Cataulacus guineensis F. Smith

Type location "Tropical West Africa" (Cataulacus Guineensis, F. Smith, 1853: 225, illustrated, worker) - no images on Antweb (September 2014)
junior synonyms
alenensis (Cataulacus sulcatus n. sp., v. alenensis n.v., Stitz, 1910: 137, worker) from Equatorial Guinea - no images on Antweb (September 2014)
fernandensis (Cataulacus sulcatus n. sp., v. fernandanensis n.v., Stitz, 1910: 137, worker) from Fernando Po I. - no images on Antweb (September 2014)
parallelus (Cataulacus parallelus, new sp., F. Smith, 1853: 226, illustrated, queen) from South Africa (probably wrong) - see below
sulcatus (Cataulacus sulcatus n. sp., Stitz, 1910: 136, illustrated, all forms) from Cameroun, Jaundestation, collected by Zenker - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0909223
sulcinodis (Cataulacus guineensis F. Sm., race sulcinodis, n. stirps, Emery, 1892d: illustrated, worker) from Ivory Coast, Assinie, Ch. Alluaud, 1886 - see below
(synonymies by Bolton, 1974, 1995); all forms known .

Smith's (1853) description of guineensis and the queen of parallelus is at . Bolton (1974) commented that the female described by Smith as parallelus is a "perfectly ordinary female of guineensis". As Bolton said he had examined the specimen, one has to presume what he says is true but it is easy to see from the drawing by Smith (on the "card") why he felt it was a separate species.

Emery's (1892d) description of sulcinodis is at Stitz's (1910) description of sulcatus is at and his descriptions of fernandensis and alenensis are at . Arnold (1917) provided a transcript of Smith's parallelus and comments, this is at . Bolton's modern description (1974a) is at

Nigeria specimens (Taylor, 1979: 11). WORKER. TL 4.5-6.1 mm, HL 1.14-2.04, HW 1.30-2.40, SL 0.74-1.22, PW 1.04-1.94.
Occipital corners with a single acute tooth, and sides of the head denticulate. Sculpturation very variable, mostly dominated by a longitudinal rugulation, but often sulcate. Stout erect hairs are usually present on all dorsal surfaces. Alitrunk usually has faintly visible sutures. Pronotum marginate laterally, the margins usually with 2-4 denticles and terminating postero-laterally in a large spine or tooth. The sides of the mesonotum and propodeum are rounded and usually without denticles. The propodeal spines are very long and divergent.

Probably the most common member of the genus, very widely distributed throughout forested areas of West and Central Africa. Nests in dead branches on standing trees.

In Nigeria it was found on up to 3.5% of cocoa trees, both at CRIN and in the 76-farm survey (Taylor, 1977; Taylor & Adedoyin, 1978). It tends aphids, and can often be found on trees dominated by Oecophylla longinoda. Also found foraging on native trees, coffee and kola. Booker (1968) recorded it (as Cataulacus parallelus) from some 2-5% of cocoa at CRIN. Bolton (1974a) also listed CRIN (B. Bolton; L.A. Oyatobo), Ibadan and Evin-Odo (J.T. Medler), Old Calabar (Bates, in Forel, 1911, type form and sulcatus), and Olokemeji (Bridwell).

From Ghana, it was described (as Cataulacus parallelus) by Strickland (1951a) as not uncommon on cocoa, attending mealybugs, and also on kola. Records include CRIG (B. Bolton; C.A. Collingwood), Bunso, Kibi, Adeiso and Sajimasi (D. Leston), and several others Pimpimso (A.H. Strickland), Ankasa Forest Reserve (O.W. Richards) (Bolton, 1974a). It was collected by Room (1971) from cocoa trees, and on the ground around such trees at the Mamfe-Mampong cocoa farm in Ghana, his report includes reference to it nesting in cocoa canopy. It also occurred in 39 of his 168 canopy samples at other farms; with a positive association with Oecophylla longinoda and a negative association with Crematogaster africana and Crematogaster striatula. From cocoa mistletoe (Room, 1975); and found on cocoa at Kade by Majer (1975), using pkd, with 56-71 workers per sample. Found in moderate numbers by canopy pkd from both Crematogaster clariventris and Oecophylla longinoda dominated areas, and on the ground, in a block of mature Amelonado cocoa at CRIG by Bigger (1981a). Also found at Mankrang Forest Reserve, a single specimen regarded as a 'tourist' on leaf litter by Belshaw & Bolton (1994).

Other West African findings (in Bolton, 1974a) are - Liberia, at Belleyella, Bendija, Cape Mount, Gibi and Reuta (W.M. Mann), Imi (C. Blickenstaff) and Monrovia (O.F. Cook); Ivory Coast, at Divo (C.A. Collingwood) and ORSTOM (W.L. Brown); Cameroun, at Mbale Mayo to Ekingli (G. Schwab).

Bernard (1952) reported it, variety alenensis, from Guinea, Mount Nimba, N'Zo, one worker.

In Cameroun, it was among the non-dominant species recorded in the Cameroun forest canopy studies at Campo by Dejean and colleagues. They noted it as nesting in the middle stratum only (hollowed branches) with 25 findings on 30 trees examined (12 findings were on the tree Dialium pachyphyllum, of which 15 were examined).

The photomontage of the (possible) type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0901968. The Westwood collection is in the OUMNH.  The specimen was listed by Bolton (1974a) as from Nigeria, Old Calabar (ex. F. Smith collection).

The photomontage of the type worker of sulcinodis is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0904883.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Liberia E Poirier Liabala SLAM 1	2.iv.2013 Nimba County 07°31’06" N 08°35’34" E	SLAM trap Secondary forest 473 m asl	2
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Liberia E Poirier Liabala SLAM 2	2.iv.2013 Nimba County 07°31’06" N 08°35’34" E	SLAM trap Secondary forest 473 m asl	1
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Ivory Coast Erena Dupont iv.2014	Taï National Park 5˚45'00" N 7˚07'00" W	04	1
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Benin S Tchibozo	29.i.2007 06°55’03.7 N 02°24’44.6 E	Forêt de Gnanhouizoumè Forêt fourmis (forest ants)	1
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Cameroun G Debout & A Dalecky Cameroon 72	18.iv.2001 BOU 3°13.31' N 10°15.01' E	on many different plants	2
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Cameroun G Debout & A Dalecky Cameroon 83	18.iv.2001 BOU 3°13.31' N 10°15.01' E	on Alchornea species in the edge vegetation	2
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Cameroun G Debout & A Dalecky Cameroon 08	24.iii.2001 TM 2°34.04' N 9°50.64' E	on soil and surface in forest understorey	2
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Cataulacus guineensis	20.ix.2007 Awae II 03°54'30" N 11°25'58" E	Quadrat in forest	1
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Cataulacus sp6	9.v.2007 Awae II 03°54'30" N 11°25'58" E	Quadrat in forest	1
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Cataulacus sp5	9.v.2007 Awae II 03°54'30" N 11°25'58" E	Quadrat in fallow (variant)	1
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Cataulacus sp9	9.v.2007 Awae II 03°54'30" N 11°25'58" E	Tuna bait in fallow (variant)	1
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Cataulacus sp8	9.v.2007 Awae II 03°54'30" N 11°25'58" E	Tuna bait in fallow bicoloured mutant?	1
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Central African Republic P Annoyer DF-05	20.i.2005 Dzanga-Sangha 04°17’54.9" N 17°22’16.7" E	Après Boda direction N’goto	3
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Central African Republic P Annoyer Di-06	20.i.2005 Dzanga-Sangha 03°55’13.2" N 16°36’46.1" E	U.V : 2h-6h, après Sefka (entre Bambio et croisement Nola/Berberati), dans layon forestier; from on a reduviid bug; collected in forest, 1st hour of the morning; 536m asl	1
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Central African Republic P Annoyer	15_18_x Dzanga-Sangha	assiette jaune	1
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Gabon Y Braet Gabon 46	20.vi.2006 Pongara 00°34' N 09°19' E	Pointe Wingombe; under trees; pitfall trap	1
Cataulacus guineensis B Taylor det.	Congo Y Braet ORSTOM	10.viii.2007 Brazzaville 4°15'33" S 15°17'5" E	no details	2

The photomontage is of specimens collected in Cameroun - south-western tropical coastal forest area between Edéa and Campo (McKey Wolbachia project) - Cameroon 72

The photomontage of the variant shows specimens collected in Cameroun - south-western tropical coastal forest area between Edéa and Campo (McKey Wolbachia project) - Cameroon 83.

These are of a variety without dorsal hairs except on the lateral border rearwards of the eyes and lateral pronotum; similarly the sculpturation is much finer giving a smoother appearance than the common form. 

The photomontage is of a bicoloured worker from Cameroun; Pongara National Park; collector A Fotso Kuate (Cataulacus fk sp8).

The photomontage is of a worker from Gabon; Pongara National Park; collector Yves Braet (Gabon 46).

The photomontage is of a queen from the Central African Republic; Dzanga-Sangha National Park; collector Philippe Annoyer (CAR DF-05). 

F. Smith's Cataulacus paralellus queen