The Ants of Africa
Genus Lepisiota
Lepisiota depilis (Emery)

Petiole with short spines

Body colour black; with pale short, erect hairs - depilis-group

Lepisiota depilis (Emery)

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Somalia (Acantholepis capensis sottosp. depilis n. subsp., Emery, 1897e: 602, worker & queen; raised to species Collingwood, 1985: 294) .


Emery's (1897e) description is on {original description}. Compared with capensis, head more truncate with less rounded corners, erect hairs short more scarce, on gaster dorsum restricted to tranverse row at posterior of each segment; pubescence less copious; overall subopaque, metanotum and propodeum opaque. He added that the queen he had described earlier (Emery, 1892a) under L. carbonaria appeared to be the queen of depilis, see {original description} and the Emery (1877b) description of the queen of L. capensis.


WORKER - TL 2.2-2.4 mm; HL slightly > HW; scapes surpassing occiput by over 1/3 of their own length; petiole with feeble teeth; moderately abundant yellowish-white pilosity, pubescence sparse white appressed ; black, appendages blackish-brown.

{Lepisiota depilis}The photomontage of the type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0905149
The minute appressed pubescence on the head, especially, is quite distinctive. It does seem, however, that the term "depilis" is a misnomer as fresh specimens, as shown below, have quite abundant long erect hairs.


Oxford University Museum specimens

Lepisiota depilis
B Taylor det.

Sudan
J Mathews
JM 351

12.x.2001
Khordonia
11°51' N
34°15' E
Damazine Plantation, Blue Nile
pyrethrum fogging of Acacia senegal

i
{album}
Lepisiota depilis
B Taylor det.
Sudan
Awatif Omer
30
2012
Dinder NP
11° N
35° E
May be acholli/issore or both
3
{album}
Lepisiota depilis
B Taylor det.
Sudan
Awatif Omer
31
2012
Dinder NP
11° N
35° E

2
{album}
Lepisiota depilis
B Taylor det.
Sudan
Awatif Omer
32
2012
Dinder NP
11° N
35° E

3
{album}
Lepisiota depilis
B Taylor det.
Ethiopia
A Pauly

1-10.x.2012
Abijata N.P.
7°30' N
38°30' E
1635 m
Yellow pan trap

2
{album}

Lepisiota depilisThe photomontage is of a worker from Sudan, collected by J Mathews, by pyrethrum fogging of Acacia senegal. Blue Nile, Khordonia, Damazine Plantation,  11°51' N 34°15' E; 12.x.2001, JM 351; one specimen mounted, numerous others

JM 351; clypeus with distinctive raised median carina; eyes near flat (ca 0.4 x length of side of head); alitrunk relatively short and stocky, pronotum quite strongly domed; petiole scale weakly bispinose, head narrowed anteriorly but in profile convex on both upper and lower sides, occiptum feebly impressed; erect hairs moderately long and slender off-white (ca 0.10 mm long). head quite shaggy due to decumbent pubescence; overall uniform dark brown-black
Type description has petiole scale effectively unarmed, head, pronotum and mesonotum subopaque. This is shinier but seems a good match for acholli
TL ca 2.4 mm, HL 0.61, HW 0.54, CI 88, SL 0.69, SI 124, PW 0.37, eye length 0.20
Khordonia 2 trees (351 only 12; 370 3 plus very many others).


Lepisiota depilisThe photomontage is of a worker from Sudan, Dinder National Park; collected by Awatif Omer (Sudan 30)


Lepisiota depilisThe photomontage is of a worker from Ethiopia, Abijata National Park; collected by A Pauly

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© 2007, 2010, 2013, 2014 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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