Pyramica hiroshimensis

Japanese Name

Hiroshima-uroko-ari

Ogata, K. & Onoyama, K. (1998) A revision of the ant genus Smithistruma Brown of Japan, with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomological Science 1: 277-287.

Smithistruma hiroshimensis Ogata & Onoyama, 1998, Pyramica hiroshimensis (Ogata & Onoyama): Bolton, 1999,

Total length of workers around 2 mm. Body color reddish brown. Clypeus fringed with spatulate hairs and with a straight anterior margin and rounded corners. Leading margin of antennal scape broadened at basal third to form an angulate elbow. Head and mesosoma covered with suborbicular hairs, like those of other Pyramica species formerly assigned to Epitritus and Quadristruma. This species resembles Smithistruma circothrix, but is distinguished by its larger size, relatively long mandibles and well developed spongiform appendage on the postpetiole.

A rare species found on the floor of broadleaf forests and nesting in the soil. P. hiroshimensis was not treated in "A List of the Ants of Japan with Common Japanese Names" (1988) or "A Guide for the Identification of Japanese Ants (III)" (1992) by the Myrmecological Society of Japan Editorial Committee, but Terayama et al. (1994) recognized this species from Hiroshima Prefecture as Smithistruma sp. 9, and gave it the Japanese name Hiroshima-uroko-ari. It also corresponds to the Smithistruma sp. 3 of Ogata et al. (1994).

Honshu (Ujinajima, Hiroshima Pref. [B.-M. Choi leg.]; Kaketou-yama, Geihoku-cho, Hiroshima Pref. [Yoshifumi Touyama leg.)