Anoplolepis (Zealleyella) parsonsi Santschi - new status

Type locality South Africa (Anoplolepis (Zealleyella) braunsi For. stirps Parsonsi n. st., Santschi, 1937g: 83, worker) from South Africa, Barberton, F S Parsons
all forms described; in subgenus Zealleyella (Bolton, 1995) .

Santschi's (1937g) description of parsonsi is at . TL 3-5 mm. The cursory description and the Antweb type images clearly separate this from Anoplolepis steingroeveri and Anoplolepis braunsi.
The alitrunk profile is more even and, notably, there is quite dense pubescence on the head and all over the body, which is not the case in steingroeveri. There is a much greater similarity to a damaged syntype minor worker of Anoplolepis fallax and comparison of fresh specimens might show this to be a junior synonym of that species.

The photomontage of the type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0912364.

The photomontage of the type minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0912365.