The Ants of Africa
Genus Anochetus
Anochetus traegaordhi Mayr

Anochetus traegaordhi Mayr

Listing as in Bolton (1995: 66)

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server}Type locality Sudan (Anochetus traegaordhi nov. spec., Mayr, 1904b: 2, single worker) Khartoum - no images on Antweb (September 2014)
junior synonyms
angusticornis (Anochetus angusticornis n. sp., Arnold, 1946: 56, worker & queen) from Zimbabwe - see below
gracilicornis (Anochetus gracilicornis n.sp., Viehmeyer, 1923: 87, illustrated, worker; synonymy by Brown, 1978c: 559) from Sudan, Renk, 20.iv.1914 - see below
sudanicus (Anochetus sudanicus, sp. nov., Weber, 1942a: 47, illustrated, worker; junior synonym of gracilicornis by Brown, 1964d: 215; synonymy by Brown, 1978c: 559) from South Sudan, east base of Mt Imatong
silvaticus (Anochetus silvaticus n. sp., Bernard, 1952: 212, illustrated, worker & queen; synonymy by Brown, 1964d: 215) from Guinea, Mt. Nimba collections - see below
worker and queen described (see Bolton, 1995) .


{Anochetus traegaordhi}Mayr's (1904b) description is at {original description}. Viehmeyer's (1923) description of gracilicornis, with illustration of funiculus, is at {original description}. Weber's (1942a) description of sudanicus is at {original description}. Arnold's (1946) description of angusticornis is at {original description}. Bernard's (1952) description of silvaticus is at {original description}. Brown's (1964d) note, is at {original description}. Brown's (1978) notes, under the ghilianii complex, are is at {original description}.


{Anochetus traegaordhi}WORKER - No more than a summary description was given by Brown (1978: 559, illustrated), who places it in the very variable ghilianii group. Main features as in key, especially the shortness of the frontal striation on the head. A medium-sized species with medium-sized eyes (0.20-0.35 mm).

Bernard (1952: 212), describing silvaticus, gave - TL 5.3-6.4 mm; colour yellow-orange, slightly browner on the mid-gaster. Integument with minute but very dense striations on the anterior third of the head, the mandibles, and all the thorax, except for areas on the sides of the pronotum and mesopleuron; rest of mesopleuron and propodeum flanks matt. Petiole, gaster, tarsi and posterior of head shiny, almost smooth save for reticulation on the posterior angles of the head. Sparse white pubescence all over. Head rather short, analogous to that of africanus in size, but less indented, and with less prominent supraantennal lobes. Propodeum long, matt, and very flat dorsally. Petiole scale conical, not indented on the summit, yellow and shiny. Described related species as having the sides of the thorax very smooth and the petiole scale bifid.

Collingwood (1985) noted - eye about 0.16 X HW, mesonotum not striate, petiole tapering to a dorsal crest. The specimens were from Saudi Arabia, foraging on the surface under bushy scrub.

The illustrations given here suggest that the synonymy of the pale and darker forms is questionable but it is outside the scope of this website to comment further.

In his first consideration, Brown (1964d: 215) synonymised sudanicus (the holotype) with gracilicornis, noting a syntype of the latter was a little darker in colour.  He also synonymised silvaticus (a cotype) with the type of A. traegaordhi and a worker from Stanleyville, Congo, determied as traegaordhi by Forel.

Distribution of specimens recorded by Brown (1978c) was sub-Saharan, south to Angola and Zimbabwe. From West Africa there were three workers from Ghana, at CRIG, in a rotten log (B. Bolton), notable as having relatively narrow heads (CI 84, eye length 0.20 mm).

Brown (1978) did not report Bernard's (1952) records. One worker (as holotype of silvaticus) and one queen from Ivory Coast; station H 5 (13.vii.1945, Delamare-Debouteville). One worker from Guinea, station B 8.10, Zouépo, forest, 1215 m (Lamotte), slightly larger and darker than Ivory Coast form.


In his key to European and African species, Brown (1978: 571, couplet 16) separated Anochetus ghilianii (Morocco, S. Spain) from traegaordhi (W. Africa, Sudan and Eritrea S to Angola and Rhodesia) by compound eye size: ghilianii 0.18-0.22 in greatest diameter, tragaeordhi 0.20 mm in greatest diameter. No type images of either traegaordhi or ghilianii on Antweb (September 2014). His commentary ([26], pp 598-600] is little more than an admission of defeat in attempting to separate the various forms and he simply lumped all sub-Saharan specimens under traegaordhi because of "a bewildering range of variation in a number of traits, including body size, eye size, gracility of antennae, abundance and erectness of pilosity and pubescence, sculpture of vertex and pronotum, and size and shape".

The ghilianii cameroni, sylvaticus and Niakafiri-5-viii-09 have distinct suberect pubescence on the mandibles.

Form
SI
EI (eye length/head width, at eye level)
Notes
angusticornis (CASENT0902453)
100
25
yellow-brown; propodeal corners angled and slightly raised
SAM-HYM-C001378B
112
25
yellow-brown; propodeal corners angled and slightly raised
sudanicus (MCZ)
108
20
yellow-brown; propodeal corners merely angled
gracilicornis (CASENT0915168) 100
19
yellow-brown; propodeal corners rounded
Niakafiri-5-viii-09
100
18
yellow-brown; propodeal corners rounded
silvaticus (CASENT0913742)
100
14
red-brown, quite densely pubescent, notably so on the mandibles
Gabon-03 (CASENT0010781)
100
10
red-brown; raised lateral corners on propodeum
Cameroon FK sp1
111
11
red-brown; raised lateral corners on propodeum
ghilianii cameroni (CASENT0907417, CASENT0902459)
100
15
yellow-brown; propodeal corners merely angled


Yellow-brown forms


{Anochetus traegaordhi angusticornis}The photomontage of an angusticornis paratype is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0902453


{Anochetus traegaordhi gracilicornis}The photomontage of a gracilicornis type is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0915168


{Anochetus traegaordhi}

The photomontage is of the holotype of Anochetus sudanicus Weber (1942a). The original photographs, together with enlarged images, are from the MCZ, Harvard University, website at http://mcz-28168.oeb.harvard.edu/mcz/FMPro?-DB=Image.fm&-Lay=web&-Format=images.htm&Species_ID=26107&-Find.


{Anochetus traegaordhi}The photomontage is adapted from the Antweb.org site at http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=SAM-HYM-C001378B Collection Information: Locality South Africa: Natal: Mkuze Game Reserve, below Mantuma; 27°36'00"S 032°13'00"E 60 m; Collection codes: SAM-HYM-C001378; Date: 16 Oct 1998; Collected by: H.G. Robertson; Method: saw nest/nest entrance Habitat: riverine, woodland


Oxford University Museum specimens

Anochetus sudanicus
B Taylor det.

Senegal
Tambacounda
B Ndiaye
Niakafiri
13°09'40" N
12°06'46" W
Niakafiri 5-VIII-09 St 6 Nid
213 m; Soudanian savannah, nest, hand, collection
1
{album}

{Anochetus sudanicus}The photomontage is of a worker specimen collected from Senegal, Tambacounda; collector B Ndiaye.


Red-brown forms


{Anochetus traegaordhi sylvaticus}The photomontage of the silvaticus type is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913742


Oxford University Museum specimens

Anochetus traegaordhi
B Taylor det.

Cameroun
A Fotso Kuate
Anochetus sp1
20.ix.2007
Awae II
03°54'30" N
11°25'58" E
Quadrat in forest
1
{album}

{Anochetus traegaordhi}The photomontage is of a worker specimen collected from Cameroun, Awae; collector A Fotso Kuate (Anochetus sp1)





{Anochetus ? traegaordhi}The photomontage is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0408018
Collection details - Locality: Central African Republic: Prefecture Sangha-Mbaéré; Parc National Dzanga-Ndoki, 37.9 km 169° S Lidjombo; 02°22'14"N 016°10'21"E, 360m. Collection Information: Collection codes: BLF4130. Date: 20-28 May 2001. Collected by: B.L.Fisher. Method: EC19 sifted litter. Habitat: rainforest .Transect Type: MW 50 sample transect, 5m Transect Sample No.: 08


{Anochetus traegaordhi}The photomontage is adapted from the Antweb.org site at http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0010781 This specimen seems a better match to the original description by Mayr (1904b) than the form drawn by Brown (1978). Collection Information: Anochetus n. sp. gab-03 (Specimen Images): Specimen Code CASENT0010781: Locality Gabon: Ogooue-Maritime: Reserve de Faune de la Moukalaba-Dougoua, 12.2 km 305° NW Doussala; 02°19'00"S 010°32'00"E 110 m; Collection codes: BLF02122; Date: 24 Feb 2000; Collected by: B.L.Fisher Method: EC19 sifted litter; Habitat: rainforest; Transect Type: MW 50 sample transect, 5m; Transect Sample No.: 44

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