The Ants of Africa
SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Pyramica - subgenus Glamyromyrmex
Genus Pyramica

Subgenus Glamyromyrmex Wheeler (1915e: 487)

In Tribe DACETINI.

Diagnostic Features - Head elongate, with simple hairs. Antennae 6-segmented, the second and third funicular segments reduced. Mandibles short and subtriangular, with less than 10 teeth. Antennal scrobes present above the eyes. Propodeum armed with a pair of teeth and a lamella running the length of the declivity. Petiole and postpetiole with spongiform appendages.

Wheeler's (1915e) genus description is at {original description}. His description of the type species, Glamyrmomyrmex beebei, from Brazil is at {original description}, with the illustrations on {original description}.

Bolton (1973a) describes them as minute (TL 2.00 or less) brown-black ants found in West Africa only by Berlese funnel sampling of leaf litter. Bolton (1983) revised the genus and included species (such as the Room, 1971, species, see below) formerly ascribed to Codiomyrmex Wheeler; which according to Hölldobler & Wilson (1990) is a solely neotropical genus, although their illustrations showed a species from Australia.

Bolton (2000: 269-271) separated these into the following species groups:
dagon-group (Bolton 2000: 297): dagon, shaura
loveridgei-group (Bolton 2000: 308): cryptura, loveridgei, sistrura
tetragnatha-group (Bolton 2000: 328): africana, fisheri (sp.n.), tetragnatha
thuvida-group (Bolton 2000: 331): belial (sp.n.), nimravida (sp.n.; Bolton's 2000 key, couplets 73-74, place this with the loveridgei-group), ravidura, thuvida, trymala, tukulta

Previously in Smithistruma - change not explained - oxysma-group: anarta, mira (sp.n.), ogyga, oxysma (sp.n.), sardonica (sp.n.) - I key them out with Smithistruma

Key to workers of African species (adapted from Bolton, 1983, and Bolton, 2000, page 272 ff, key couplets 9 -> 23 -> 48 -> 62 (mandibles with fewer than 12 teeth and denticles) -> 63 ff

1 Appressed hairs on clypeal dorsum simple, fine and minute 2
-- Appressed hairs on clypeal dorsum flattened, spatulate or scale-like 5
2 Posterior margin of occiput broadly raised and bounded by lateral flat areas raised; pronotum laterally with a sharp margin; postpetiole disc with fine longitudinal striations 4
-- Posterior margin of occiput not broadly raised; pronotum laterally without a sharp margin; postpetiole disc smooth or with lateral shagreening 6
. Posterior margin of occiput broadly raised and bounded by lateral flat areas raised; pronotum laterally with a sharp margin; postpetiole disc with fine longitudinal striations - tetragnatha-group - tetragnatha-group
.
3 {short description of image}In full face view sides with projecting flagellate hairs; such hairs also numerous on postpetiole and first gastral tergite 4
-- {short description of image}In full face view sides without projecting flagellate hairs; postpetiole and first gastral tergite with only sparse short straight hairs; TL 2.4-2.8 mm; blackish-brown to black .
. {short description of image} Western Africa - Angola north to Ghana, east to Kenya - tetragnatha
4 {short description of image}In full face view head with 3 or more laterally projecting fine, very long hairs; TL 3.0 mm, HL 0.82, HW 0.70, SL 0.30, PW 0.36; black.
. {short description of image} Cameroun & Gabon - africana
-- {short description of image}In full face view head with 3 or more laterally projecting fine, very long hairs; with denser sculpture on head and alitrunk dorsum; blackish-brown to black; TL 2.6-2.7 mm, HL 0.70-0.74, HW 0.55-0.56, SL 0.28-0.30, PW 0.32-0.34
Gabon - fisheri
. Appressed hairs on clypeal dorsum flattened, spatulate or scale-like - dagon-group
.
5 {short description of image}In profile head with very thick lobes to the clypeus; anterior clypeal margin with a semicircular median impression; TL 2.0-2.1 mm; yellowish-brown .
. {Pyramica dagon} Rwanda - dagon
-- {short description of image}In profile head with narrow edges to the clypeus; anterior clypeal margin evenly and shallowly concave; TL 2.1-2.3 mm; brown .
. {Pyramica sahura} Rwanda - sahura
. Posterior margin of occiput not broadly raised; pronotum laterally without a sharp margin; postpetiole disc smooth or with lateral shagreening .
6 Entire dorsum of head densely clothed with appressed scale-like hairs, no other pilosity 7
-- Dorsum of head without appressed scale-like hairs, sides of head with projecting flagellate hairs 9
7 {short description of image}First gastral tergite with erect fine simple hairs; TL 1.6 mm; glossy dull yellow .
. {Pyramica tukulta} Ivory Coast - tukulta
-- Dorsal surfaces entirely lacking erect hairs
8
8 {Pyramica belial}Dorsum of head entirely covered with flat, appressed, scale-like hairs, each wider than they are apart; TL 1.7 mm, HL 0.50, HW 0.35, SL 0.20, PW 0.21
Gabon - belial
-- {short description of image}In full face view clypeus laterally with elevated and thickened margin; dorsum of clypeus distinctly concave; TL 2.0-2.1 mm, HL 0.52-0.56, HW 0.40-0.43, SL 0.22-0.23, PW 0.24-0.25; dark brown .
. {Pyramica ravidura} Cameroun - ravidura
. Posterior margin of occiput not broadly raised; pronotum laterally without a sharp margin; postpetiole disc smooth or with lateral shagreening .
9 Cephalic dorsum with widely spaced fovea giving a cratered appearance; mandible with 11 teeth and denticles
10
-- Cephalic dorsum reticulate-punctate, without fovea; mandible with 7-10 teeth and denticles 11
10 {short description of image}Cephalic dorsum with widely spaced fovea giving a cratered appearance; TL 2.2 mm; castaneous, head darker blackish-brown except for ferruginous clypeus and mandibles .
. {Pyramica thuvida} Kenya - thuvida
--
Clypeal dorsum with elevated hairs and no appressed small hairs; dorsum of head with scattered, conspicuous broad foveae; TL 1.7 mm; glossy dull yellow (no illustrations available at August 2013); close to thuvida Cameroun - trymala
. Cephalic dorsum reticulate-punctate, without fovea; mandible with 7-10 teeth and denticles .
11 Postpetiole with spongiform tissue restricted to posterodorsal angles; petiole node with smooth shiny dorsum; basal lamellate band on gaster interrupted medially; TL 2.2 mm; brown (no available illustrations)
Malawi - loveridgei
-- Postpetiole with spongiform tissue over all of sides; dorsum of petiole node sculptured (at least in part); basal lamellate band on gaster not wholly interrupted medially 12
12 {Pyramica nimravida}All erect hairs on dorsum and sides of head, pronotal humeri and mesonotal dorsum short and stiff; clypeus and mandibles covered with broad, flat, hairs; TL 1.9 mm, HL 0.50, HW 0.34-0.35, SL 0.20-0.21, PW 0.23 Cameroun - nimravida
-- All erect hairs on dorsum and sides of head, pronotal humeri and mesonotal dorsum long, fine and flagellate; clypeus and mandibles not covered in broad, flat hairs
13
13 {short description of image}Mandible with 6 enlarged teeth, without medially-projecting broad spatulate hairs between the basal tooth and the basal lamella; TL 1.9-2.0 mm; black to blackish-brown .
. {Pyramica sistrura} Cameroun - sistrura
-- {short description of image}Mandible with 5 enlarged teeth, plus medially-projecting broad spatulate hairs between the basal tooth and the basal lamella; TL 2.0 mm HL 0.53, HW 0.37, SL 0.21, PW 0.24; blackish-brown .
. Pyramica cryptura Ghana & Liberia - cryptura
Contents MYRMICINAE Introduction
© 2007, 2008, 2013, 2015 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES
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