Crematogaster (Crem.) laestrygon Emery

Iran list Type location Sicily (Cremastogaster laestrygon, Halid. in litt., Emery, 1869a: 1, worker; Baroni Urbani, 1964b: 43, queen) - see below
junior synonyms (here)
atlantis (Crematogaster laestrygon var atlantis, Santschi, 1937e: 306, all forms) from Algeria - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0908477
baetica (Crematogaster laestrygon vaucheri var. baetica, n., Emery, 1926: 3, worker) from Spain, Algeciras - no images on Antweb (August 2016)
canariensis (Crematogaster laestrygon ssp maura var canariensis, Emery, 1926: 3; Crematogaster laestrygon ssp canariensis, Barquin, 1981: 146, worker) from Canary Is - no images on Antweb August 2016)
diminuta (Crematogaster laestrygon var diminuta, Santschi, 1910a: 43, worker) from Tunisia - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0912695
granulata (Crematogaster laestrygon var granulata, Santschi, 1910a: 43, worker) from Tunisia - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0912696
striaticeps (Crematogaster auberti r laestrygon var striaticeps, Forel, 1902g: 462; Crematogaster laestrygon var striaticeps, Forel, 1909c: 104, worker) from Algeria, Tlemcen, Dr K Escherich - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0908479
submaura (Crematogaster laestrygon var submaura, Lomnicki, 1925b: 1) from the Balearic Is. - no images on Antweb (August 2016).
theryi (Crematogaster auberti st theryi, Santschi, 1921d: 71, worker; Santschi, 1937e: 309, queen) from Morocco - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0912697
vaucheri (Crematogaster auberti st laestrygon var vaucheri, Santschi, 1921d: 71; as ssp, Emery, 1926: 2, worker; synonymy by Collingwood, 1978: 69) from Morocco - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?name=casent0912690
vivax (Crematogaster auberti st laestrygon var vivax, Santschi, 1929e: 149, worker) from Morocco - see https://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0912693.

Crematogaster maura (Crematogaster auberti r laestrygon Emery var maura, Forel, 1894d: 25; Crematogaster auberti var maura, Forel, 1909c: 104, worker) from Algeria, Oran, is a larger species with distinct longitudinal striations on the head and relatively short scapes.

Cr. airensis (Crematogaster laestrygon st airensis, Santschi, 1937e: 309, worker & male) from Niger, is an exact match for and, so, a junior synonym of Crematogaster (Cr.) oasium.

All the junior synonyms are almost identical to either the major or minor worker of the type. Although striaticeps is slightly larger than the type major the form and proportions are identical. As the name indicates, it has distinct but quite weak striations on the head. With the fresh specimens from Israel (below), the major exactly matches atlantis & granulata; the minor exactly matches diminuta.

Emery's (1869a) description is at .

Forel (1902g) had: Cremastogaster Auberti Em., r. leastrygon, v. striaticeps n. var., TL 4 mm; differs from the laestrygon type par its subopaque head densely striated from one end to the other. Whilst the type specimen (Antweb link above) is some 10% larger than the laestrygon type but the overall form and proportions are similar; the striations on the head although quite distinct are very fine and almost effaced on the vertex.

Santschi's (1910a) description of granulata and diminuta is at . Santschi's (1921d) description of vaucheri and theryi is at . Lomincki's (1925b) description of submaura is at Emery's (1926) description of baetica and canariensis is at . Santschi's (1929e) description of vivax is at - the type images (link above) show it to be dark-brown not black.

Santschi (1937e: 301) distinguished the laestrygon-groups of species by their having a low convexity to the mesonotum; compared to the more convex Crematogaster auberti; and separated from Crematogaster inermis by the presence of a spine or tooth on the propodeum. See

The photomontage of a type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0904500

Oxford University Museum specimens

Crematogaster (Crematogaster) laestrygon B Taylor det.

Israel J Kugler

25.vi.1974 Nablus 32°13'3" N 35°16'34" E

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Egypt records - Mohammed (1979) stated that "Storey (1912) mentioned that species is found in Suez road" [Storey, G.B.A. (1912) List of the Hymenoptera Tubulifera and Aculeata in the collection of the Ministry of Agriculture of Egypt. Bull.Soc.Ent.Egypte, 3:102-103].

The photomontages are of major and minor workers from Israel, sent to BT by Armin Ionescu, Tel Aviv University.

Minor