The Ants of Africa
Genus Lepisiota
Lepisiota simplex (Forel)

Petiole with no more than denticles

TL > 2.2 mm, with abundant dark erect hairs, petiole emarginate - simplex-group

Lepisiota simplex (Forel)

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Somalia (Acantholepis simplex n. sp., Forel, 1892a: 43, in key, worker; Forel, 1892e: 350, queen & male; as ssp in Forel, 1907g: 86, footnote; species status in Bingham, 1903: 317; Arnold, 1920a: 572; but as species in later Forel papers and Santschi, 1914d: 378) - see below
variety - simplicoides (Acantholepis capensis Mayr var. simplicoides n. var., Forel, 1907g: 86, footnote, worker), from Lesotho - see below
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Forel (1892a) simply had - "as capensis, but more slender; mesonotum more narrowed; metanotum simply enlarged and angular posteriorly; petiole scale feebly scalloped without teeth; very shiny throughout, almost smooth and near glabrous (Prof. Keller).
Arnold (1920a) had - TL 2.4-2.8 mm; propodeum profile flat ? (type concave); pilosity longer, finer and much more abundant than type; metanotum and propodeum nitidulous; petiole scale without any sign of teeth.

Forel's (1892e) description is at {original description}

Forel's (1907g) description of simplicoides is at {original description} - "transitional to simplex"; Santschi (1914b: 125) in a key to the then known species, separated simplicoides as having reduced protuberances on the propodeum and the petiole scale scalloped but only weakly dentate


{Lepisiota simplex} The photomontage of a syntype worker of simplex is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=0909878


{Lepisiota simplex simplicoides} The photomontage of a syntype worker of simplicoides is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=0909878

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© 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES
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