The Ants of Africa
Genus Crematogaster
Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) rugosior Santschi

Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) rugosior Santschi

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Congo (Cremastogaster luctans Forel stirps rugosior, n. st., Santschi, 1910c: 375, worker; Wheeler, 1922: 156, queen) collected at Brazzaville, by Weiss - see below

Wheeler (1922) raised it to full species status; worker and queen described (see Bolton, 1995) .


Santschi's (1910c) description is at {original description}.

Wheeler (1922) had a description, by Santschi, of the queen as follows -

FEMALE (undescribed) - length 8 mm. Thorax smooth and shining like the posterior half of the head and that of the worker, except its upper surface and the sides of the propodeum which have rugae as in the worker. Head rectangular, a little longer than broad, scarcely arcuate laterally. The eyes occupy nearly the middle third of the sides and the scapes barely extend beyond its posterior fourth. Clypeus with a strong median impression near its anterior border. Thorax as broad as the head. Propodeum nearly vertical, but the insertion of the spines is marked by an angular ridge which occupies nearly the upper half of the sides of the segment. Petiole as in the worker, with a tooth beneath. Wings 7 mm. long, hyaline, with brownish veins. Otherwise like the worker." (Santschi).

The original collection by Weiss was from bamboo an which the ants tended coccids (cochenilles, Santschi, 1910c). Wheeler noted that numerous workers and a few females were collected at Kisangani, Zaïre, (Stanleyville; Lang, Chapin, and J. Bequaert), but gave no other data. Bequaert (1922, p 405) described it as the only species he found in domatia of the myrmecophyte, Randia myrmecophyta. Each cavity was in the spindle-shaped middle portions of the stem internodes. These cavities, mostly with a single round opening, were 10-12 cm long and 6-7 mm wide. Each cavity apparently contained its own nest with brood and, often was divided into chambers by transverse walls of "brown, malaxated pith debris" [I surmise this was a form of carton as used by many Crematogaster species]. Bequaert did not see how this small and timid ant could give its host much protection. The plant was widely distributed throughout the Congo Basin.


{Crematogaster rugosior}The photomontage of the type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0912814


Oxford University Museum specimens

Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) rugosior
B Taylor det.
Central African Republic
P Annoyer
EU-01

06.ii.2005
Dzanga-Sangha
02°50’01.8" N
16°08’13.7" E
Camp 3; Fauchage et à vu dans petite saline à proximité du camp; 375m asl 1
{album}

{Crematogaster rugosior}The photomontage is of a worker from the Central African Republic, Dzanga-Sangha NP; collector Philippe Annoyer (CAR Camp 3 EU).

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© 2007, 3008, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES
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