Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) luctans Forel

Type location Kenya (Cremastogaster luctans n. sp., Forel, 1907a: 22, worker & queen) Mto-ya-Kifaru, Katona - see below
worker and queen only described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Forel's (1907a) description is at .

In Ghana, listed by Strickland (1948, 1951a), as the third most common of the subgenus at CRIG (in 88 collections cf. 778 of Crematogaster striatula). He also describes it as appearing to be more common than striatula in Nigeria. Entwistle (1972) lists it as among the ants which tend mealybugs in Nigeria but he gives no other details with the list. Later in his text, however, he wrote of it as being more common than Crematogaster striatula.

Collingwood (1985, illustrated dorsal view of petiole) reporting it from Saudi Arabia, noted all the species lives within the hollow twigs of dead acacia branches; "it is characterised [among Arabian species] by the yellow colour and well developed propodeal spines", plus "the rounded unindented postpetiole".

The photomontage of a type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0908611

Oxford University Museum specimens

Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) luctans B Taylor det.	Cameroun G Debout & A Dalecky Cameroon 16	25.iii.2001 MAM 2°34.07' N 9°53.80' E	on an extra-floral nectary bearing plant, Macaranga or Bridelia sp.	3
Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) luctans B Taylor det.	Sudan Awatif Omer 2013.02.25	2013 Abu Hijar 12˚52' N 34˚0' E		1

The photomontage is of workers collected in Cameroun - south-western tropical coastal forest area between Edéa and Campo (McKey Wolbachia project) - Cameroon 16.

Note - I earlier thought that these might be Crematogaster gabonensis but with better imaging it now is clear that the pronotum is distinctly concave and that the specimens match the original descriptions and the type specimen (above).

Overall colour of body somewhat light yellow-brown, the head darker in some specimens. Very shiny and polished; alitrunk and pedicel only slightly darker than the appendages. Gaster near black. Head in full face view near square, vertex impressed only centrally. Eyes around the midline of the face, anterior end round, slightly set into the side of the head. Scape with semi-erect forward curved hairs. Funiculus with segments 1 to 7 similar in size (1 and 7 a little longer), distinct 3-segmented club. Promesonotum convex; lateral mesonotum spiculate, lateral alitrunk otherwise smooth and shiny. Propodeal spines moderately long flat and sharp. Petiole very pronounced trapezoid, with minute anterior ventral tooth; postpetiole near square in dorsal view with slight posterior impression. Pair of thick setae on promesonotum plus incurved semi-decumbent erect hairs.

The photomontage is of a worker from Sudan; Abu Hijar; collector Awatif Omer (2013.02.2).