The Ants of Africa SUBFAMILY AENICTINAE - Genus Aenictus Shuckard |
Bolton (1990b, 1994) raised this as a new monogeneric subfamily, within the doryline section.
Genus Aenictus Shuckard (1840b: 266).Diagnostic Features - Antenna 10-segmented; eyes absent; clypeus reduced bringing antennal sockets very close to anterior margin of head; pedicel of two segments; pygidium not impressed nor armed with spines or teeth. Posterior margin of clypeus and lobes of frontal carinae raised to form a ridge around the antennal insertions. Genae lateral of each antennal insertion with a carina of variable length. Dorsum of alitrunk without sutures, metanotal groove usually impressed. Monomorphic. Shuckard's (1840b) genus description is on The names given below are those listed by Bolton (1995). This
presents something of a conundrum, as there is no published revision of
the Afrotropical members of the genus and, like Dorylus many
"species" are known from males only or workers only, suggesting some
duplication of species. Whilst five species are known from workers and
associated queens, there are no associated males and workers. Bernard (1952) wrote how these eyeless, subterranean ants are numerous in Africa, with 37 species, with new forms being continually detected. He thought that it was the sole ant genus which does not reach its maximum diversity in "Congo-Rhodesia", but far from there in the north and east, from Senegal across to Sudan and Somalia; that region having some 19 species (Congo 13 and southern Africa 7); two other forms were Saharan. Relatively few forms appeared to be other than from lowland areas. Often display 'army ant' habits, with narrow marching columns in leaf litter (Gotwald & Barr, 1987). Described as feeding primarily on other ants by Hölldobler & Wilson (1990, pages 560, 581 and 595). Radoszkowsky (1881) listed Aenictus unicolor F Smith, from Angola, collected by Welwitsch. Bolton (1995: 61) has this as a nomen nudum. |
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Key to workers known from Africa
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Queens An illustration of the queen of Aenictus asantei was given by Campione, Novak & Gotwald (1983). Otherwise queens are known only for Aenictus congolensis, Aenictus decolor, Aenictus eugenii, and Aenictus weissi (without description). |
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The photomontage of the A. congolensis type queen is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0911419 |
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Many species are known only from from males - link to a provisional key.
* Santschi (1920d) gave illustrated descriptions of several of these male-only species; this is at . |
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Aenictus species (indet.) (1)In Ghana, a single specimen was found by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b) in a leaf litter sample from secondary forest at CRIG. Aenictus species (indet.) (2)A single specimen was collected from secondary forest leaf litter at Atewa Forest Reserve in Ghana, by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b). |
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Extra-limital but possible
is Aenictus vaucheri Emery (1915a), type location
Morocco, worker described by Santschi (1936c) - see the queen at http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0903754 Emery's (1915a) description is at . Santschi's (1936c)
description of the worker is at . No images of workers on
Antweb (September, 2014) Emery, C. 1915. Contributo alla conoscenza delle formiche delle isole italiani. Descrizioni di forme mediterranee nuove o critiche. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. Genova, (3)6(46),: 244-270. [HNS 11725] |
© 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016 - Brian
Taylor
CBiol
FRSB FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
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