Lepisiota oculata (Santschi)

Type location Zaïre (Acantholepis oculata n. sp., Santschi, 1935a: 277, illustrated, worker) collected at La Moto, Madyu, by L. Burgeon - see below

Worker only .

Santschi's (1935a) description is -
WORKER - TL 2.4 mm; colour black; femora brown; mandibles, antennae, trochanters, tibiae and tarsi yellow brown. Erect white pilosity very short and sparse, 2 on the head and 2 on the pronotum, spaced along the edge of gaster segments; four longer hairs on the clypeus. Pubescence short and sparse. Dorsum of propodeum finely reticulated transversely; several spaced rugae on the sides of the mesothorax and propodeum, some fine reticulation. Remainder smooth and shiny.
Head rectangular, slightly longer than wide, sides and dorsal border feebly arcuate. Eyes larger than one-third of the face and their axes convergent posteriorly. Ocelli small but distinct. Mandibles smooth. Clypeus large, convex and with a large diffuse medina carina; the posterior border and the frontal area of the face feebly impressed. Postclypeal notch well marked. Frontal carinae parallel, slightly longer than their distance apart. Scapes surpassing the occiput border by slightly more than one-third their length. Funiculus segment 1 more or less as long as wide; segment. Thorax about one-third longer than the head. pronotum slightly wider than long; strongly convex laterally. Metanotal spiracles raised. Propodeal dorsum flat anteriorly, depressed between the tubercles; declivity concave and edged. Petiole scale as high as length of peduncle; summit excised but subdentate.

Santschi's (1935a) description is on .

The photomontage of the type worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0912401.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Lepisiota oculata B Taylor det.	Liberia E Poirier Liabala SLAM 3	2.iv.2013 Nimba County 07°31’06" N 08°35’34" E	SLAM trap Secondary forest 473 m asl	1
Lepisiota oculata B Taylor det.	Benin J-F Vayssieres RVA 2691.1	28.i.2011 Korobourou 09°22'13'' N 02°40'16'' E	Mangifera indica orchard On ground	2
Lepisiota oculata B Taylor det.	Benin J-F Vayssieres RVA 2881	28.1.2011 Koro 09°22'21'' N 02°40'13'' E	On ground	1
Lepisiota oculata B Taylor det.	Benin J-F Vayssieres RVA 2890.2	19.x.2012 Korobourou 09°22'13'' N 02°40'16'' E	Mangifera indica orchard Quadrat 6, tube 1, variété: ? Ground nesting	1
Lepisiota oculata B Taylor det.	Benin J-F Vayssieres RVA 2922	26.ix.2012 Korobourou 09°22'13'' N 02°40'16'' E	Mangifera indica orchard Quadrat  1, tube 1, variété: Kent Arboreal	2
Lepisiota oculata B Taylor det.	Benin J-F Vayssieres RVA 3087.5	4.iv.2013 Koro 09°22'21'' N 02°40'13'' E	Mangifera indica orchard prey of Oecophylla longinoda 1600-1700 h	1
Lepisiota oculata B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Sample 15	27.vii.2010 Mbanga 03°54'30" N 11°25'58" E		2
Lepisiota oculata B Taylor det.	Gabon Y Braet Gabon 48	17.vii.2006 Pongara 00°34' N 09°19' E	Pointe Wingombe; edge of lagoon, sweep net	1
Lepisiota oculata B Taylor det.	Congo Y Braet & E Zassi	25.i.2008 Iboubikro	tree savannah 24 h pitfall trap	3

A member of the capensis group and close to capensis variety anceps Forel but that has a narrower face, smaller eyes and longer scapes. With Lepisiota depilis Emery (type location Somalia) the head is narrower and the alitrunk profile is less sinuous. Collingwood (1985) briefly describing depilis, noted the similarity to capensis but remarked on the few or no erect hairs on the pronotum; despite the coarse sculpture, especially on the propodeum the underlying cuticular shine is not obscured. By inference, capensis has notably more abundant pilosity.

The photomontage is of a worker from Gabon; Pongara National Park, Pointe Denis; collectors L Volait & L V Guieu, ex Yves Braet (Gabon 48). 

The photomontage is of workers from Congo, Iboubikro, 25.i.2008, collectors Yves Braet & Eric Zassi, tree savannah 24 h pitfall trap

The photomontage is of a specimen from Cameroun; Mbanga; aphid survey ; i.ix.2008; coll. A Fotso Kuate (fk unmounted 15).