Hypoponera occidentalis (Bernard)

Type location Guinea (Ponera (Hypoponera) occidentalis n. sp., in Bernard, 1952: 205, illustrated, worker) from Mt. Nimba, Crête de Nion, station B6 26, 1300m, 19.1v.1946, collector Lamotte, holotype and 3 other workers - see below
junior synonym intermedia (Ponera (Hypoponera) intermedia n. sp., Bernard, 1952: 206, illustrated, worker) from Mt. Nimba, Mount Tô, station B 1.30, ravine 1, collected by Lamotte; holotype worker only; synonymy by Bolton & Fisher, 2011: 78) - see below
worker only described (new combination in Hypoponera, in Bolton, 1995) .

WORKER (after Bernard, 1952) - TL 3.0-3.3 mm, HL 0.8, HW 0.7
Colour dull reddish-brown, head lighter and more shiny, but this is hidden by the dense recumbent white pilosity (like that of ursa), the pilosity giving a matt appearance to the rest of the body. Puncturation denser than the other brown "Ponera", composed of medium sized punctures, separated by spaces of a similar size to the punctures, specially regularly arranged on the head. Head only slightly elongated, sides slightly convex, widest at the midpoint. The concave vertex is not reached by the antennal scapes, although those attain the mid-point of the vertex concavity. No sign of eyes, although that may be due to the density of the puncturation. Clypeus short, feebly angular anteriorly. Mandibles very puncturated and less curved than other species, 7-8 denticles subtend a short tooth, followed by 4 sharp teeth. Declivity of propodeum flat, twice as long as the dorsum and sharply bordered. Petiole scale more voluminous than that of petiolata, much larger than the propodeum, rounded and overall higher than that of ursa.

Bernard (1952) noted that it was close to Hypoponera ursa, from eastern Africa, differing by the lack of eyes, colour, mandible structure and a very voluminous petiole scale.

The photomontage of the type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0915484.

The photomontage of the intermedia type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0915485.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Hypoponera occidentalis B Taylor det.

Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Pachycondyla sp7

19.vii.2007 Awae II 03°54'30" N 11°25'58" E

Pitfall in forest

1

The photomontage is of a worker from Cameroun, Awae II; collector A Fotso Kuate (fk pachycondyla sp7).

Earlier listed by me as the (now) junior synonym intermedia. Slightly smaller than either of the Liberia type specimens.

Bolton & Fisher's re-description can be found in http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/list/2011/2843.html

The photomontage of a worker from Gabon, FC Mondah, NNW Libreville, 24.ii.1998, B L Fisher; is from Bolton & Fisher (2011) and is also on http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0218494.

Note a specimen listed in their paper from Tanzania and on Antweb at http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0192381 is a much darker brown.