine, juniper, mesquite) and riparian chaparral where its host T. arizonensis occurs. Colonies typically consist of 1–2 dealate queens and 30– 40 workers. Colonies produce males and alate queens from July through September, but interestingly they never produce both sexes in the same nest at the same time. Gray et al. (2018) provide a thorough account of distributions, the mutualism, and a link to a video showing this species capturing Collembola.

Material examined: USA, Arizona, Santa Cruz Co., 31.448179, -111.18912, 1400 m, 12 Aug 1998, woodland, 1 male and 1 worker, coll. S.P. Cover, 5093, [ ABS] ; USA, Arizona, Santa Cruz Co., 31.43333, -111.18333, 1100 m, 17 Aug 2002, 1 queen, coll. M. Deyrup, [ ABS] ; USA, Arizona, Cochise Co., 31.883333, -109.233333, 1750 m, 7–17 Aug 2005, 1 worker, coll. B.L. Fisher, BLF08662, (casent0747689)[ CASC] ; USA, Arizona, Cochise Co., 31.883333, 109.2063333, 1646 m, 5–15 Aug 2001, desert scrub, 1 worker, coll. D. Booher, DBB-az0120, (casent0747782)[ DBBC] ; USA, Arizona, Cochise Co., 31.842222, -109.14472, 1575 m, 14 Jul 2002, oak woodland with pines, 1 alate queen, W.&E. Mackay, Mackay #19960, (casent0875736)[ DBBC] ; USA, Arizona, Cochise Co., 31.842222, -109.14472, 1575 m, 14 Jul 2002, oak woodland with pines, 1 worker, W.&E. Mackay, Mackay #19960, (casent0875737)[ DBBC] .