Strumigenys californica ( Brown, 1950 )

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 : 223

Strumigenys californica ( Brown, 1950)

Distribution. USA; California

Comments. This species was initially known from three alate queens that lacked any collection information other than locality and collector. C.F. Baker collected these specimens in Claremont, a small city located on the eastern edge of Los Angeles Co., California sometime before 1950 ( Brown 1964). Brown (1950) noted the similarity of this species with the Japanese species S. rostrataeformis ( Brown, 1949) , and posited that it might be a non-native introduction. Since the first collection, several other smithistrumiform natives have been discovered as well as additional S. californica collections from Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Los Angeles counties, supporting it being native ( Ward 1988).

Strumigenys californica appears to be associated with more arid environments than many of the other more western native species, with two workers collected foraging on Eriogonum buckwheat ( Ward 1988), and a mostly intact dead worker found among the middens of a Solenopsis xyloni McCook, 1880 colony. A dealate queen was collected in mid-October, suggesting a flight/dispersal period that is about a month later than eastern counterpart species and coinciding with the onset of winter precipitation. This dealate queen was collected in a chamise/ Ceanothus chaparral near Claremont, Los Angeles Co. in 2010.

Material examined: USA, California, Los Angeles Co., des Lauriers, Mt. Baldy Rd. , 34.18833, - 117.67833, 840 m, 17 Oct 2010, pitfall trap sample no. 10378, chamise/ Ceanothus chaparral, 1 dealate queen, (casent0843952)[ UCDC] ; USA, California, Los Angeles Co., Claremont , 34.096676, - 117.719779 ±5000 m, 400 m ±75, 1 alate queen, C.F. Baker, (lacm0328779)[ LACM] ; USA, California, San Luis Obispo Co., Goodwin Center, Carrizo Plain National Monument , 35.18993, -119.86432 ± 30 m, 600 m, 25 May 2003, ex. small midden sample (~4ml) from Solenopsis xyloni nest, grassland, 1 worker, P. S. Ward, PSW14864, (casent0843951)[ UCDC] .