Crematogaster (Crematogaster) tricolor Gerstäcker

Type location Mozambique (Gerstäcker, 1859: 263, worker; Forel, 1887: 388, queen & male; Arnold, 1920a: 489 - see below .

Gerstäcker's (1859) description of tricolor is at . It was translated and illustrated (below right) by Arnold (as Cr. castanea Smith race tricolor Gerst., 1920a: 489) and is at and . Forel's (1887) description of the male and queen is at . Santschi (1926b) deals with several varieties, these are at .

With the availability of photographs of the type specimens and the fresh material from Tanzania (bottom), which shows the brightness of the tricolouration, I have restored tricolor to its original species status. It clearly differs in a number of ways, not least the distinctive colouration from Crematogaster (Cr.) castanea under which it has been subjugated for so long.

The forms listed by Bolton (1995: 150) as pertaining to castanea but fairly obviously variations of tricolor are listed below.

From Bolton's listing, the synonymization of tricolor under castanea, was due to Mayr (1907b:16), followed by Emery (1915g: 12) and Wheeler (1922: 830); however Bolton also has - "revived from synonymy as variety/subspecies of castanea" - Arnold (1920a: 489), Emery (1922e: 145) and Santschi (1926b: 213). This frankly added confusion to an already confused state.

In fact, Mayr (1907b) listed tricolor with castanea and arboreus as junior synonyms. Emery (1915g) reported how it had been determined by W C Crawley, of the British Museum, that the F Smith name castanea was published on 28 March 1858, giving it priority over the publication of tricolor by Gerstäcker on 12 April the same year - 1858 - not 1859 as in Bolton's reference list. Therefore, Emery declared the various synonyms of tricolor had to be regarded as synonyms of castanea; apparently attributing the list to Forel's subspecies ferruginea (1892e). But that was described by Forel as a distinct species [more like castanea in colouration]. According to Arnold (1920a), Mayr (1896) appears to have synonymized arborea with tricolor. Arnold himself added "(=castanea, Smith, race tricolor Gerst.)". Wheeler (1922a: 830) merely listed all the forms under castanea but gave no arguments for or against the synonymization.

Emery (1922e: 145) was solely a listing of all the castanea and tricolor varieties etc. under castanea. Santschi (1926b: 213) in the nearest thing to a definitive statement noted; on castanea - "I think to limit to this species the forms where the pronotum is frankly flat and distinctly bordered (as seen in front view); on tricolor, he continued "I consider as a variety tricolor Gerst. with the head and the alitrunk distinctly more red and with a paler base to the gaster than " la var. castanea type", where this base is dark (obscure rufo-fuscous, as written by F Smith). The sculpture is identical.

Forel (1911f) reported inversa and castanea, both as varieties of inversa, from Zaïre, Kasai, Kondué by Luja.Wheeler (1922) writing on analis and flaviventris noted - "This and the following are merely color varieties of an extremely variable and widely distributed African and Malagasy species formerly known as C. tricolor Gerstecker". Santschi (1935b) also saw several forms from Zaïre:- busschodtsi from Kisantu, Banana (from whence the type) and Congo la Lemba; noting that this variety has black brown antennae, darker than the head; inversa has these the same. Also busschodtsi strain emacerata (unavailable name according to Bolton, 1995) with propodeal spines as short as those of the ssp adusta; and, flaviventris from Kasai (Dumbi).

The photomontage of the tricolor type specimen is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0104590

Oxford University Museum specimens

Crematogaster (Crematogaster) tricolor B Taylor det.	Tanzania G McGavin tree 2-15	7.iv.1995 Mkomazi 4°02.37' S 37°49.34' E	pkd collection from Grewia sp	2
Crematogaster (Crematogaster) tricolor B Taylor det.	Tanzania G McGavin tree 3-66	16.i.1996 Mkomazi 3°57.996' S 37°48.128' E	pkd collection from Lannea schweinfurthii	2
Crematogaster (Crematogaster) tricolor B Taylor det.	Botswana King 114	1.xi.2010 Xakanaxa Camp 19.11.01 S 23.24.30 E	961 m Forest next to marshland Foraging on outdoor manmade log structure	4

The photomontage is of a specimen from Tanzania, Mkomazi Game Reserve; collector G McGavin (tree 2-15).

The photomontage is of a specimen from Tanzania, Mkomazi Game Reserve; collector G McGavin (tree 3-66).

The photomontage is of a specimen from Namibia, Xakanaxa Camp, collector D M King (King 114).