The Ants of Africa
SUBFAMILY FORMICINAE - Genus Acropyga
Subfamily Formicinae

Genus Acropyga Roger (1862a: 242)

In Tribe PLAGIOLEPIDINI.

Diagnostic Features - Antennae 11-segmented. Palp formula 1,3 or 2,3. Eyes minute. Mandibles narrowly triangular, not overhung by the clypeus. Propodeum and petiole unarmed, the latter is an unarmed scale.

Roger's (1862a) genus definition is at {original description}.

Described by Bolton (1973a) as small, depigmented yellowish ants, which are hypogaeic and uncommon. Bolton (1994) had an illustration (bottom). Prins (1982: 237 ff) reviewed the situation in Southern Africa and provided much information and illustrations - see {original description}. LaPolla & Fisher (2005) recognised a third species, A. bakwele from Gabon.

Key to separate workers (following LaPolla & Fisher, 2005) -

1 {short description of image}HW < 0.55 mm; note the specimen from Kenya in the photo has a slightly different head shape to the type drawing .
. Acropyga silvestrtii Eritrea - silvestrii
-- HW > 0.55 mm 2
2 {short description of image}HW < 0.7 mm; TL < 3 mm; head without median ocellus .
. {short description of image} southern Africa, possibly Central African Republic - arnoldi
-- {short description of image}HW > 0.7 mm; TL > 3 mm; head with median ocellus Gabon - bakwele
{unavailable due to copyright}

Acropyga species (indet.)

Found in leaf litter (17 workers) and soil (10 workers) at four sites in Ghana (Sui River Forest Reserve, primary forest; Ofinso, cocoa; Effiduase, cocoa; Bunso, primary forest) by Belshaw & Bolton (1994a, b).

As it was unlabelled, the image right (if available) may be of this Ghanaian source but I cannot be certain.
Contents Subfamily Formicinae
© 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2017 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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