The Ants of Africa
Genus Monomorium
Monomorium hercules Viehmeyer

salomonis-complex

Monomorium hercules Viehmeyer

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Sudan (Monomorium (Xeromyrmex) salomonis hercules n. sbsp., Viehmeyer, 1923: 91, illustrated, worker; raised to species by Santschi, 1936a: 39) El Obeid, Bara, 5.iii.1914, F Werner
worker only described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Extra-limital to Bolton (1987).


{Monomorium hercules}Viehmeyer's (1923) description is at {original description}

WORKER - TL 3.1-3.6 mm, described by Viehmeyer (1923) as polymorphic.

WORKER (based on fresh specimens, below)  - anterior clypeal margin with a weakly arcuate impression; clypeus with ill-defined carinae; eyes large with ca 14 facets in the longest rows' propodeum without a longitudinal groove or impression, propodeum dorsum ca 1.45 X longer than the declivity; petiole with quite a short pedicel but in profile the node as high as the level of the propodeum dorsum and quite narrow; postpetiole wider than petiole, from above with an approximately triangular shape the posterior margin quite sharply defined; almost completely lacking in erect hairs except on clypeus, pedicel segments and apex of gaster, sculpturation reduced to almost nil on the head and alitrunk, head with distinctive small hair pits, gaster weakly shiny; colour near uniform yellow brown but head and, more so, the gaster darker; antennae brown.
TL ca 3.8 mm; HL 1.02, HW 0.84, CI 89, SL 0.79, SI 84, PW 0.5
The large eyes (0.29 X HW, with 13-14 ommatidia in the longest row) set it near Monomorium salomonis and Monomorium areniphilum. Both of those are generally much darker; the postpetiole from above in salomonis is evenly ovoid and very slightly narrower than the petiole. The petiole node is much higher than in areniphilum. Monomorium ilgii from Ethiopia has a similar colour; Bolton (1987) gave it as having large eyes, 0.33 X HW but recorded only 9-11 ommatidia in the longest row (the head being much smaller overall; it also has numerous standing hairs of the first tergite of the gaster.

This has smaller eys than salomonis, has a lighter colour and much finer sculpturation.


{Monomorium hercules}The photomontage of the type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0908740


Oxford University Museum specimens

Monomorium hercules
B Taylor det.

Sudan
Z Mahmoud


2009
Al Musawarat
16°21'32.66" N
33°19'46.71" E
hand collected
2
{album}

{Monomorium nsp Sudan 2009-30}The photomontages are of the two workers from Sudan; Al Musawarat;
collector Zaheir Mahmoud, 2009.


{Monomorium nsp Sudan 2009-30}Second specimen

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© 2007, 2008, 2012, 2015 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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