Workers

Reviewing my photographs of specimens collected by Sky Stephens in Ghana, I now (February 2009) think that nigricans workers are separable and are readily distinguished from D. burmeisteri. Two majors and two morphs are shown below. Moreover, I have re-evaluated my drawings and descriptions from Nigeria and feel the specimens I once thought might be Dorylus victoriae also are D. nigricans (Taylor, 1980b: 15, as Dorylus (An.) species T¹) although the collection did not include a major worker.  The specimens sent to me from Benin in 2010, which include a full range of worker morphs, confirm the separation.

TL 9.56-3.93, at least four morphs; largest HL 2.41 HW 2.47 SL 1.27 PW 0.89 Petiole L 0.87. Colour very dark red-brown. Erect setae on sternites, one dorsal pair and two ventral pairs on petiole. Sculpturation extremely fine all over reticulation. Mandible apical tooth relatively short blunt, small preapical tooth irregular margined flange running to large blunt triangular basal tooth. Antennal scapes thickening slightly to moderately broad apex. Anterior clypeal margin with short setae only. Head widest at anterior margin, sides only slightly convex. Promesonotum strongly convex dorsally; propodeum rounded in profile. Subpetiolar process rear curving, triangular. Collected on leaf litter under cocoa.

Worker polymorphism
The photomontage is of specimens from Benin, Forêt de Kpinkonzoumè; collector S Tchibozo.

Major from Forêt de Kpinkonzoumè

Seond major from Forêt de Kpinkonzoumè

Media 1 from Forêt de Kpinkonzoumè

Media 2 from Forêt de Kpinkonzoumè

Media 3 from Forêt de Kpinkonzoumè

Media 4 from Forêt de Kpinkonzoumè

Minima from Forêt de Kpinkonzoumè

Ivory Coast Major
The specimens in the photomontages are from Ivory Coast, collected by Caspar Schoning; Collection Information: CASENT0172642; Locality: Ivory Coast: Taï NP; Collection codes: ANTC7481; Collected by: C.Schöning; Habitat: close to ""North Camp"" Field Station MPI EVA; http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0172642&shot=p1&project=

Gambia major
The photomontage is of a major from Gambia, Abuko Nature Reserve, 13°23'41" N 016°38'41" W, collected by Roy W Goff, 02.xii.2009. Other images can be seen in the folder at -

Ghana Major. Collector Sky Stephens (06G0065).

Ivory Coast Media 1

The photomontage is of a specimen from Central African Republic, Dzanga-Sangha NP; collector Philippe Annoyer (CAR Camp 1).

Ghana Media 4. Collector S Sky Stephens (06G0065)