From Taylor & Alpert
(2016)
Type locality. GABON: Woleu-niem Province: 31.3km, 108°ESE of Minvoul,
2°04.8'N, 12°24.4’E, 600m.
Type deposition. holotype CASC, paratype BMNH.
Distribution, material examined. Known only from the holotype and
paratype, both workers, originally separately point-mounted on the same
pin (B. Fisher, 8.ii.1998, Acc 1656-1, ex rotten log, rainforest).
Worker diagnosis. General and diagnostic features as in the key above
and accompanying figures (note entire anterior clypeal border lacking
median denticles, subparallel lateral clypeal margins, petiolar node in
dorsal view approximately as wide as long, and slightly extended
postpetiolar sternite, acute in lateral view. Eyes vestigial,
represented by tiny darkly pigmented spots beneath the surface cuticle;
no trace of surface structure is observable even under strongly
reflective illumination. Subpetiolar process (Fig 13) more-or-less
basic in structure: posterior face approximately equilaterally
triangular, subpetiolar angle obtuse. Subpetiolar extension a shallow
isoscelestriangular lamella, almost right angled apically, the base
fully as long as the subpetiolar edge.
Dimensions: (holotype, paratype): TL ca: 4.3, 3.9; HL: 0.93, 0.96; HW:
0.75, 0.76; CI: 81, 79; CpL: 0.37, 0.38; CpI: 40, 39; MSL: 1.20, 1.16;
PML: 0.61, 0.61; PMW: 0.56, 0.55; PMI: 51, 53; PDW: 0.48, 0.49; PetL:
0.31, 0.30; PetW: 0.44, 0.44; PetH: 0.53, 0.54; PpetL: 0.32, 0.31;
PpetW: 0.46, 0.47; PpetH: 0.49, 0.49; GW: 0.77, 0.78.
Illustrated specimen. holotype, details above (Figs 12-15).
Report on further material. Barry Bolton reports (pers. com) that there
is a further nest series of M.
africana in
the BMNH collection. The details are: GABON: La Makandé, Forêt des
Abeilles, i–ii.1999, ex rotten wood (S. Lewis). The series includes
worker, queen and male specimens, some of which are illustrated on the
ANTWEB website (CASENT0900364 (alate queen) CASENT0900365 (male)
CASENT0900366 (worker)) - see below. Note the worker is larger by ca
130% than the type worker and paratype, also the colour (not mentioned
by Taylor & Alpert) is much darker.
|
The photomontage of the type worker is collated from 
The photomontage of the La
Makande worker is collated from 
The photomontage of the La
Makande queen is collated from 
The photomontage of the La
Makande male is collated from