Benin page The Ants of Africa
Ants from Benin collected by S. Tchibozo

Ants from Benin collected by S. Tchibozo

{Benin mao}In 2007, I was sent a small number of ants collected by pitfall trapping in the Forêt de Gnanhouizoumè, 06°50-55 N 02°20-30'E, by Sévérin Tchibozo, of Centre de Recherche pour la Gestion de la Biodiversité et du Terroir, CERGET - link http://www.cerget.org/index.htm

The project was funded thanks to the financial support from the Belgian Directorate-General for Development Cooperation, for a capacity buiding project (2406JVG2_Boevé_2006).

Séverin sent me some further specimens in 2010:
1: 29.i.2007. Forêt de Gnanhouizoumè (06°55’03.7 N 02°24’44.6 E). Forêt fourmis (forest ants)

2 :28.ii.2007. Forêt de Gbèvozoumè, 06°55’32.8 N 02°29’13 E. Lisière fourmis (forest edge/ border ants)

3: 19.xii.2006. Forêt de Kpinkonzoumè, 06°46’10.8 N 02°27’49 E. Piège Malaisse. Forêt fourmis

The species found were

Benin 1 FORMICIDAE
 Plagiolepis brunni Mayr Pan-African
Benin 2
 DOLICHODERINAE
 Tapinoma modestum Santschi clutching the Plagiolepis in its mouthparts; second West Africa record
Benin 3
 MYRMICINAE Tetramorium angulinode (Santschi) Pan-African
Benin 4 MYRMICINAE Tetramorium susannae Hita Garcia et al
 Angola to Ghana
Benin 5
 PONERINAE
 Platythyrea conradti Emery Pan-African; first Benin record
Benin 6
 FORMICIDAE Camponotus (Myrmosaga) schoutedeni Forel no prior illustrations; first record west of Cameroun
Benin 7
 PONERINAE
 Anochetus bequaerti Forel Pan-African; ; first Benin record; a variable species, this specimen is particularly brightly coloured
Benin 8 FORMICIDAE Paratrechina nimba Bernard new status the existing description is inadequate, so this is a best fit determination; type record is from Guinea
Benin 9 MYRMICINAE Melissotarsus tchibozoi - new species quite distinct from the four species recognised by Bolton (1982)
Benin 10 MYRMICINAE Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) chlorotica Emery no prior illustrations; West Africa & Congo Basin; first Benin record
Benin 11 MYRMICINAE Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) nigeriensis Santschi exactly matches the Santschi (1914d) drawing; sole prior record from Nigeria (Lagos); first Benin record
Benin 12 FORMICIDAE Lepisiota cacozela Emery; also Benin 13 this has the thick petiole scale shown by Santschi (1935a); West Africa & Congo Basin; first Benin record
Benin 14 FORMICIDAE Lepisiota monardi (Santschi) matches the Santschi (1930b) illustration and confirms the presence in West Africa; first Benin record
Benin 15 FORMICIDAE Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) maculatus (Fabricius) type form; Pan-African
Benin 16 MYRMICINAE
 Pyramica (Serrastruma) maynei (Forel) queen no prior illustrations; Pan-African; first Benin record
Benin 17 DORYLINAE
 Dorylus (Anomma) burmeisteri (Shuckard) Pan-African; first Benin record

Further material sent to me in 2010, joint collector Aïkpé Mensah

Republic of Benin

1. 29.i.2007. Forêt de Gnanhouizoumè (06°55’03.7 N 02°24’44.6 E). Forêt fourmis (forest ants)

DORYLINAE
 Dorylus (Anomma) nigricans Illiger Pan-African - numerous specimens
FORMICINAE Camponotus (Myrmopelta) vividus (F Smith) Pan-African forests - 2 specimens
FORMICINAE Camponotus (Myrmotrema) foraminosus Forel Pan-African - 1 major & 4 minor workers
FORMICINAE Camponotus (Myrmotrema) haereticus Santschi West Africa and Congo (?) - 9 specimens - first photos
FORMICINAE Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) maculatus (Fabricius) Pan-African - 9 specimens
FORMICINAE
 Lepisiota cacozela Emery 1 specimen
FORMICINAE Polyrhachis concava André West Africa and Congo Basin - 14 specimens
MYRMICINAE Cataulacus guineensis F Smith Pan-African forests - 2 specimens
MYRMICINAE Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius) Pan-African - 6 specimens
PONERINAE Odontomachus troglodytes Santschi Pan-African - 3 specimens
PONERINAE Pachycondyla (Paltothyreus) tarsata (Fabricius)
 Pan-African - 1 specimen
PONERINAE Platythyrea conradti Emery Pan-African - 1 specimen

2. 28.ii.2007. Forêt de Gbèvozoumè, 06°55’32.8 N 02°29’13 E. Lisière fourmis (forest edge/ border ants)

DORYLINAE Dorylus (Anomma) terrificus Santschi West Africa & Congo Basin - numerous specimens
FORMICINAE Camponotus (Myrmotrema) foraminosus Forel Pan-African - 1 major & 2 minor workers mounted; 10 unmounted
FORMICINAE Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) acvapimensis Mayr Pan-African - 2 major & 2 minor workers mounted - 24 unmounted
FORMICINAE Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) maculatus (Fabricius) Pan-African - 3 mounted & 12 unmounted specimens
FORMICINAE Lepisiota canescens (Emery)
Pan-African - 2 specimens
FORMICINAE Lepisiota monardi (Santschi) see 2009-13 above - 1 specimen
FORMICINAE Lepisiota validiuscula (Emery) Pan-African - first Benin record, first photos
FORMICINAE Polyrhachis concava André West Africa and Congo Basin - 1 specimen
FORMICINAE Polyrhachis militaris (Fabricius) Pan-African - 1 specimen
MYRMICINAE Crematogaster (Decacrema) costeboriensis Santschi - new status Sole prior record from Ivory Coast - 1 specimen - first illustration
MYRMICINAE Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) zavattarii Menozzi West Africa and Congo Basin - 1 specimen - first Benin record
MYRMICINAE Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius) Pan-African - 1 minor
PONERINAE Pachycondyla (Paltothyreus) tarsata (Fabricius) Pan-African - 1 mounted & 6 unmounted specimens
PONERINAE Platythyrea conradti Emery Pan-African - 1 specimen

3. 19.xii.2006. Forêt de Kpinkonzoumè, 06°46’10.8 N 02°27’49 E. Piège Malaisse. Forêt fourmis

Single species only

DORYLINAE - Dorylus (Anomma) nigricans Illiger - Pan-African - numerous specimens
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© 2009, 2010 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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