Lepisiota capensis (Mayr) revised status

Type location South Africa (Acantholepis capensis n. sp., Mayr, 1862: 699, worker; Mayr, 1862: 770, male; also Mayr, 1866: 57, male; Emery, 1877b: 366, queen) - see below
Junior synonym subopaciceps (Acantholepis capensis Mayr v. subopaciceps n. v.,  Santschi, 1937d: 235, worker; synonymy here) from Angola, Kangela, Monard - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0912375
see Bolton (1995) and also Bingham (1903: 316) and Arnold (1920a: 568) .

Mayr's (1862) brief description is at , Mayr (1865: 57) gave a full description of the worker, plus that of the male, and illustrations, these are at . Emery's (1877b) description of the queen is at , Arnold (1920a) provided a translation of Mayr's (1862) description with a fuller description of his (Arnold) own, this is at .

Mayr (1865) and Arnold (1920a) gave the size as TL 2.8-3.2 mm; the scape surpassing the occiput by about one-third their own length.

Santschi's (1937d) description of subopaciceps is at . TL not given; appears to have a matt appearance, with quite strong reticulation on head; petiole scale less strongly incised than validiuscula; rectilinear toward summit.

The photomontage of a type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0915714.

Re-definition of true capensis
There seems little doubt that the true type form has the propodeum with quite pronounced blunt prominences; the petiole scale is only moderate in height and has low spines on the dorsal margin. The overall appearance is near black and shiny, with the antennae wholly brown or blackish. The pilosity is short, dark and fairly sparse.

See also the note on true capensis, i.e. from the Cape of Good Hope, by Emery (1897e) in his description of canescens - . Santschi (1937d) noted the capensis type has antenna which are entirely brown or blackish.

Some of the confusion may stem from Forel (1892a: 43) where his key had - capensis (from South Africa, Madagascar and Indian continent) with the erroneous "erect pilosity whitish, abundant on body, none on tibiae and scapes".

The photograph right is of Lepisiota capensis from Cape Town, South Africa, and is from one of three superb Myrmecos.net originals taken by Alex Wild.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Lepisiota capensis B Taylor det.	South Africa S Danflous	14.xii.2007 Nelspruit 25°28'50" S 30°58258" E	Backpackers, Mpumalanga  Province; 283 m	2
Lepisiota capensis B Taylor det.	South Africa S Danflous	6.xii.2007 Sudwala Caves 25°22'09" S 30°41'58" E	Gaufeng Province; 166 m	1
Lepisiota capensis B Taylor det.	South Africa KZ Natal P. Jaloszynski	03.xii.2012 27.53154° S 32.66992'E	Sodwana bay, swamp forest 5 m Under bark	4
Lepisiota capensis B Taylor det.	Zimbabwe S Renner SB 05	vii.2012 Harare 17°51’50" S 31°01’47" E	Visiting flowers of an Apodanthaceae	1
Lepisiota capensis B Taylor det.	Zimbabwe S Renner SB 06	vii.2012 Harare 17°51’50" S 31°01’47" E	Visiting flowers of an Apodanthaceae	1

The photomontage is of a worker collected from South Africa, Nelspruit; collector Sam Danflous,.

TL ca 2.8 mm, HL 0.73  HW 0.65 EL 0.23 PW 0.49 SL 0.70 CI 92 SI 130

The photomontage is of a second worker from South Africa, Sudwala Caves, Gaufeng Province; collector Sam Danflous, 6.xii.2007.

TL ca 2.8 mm, HL 0.73  HW 0.65 EL 0.23 PW 0.49 SL 0.70 CI 92 SI 130

The photomontage is of a worker collected from Zimbabwe, Harae; collector S Renner.

The specimens in these field photographs, feeding group below, were taken in Pretoria, South Africa, by Joan Young; nos 100_6382 to 6385.

Feeding activity, Joan Young.

The photomontage of a worker from South Africa, collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0100958