We report the first known collection of Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Missouri. Two specimens were collected in pitfall traps during a field study at Sand Prairie Conservation Area, Scott County, Missouri

Pierce, Angela D.

Wood, Diane L

English

ValpoScholar

The Great Lakes Entomologist 
Volume 51 
Numbers 3 & 4 - Fall/Winter 2018 Numbers 3 & 
4 - Fall/Winter 2018 
Article 6 
January 2018 
State Record for Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: 
Formicidae) in Missouri 
Angela D. Pierce 
Missouri Department of Conservation, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 
Diane L. Wood 
Southern Missouri State University, dwood@semo.edu 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle 
 Part of the Entomology Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Pierce, Angela D. and Wood, Diane L. 2018. "State Record for Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: 
Formicidae) in Missouri," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 51 (2) : 54-55 
Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol51/iss2/6 
This Entomological Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Biology at ValpoScholar. 
It has been accepted for inclusion in The Great Lakes Entomologist by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. 
For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu. 
State Record for Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in 
Missouri 
Cover Page Footnote 
Angela D. Pierce1 Missouri Department of Conservation, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701 Diane L. Wood2 
Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. *Corresponding 
author: (e-mail: dwood@semo.edu). Acknowledgments We would like to thank Dr. James Trager, Shaw 
Nature Reserve and Joe MacGown for confirmation of identifications. Dr. Mike Taylor for assistance with 
maps. The authors are much appreciative to the reviewers for their helpful comments. 
This entomological note is available in The Great Lakes Entomologist: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol51/iss2/6 
54 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 51, Nos. 3–4
The genus Stenamma Westwood (Hy-
menoptera: Formicidae) contains 84 extant 
species (Bolton 2018), and is found within the 
Nearctic, Palearctic and Neotropical Regions 
(Branstetter 2012). Stenamma foveolocepha-
lum Smith is the only Nearctic species with 
a reported distribution limited to the south-
eastern United States (Fig. 1) (Smith 1930, 
1951; Dubois and Davis 1998). The species’ 
known ecology is limited (DuBois and Davis 
1998). Based on the literature, it appears 
that S. foveolocephalum nesting sites are 
found in sparsely vegetated, sandy soils 
(Smith 1930, 1951; DuBois and Davis 1998). 
This species appears to be active earlier in 
the year (e.g., Alabama in February—Dubois 
and Davis 1998; Florida in January and 
February—Dubois and Davis 1998; Missis-
sippi in February—Smith 1930, Dubois and 
Davis 1998, and MacGown et al. 2008; North 
Carolina in February—Smith 1951).
During a study conducted from March 
to October 2014 at Sand Prairie Conserva-
tion Area (SPCA), Scott County, Missouri, 
two S. foveolocephalum workers (Fig. 2) were 
collected from pitfall traps in the grassland 
portion of the SPCA. These sand prairies 
only occur in the southeastern region of the 
state and are a result of sand deposition 
during flooding events by the Mississippi 
and Ohio rivers (Nelson 2005). Of the two 
individuals collected, one was collected on 
31 March when the maximum air tempera-
ture was 22°C and a second individual was 
collected on 27 October when the maximum 
air temperature was 28°C. The soil type 
and timing of the worker’s foraging activ-
ity fits the expected ecological pattern of 
previous collections of S. foveolocephalum. 
The specimens will be housed in the Enns 
Entomological Collection, University of 
Missouri–Columbia.
This is the first known recorded col-
lection of S. foveolocephalum from Missouri 
State Record for Stenamma foveolocephalum 
(Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Missouri
Angela D. Pierce1, Diane L. Wood2*
1Missouri Department of Conservation, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701
2Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
Abstract
We report the first known collection of Stenamma foveolocephalum Smith (Hyme-
noptera: Formicidae) from Missouri. Two specimens were collected in pitfall traps during 
a field study at Sand Prairie Conservation Area, Scott County, Missouri.
*Corresponding author: (e-mail: dwood@semo.edu).
Figure 1. Known distribution of Stenamma foveolocephalum Smith within the U.S.A. with former 
state records (grey) and new state record (black) (left) and county where specimens were collected in 
Missouri (right).
1
Pierce and Wood: New Distribution for Stenamma foveolocephalum
Published by ValpoScholar, 2018
2018 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 55
and extends its known range significantly 
(Fig. 1). Based on this range extension, it is 
not unreasonable to assume that this species 
might occur in the intervening states be-
tween Missouri and the other states recorded 
to have S. foveolocephalum.
Acknowledgments
 We would like to thank Dr. James 
Trager, Shaw Nature Reserve and Joe Mac-
Gown for confirmation of identifications. 
Dr. Mike Taylor for assistance with maps. 
The authors are much appreciative to the 
reviewers for their helpful comments.
Literature Cited
Bolton 2018. AntWeb. Species: Stenamma fo-
veolocephalum Available from: https://www.
antweb.org/description.do?subfamily=myr-
micinae&genus=stenamma&rank=genus. 
Accessed 12 October 2018
Branstetter M. G. 2012. Origin and diversifi-
cation of the cryptic ant genus Stenamma 
Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), 
inferred from multilocus molecular data, bio-
geography and natural history. Systematic 
Entomology 37:478–496.
DuBois M. B. and L. R. Davis. 1998. Stenamma 
foveolocephalum (=S. carolinense) Rediscov-
ered (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmici-
nae). Sociobiology 32:125–138.
MacGown J. A., J. G. Hill, L. C. Majure, and 
J. L. Seltzer. 2008. Rediscovery of Pogon-
omyrmex badius (Latreille) (Hymenoptera: 
Formicidae) in mainland Mississippi, with an 
analysis of associated seeds and vegetation. 
Midsouth Entomologist 1: 17–28. 
Nelson, P. W. 2005. The terrestrial natural com-
munities of Missouri. Missouri Natural Areas 
Committee. 550 pp.
Smith M. R. 1930. Descriptions of three new 
North American ants, with biological notes. 
Annals of the Entomological Society of Amer-
ica 3: 564–568.
Smith M. R. 1951. A new species of Stenamma 
from North Carolina (Hymenoptera: For-
micidae). Proceedings of the Entomological 
Society of Washington 53: 156–158.
Figure 2. Digital images, Frontal view of head (left) Lateral view (right), of Stenamma foveolocephalum 
Smith individual collected from the grassland area at Sand Prairie Conservation Area, Scott County, 
Missouri. 
2
The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 51, No. 2 [2018], Art. 6
https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol51/iss2/6


State Record for Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Missouri

Valparaiso University

The Great Lakes Entomologist Volume 51 Numbers 3 & 4 - Fall/Winter 2018 Numbers 3 & 4 - Fall/Winter 2018 Article 6 January 2018 State Record for Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Missouri Angela D. Pierce Missouri Department of Conservation, Cape Girardeau, Missouri Diane L. Wood Southern Missouri State University, dwood@semo.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle  Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Pierce, Angela D. and Wood, Diane L. 2018. "State Record for Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Missouri," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 51 (2) : 54-55 Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol51/iss2/6 This Entomological Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Biology at ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Great Lakes Entomologist by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu. State Record for Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Missouri Cover Page Footnote Angela D. Pierce1 Missouri Department of Conservation, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701 Diane L. Wood2 Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. *Corresponding author: (e-mail: dwood@semo.edu). Acknowledgments We would like to thank Dr. James Trager, Shaw Nature Reserve and Joe MacGown for confirmation of identifications. Dr. Mike Taylor for assistance with maps. The authors are much appreciative to the reviewers for their helpful comments. This entomological note is available in The Great Lakes Entomologist: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol51/iss2/6 54 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 51, Nos. 3–4The genus Stenamma Westwood (Hy-menoptera: Formicidae) contains 84 extant species (Bolton 2018), and is found within the Nearctic, Palearctic and Neotropical Regions (Branstetter 2012). Stenamma foveolocepha-lum Smith is the only Nearctic species with a reported distribution limited to the south-eastern United States (Fig. 1) (Smith 1930, 1951; Dubois and Davis 1998). The species’ known ecology is limited (DuBois and Davis 1998). Based on the literature, it appears that S. foveolocephalum nesting sites are found in sparsely vegetated, sandy soils (Smith 1930, 1951; DuBois and Davis 1998). This species appears to be active earlier in the year (e.g., Alabama in February—Dubois and Davis 1998; Florida in January and February—Dubois and Davis 1998; Missis-sippi in February—Smith 1930, Dubois and Davis 1998, and MacGown et al. 2008; North Carolina in February—Smith 1951).During a study conducted from March to October 2014 at Sand Prairie Conserva-tion Area (SPCA), Scott County, Missouri, two S. foveolocephalum workers (Fig. 2) were collected from pitfall traps in the grassland portion of the SPCA. These sand prairies only occur in the southeastern region of the state and are a result of sand deposition during flooding events by the Mississippi and Ohio rivers (Nelson 2005). Of the two individuals collected, one was collected on 31 March when the maximum air tempera-ture was 22°C and a second individual was collected on 27 October when the maximum air temperature was 28°C. The soil type and timing of the worker’s foraging activ-ity fits the expected ecological pattern of previous collections of S. foveolocephalum. The specimens will be housed in the Enns Entomological Collection, University of Missouri–Columbia.This is the first known recorded col-lection of S. foveolocephalum from Missouri State Record for Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in MissouriAngela D. Pierce1, Diane L. Wood2*1Missouri Department of Conservation, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 637012Department of Biology, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701AbstractWe report the first known collection of Stenamma foveolocephalum Smith (Hyme-noptera: Formicidae) from Missouri. Two specimens were collected in pitfall traps during a field study at Sand Prairie Conservation Area, Scott County, Missouri.*Corresponding author: (e-mail: dwood@semo.edu).Figure 1. Known distribution of Stenamma foveolocephalum Smith within the U.S.A. with former state records (grey) and new state record (black) (left) and county where specimens were collected in Missouri (right).1Pierce and Wood: New Distribution for Stenamma foveolocephalumPublished by ValpoScholar, 20182018 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 55and extends its known range significantly (Fig. 1). Based on this range extension, it is not unreasonable to assume that this species might occur in the intervening states be-tween Missouri and the other states recorded to have S. foveolocephalum.Acknowledgments We would like to thank Dr. James Trager, Shaw Nature Reserve and Joe Mac-Gown for confirmation of identifications. Dr. Mike Taylor for assistance with maps. The authors are much appreciative to the reviewers for their helpful comments.Literature CitedBolton 2018. AntWeb. Species: Stenamma fo-veolocephalum Available from: https://www.antweb.org/description.do?subfamily=myr-micinae&genus=stenamma&rank=genus. Accessed 12 October 2018Branstetter M. G. 2012. Origin and diversifi-cation of the cryptic ant genus Stenamma Westwood (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), inferred from multilocus molecular data, bio-geography and natural history. Systematic Entomology 37:478–496.DuBois M. B. and L. R. Davis. 1998. Stenamma foveolocephalum (=S. carolinense) Rediscov-ered (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmici-nae). Sociobiology 32:125–138.MacGown J. A., J. G. Hill, L. C. Majure, and J. L. Seltzer. 2008. Rediscovery of Pogon-omyrmex badius (Latreille) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in mainland Mississippi, with an analysis of associated seeds and vegetation. Midsouth Entomologist 1: 17–28. Nelson, P. W. 2005. The terrestrial natural com-munities of Missouri. Missouri Natural Areas Committee. 550 pp.Smith M. R. 1930. Descriptions of three new North American ants, with biological notes. Annals of the Entomological Society of Amer-ica 3: 564–568.Smith M. R. 1951. A new species of Stenamma from North Carolina (Hymenoptera: For-micidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 53: 156–158.Figure 2. Digital images, Frontal view of head (left) Lateral view (right), of Stenamma foveolocephalum Smith individual collected from the grassland area at Sand Prairie Conservation Area, Scott County, Missouri. 2The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 51, No. 2 [2018], Art. 6https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol51/iss2/6

Angela D. Pierce

Diane L Wood

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State Record for Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Missouri

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