Monomorium epinotale Santschi

Type location Zaïre (Monomorium (Parholcomyrmex) epinotale n. sp., Santschi, 1923e: 281, worker) collected at Luluaborg, by R.P. Callewaert, 16.i.1912 .

Santschi's (1923e) description is at . He compares the specimens with M. gracillimum, i.e. destructor. Bolton's modern description (1987) is at

WORKER - TL 2.2-2.3 mm; colour head and alitrunk orange-yellow to dull orange-brown, gaster contrasting blackish-brown, but with shagreening not reticulate-punctate sculpture (Bolton, 1987: 326, not illustrated).

See Monomorium oscaris for discussion of the status of this species, as it seems to differ from oscaris primarily by the colouration. Santschi (1935) described how the ants came from a termite nest constructed against the trunk of a tree, and were found when the nest was broken open; see also Camponotus cinctellus. Sanstchi called them reddish coloured, whereas Bolton has - head and gaster yellow, alitrunk chestnut-brown to dark brown, pedicel may be as the alitrunk but always darker than gaster. There may be no merit in the preservation of epinotale as a separate species, given the obvious variability of oscaris.