The Ants of Egypt SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Pyramica Roger

Genus Pyramica Roger (1862a: 251)

In Tribe DACETINI

Dacetine Ants - Afrotropical Genera, after Bolton's revision of 1999, separable into those with elongate, linear mandibles, terminating in a fork of two or three spiniform teeth - Strumigenys, Microdaceton, Quadristruma - and those with basically triangular mandibles, some elongate but all without a terminal fork - Pyramica.

Diagnostic Features - Pedicel of two segments, postpetiole distinctly separated from the gaster, both segments with spongiform or lamelliform appendages of variable development. Antennae 6-segmented (4-segmented in a few instances), funiculus with two-segmented club. Antennal scrobes present. Mandibles basically triangular, even if elongated, and with a simple, single apical tooth. Roger's (1862a) genus definition is at - .

Bolton (1999) revived the Genus Pyramica Roger and synonymized all the following - Asketogenys, Chelystruma, Cladarogenys, Codiomyrmex, Codioxenus, Dorisidris, Dysedrognathus, Epitritus, Glamyromyrmex, Gymnomyrmex, Kyidris, Neostruma, Pentastruma, Serrastruma, Smithistruma, Tingimyrmex, and Trichoscapa - under this ancient Genus name. Those in bold have Afrotropical members.

Pyramica Roger (1862a: 251).
Type species: Pyramica gundlachi Roger, by monotypy, type location Cuba.
Pyramica junior synonym of Strumigenys, Roger (1863b: 40), Dalla Torre (1893: 145), Bingham (1903: 147).
Revived from synonymy as a subgenus of Strumigenys by Brown, W.L. (1948e: 110).
Junior synonym of Strumigenys (Brown, W.L. & Wilson, 1959b: 281), Brown, W.L. (1960c: 37).
Revived from synonymy by Bolton (1999).

Diagnostic Features - Mandibles triangular and fully closed, with strong horizontal basal borders which are not covered by the clypeus at full closure. Antennae 6-segmented; antennal scrobes present. Head devoid of hairs except for two on the posterodorsal surface and five or six on each antennal scape. Sides of pronotum strongly marginate; propodeum armed.

Note: Genus members lumped under Strumigenys by Baroni Urbani & De Andrade (2007) - in what, perhaps, is an over-simplification of not obviously closely related species

Egyptian species - Pyramica membranifera.

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