Myrmicaria opaciventris Emery

Type location Angola (Myrmicaria opaciventris n. sp., Emery, 1893e: 221, illustrated, all forms described) from Benguela, collected by Buchner - see below
junior synonym (here)
mesonotalis (Myrmicaria opaciventris v. mesonotalis n.v., Santschi, 1925c: 151, all forms) from Zaïre, Uele, Tuku, Van den Plas - see below
(see Bolton, 1995) .

Emery's (1893e) description is at . The comparison is with Myrmicaria fodica Jerdon (see Bolton, 1995: 285, for reversion of later name fodiens), type location India. Jerdon's (1851: 115) description of Myrmica fodicus from India is at . Santschi's (1925c) description of mesonotalis is at

WORKER - TL 6.0-6.5 mm; general body form like eumenoides; postpetiole with distinct ventral angular anterior process; clypeus carinate; scapes striated; head and alitrunk longitudinally rugose, vertex of head weakly subreticulate; lateral pedicel finely rugose; postpetiole and basal gaster subtly punctate, so that the latter appears matt; mostly nitidous; dull (dirty) ferruginous; antennae, pedicel and gaster fuscous, subopaque.

I have raised Myrmicaria congolensis to full species status as it is clear from Emery's description that there are marked difference.  Emery's illustration (right), however, was of the male pedicel and I was in error previously in referring to that for separation of congolensis.

The original report has two workers from Benguela, Angola, collected by Dr Büchner, sent to Emery by Forel, and one worker from Gabon, the latter together with the described queen and male.

The photomontage of a worker from the type collection is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0904466

The photomontage of the mesonotalis type is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0913051
From the Antweb images this is identical to the type form.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Myrmicaria opaciventris B Taylor det.	Benin J-F Vayssieres RVA 3095.3	10.xi.2011 Tanquiéta 10°40'05'' N 01°18'14'' E	Acacia gourmaensis beating 234 m asl	1
Myrmicaria opaciventris B Taylor det.	Cameroun G Debout & A Dalecky Cameroon 43	5.iv.2001 BOU 3°13.31' N 10°15.01' E	on soil & surface in forest understorey	2
Myrmicaria opaciventris B Taylor det.	Cameroun G Debout & A Dalecky Cameroon 67	16.iv.2001 Ebodjé 2°33.97' N 9°50.62' E	in a nest constructed among dead leaves and attached to a living tree branch on the ground	2
Myrmicaria opaciventris B Taylor det.	Cameroun G Debout & A Dalecky Cameroon 104	24.iv.2001 Nkolobondé 3°14' N 10°15' E	a single specimen from among a number of Dorylus kohli collected on a trail near secondary growth fields	1
Myrmicaria opaciventris B Taylor det.	Kenya P Hlavac	25.iv.2005 Lake Nakuru National Park		1
Myrmicaria opaciventris B Taylor det. Male ?	Namibia D J Mann OUMNH-2006-093	25.xii.1998 Tsumkwe Dist. 19°09'57" S 20°52'55" E	2 km west of Xawasha Pan Campsite MV light trap coll. Mann & Marais	1

The photomontage is of a major worker from Benin, Tanquiéta; collector J-F Vayssieres (RVA 3095).

The photomontage is of a worker from Kenya, Lake Nakuru National Park, collected by Peter Hlavac, 25.iv.2005.

The photomontage is of a male from Namibia, Tsumkwe; collector D J Mann (OUMNH-2006-093).

This appears to be a good match, perhaps slightly larger, to the Emery (1893e) description