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The Ants of
Africa SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Myrmicaria - key to workers |
Contents - Myrmicinae - Genus Myrmicaria Introduction |
The following key to the Myrmicaria of Africa is translated
and quite extensively adapted by me from that of Santschi (1925c: 133),
plus later described species. The latter includes my separation of congolensis
to full species and removal of it and its subspecies from opaciventris.
Santschi's key was described by Bolton (1995) as "out of date" but
there is no more modern revision of the Genus. Using Santschi's and
other illustrations, I have also designed the key to be both textual
and visual.
I have not taken the separations beyond the level of species, i.e. I
have not included Santschi's separations of "subspecies". Where
appropriate, I have noted the variations in the main species sections.
-- | Male only known (description unavailable) | Ethiopia - tigreensis |
1 | ![]() |
West Africa & Congo Basin (arboreal) - exigua |
-- | Otherwise and with a three-segmented antennal club. | 2 |
2 | Pedicel with nodes which are longer than they are high | 3 |
-- | Pedicel with nodes which are higher than they are long | 4 |
2 | Pedicel with nodes which are longer than they are high | 3 |
3 | ![]() |
South Africa - nigra |
-- | ![]() |
widespread in wooded areas - opaciventris |
. | Pedicel with nodes which are higher than they are long | . |
4 | Pronotum with little sculpturation restricted to transverse rugae and with no median longitudinal ruga | 5 |
-- | Pronotum with at least a median longitudinal ruga | 6 |
5 | ![]() |
South Africa (high montane) - anomala |
-- | ![]() |
South Africa - laevior |
. | Pronotum with at least a median longitudinal ruga | . |
6 | ![]() |
Zimbabwe - arnoldi |
-- | Postpetiole at least as high as the petiole | 7 |
7 | Petiole profile near square with distinct vertical anterior and posterior faces plus a clearly separate dorsal face | 8 |
-- | Petiole profile with distinctly sloping anterior and posterior faces plus a variably separate usually domed dorsal face | 9 |
8 | ![]() |
Zaire - fusca |
-- | ![]() |
East Africa - rustica |
-- | ![]() |
East Africa -
consanguinea |
-- | ![]() |
West Africa & Congo Basin -
taeniata |
. | Petiole profile with distinctly sloping anterior and posterior face plus a variably separate usually domed dorsal face | . |
9 | ![]() |
10 |
-- | Segment 2 of the
funiculus longer than segment 3 ![]() |
11 |
10 | ![]() |
East Africa - distincta |
-- | ![]() |
new species Senegal |
-- | ![]() |
Ethiopia - abyssinica |
. | Segment 2 of the funiculus longer than segment 3 | . |
11 | ![]() |
South Africa - foreli |
-- | Funiculus segment 3 more than twice as long as wide; generally larger | 12 |
12 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Zaïre & Senegal - salambo |
-- | Ventral surface of petiole without spines | 13 |
13 | Mesokatepisternal
tooth (from base to apex) as long as the height of the pronotum, readily visible in dorsal view |
14 |
-- | Mesokatepisternal tooth less prominent | 15 |
14 | ![]() |
Tanzania; Katanga,
Zaïre - striata |
-- | ![]() |
Zimbabwe & Mozambique - pilosa |
15 | With abundant but very short
erect hairs; head longitudinally striate without cross-meshes; petiole
node conical, anterior face very oblique; TL 6.5-7.0 mm (no photos of worker) |
Sâo Tomé I - striata
in part, ssp insularis |
-- | Otherwise; from mainland Africa | 16 |
16 | ![]() |
17 |
-- | ![]() |
18 |
17 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Tanzania - reichenspergeri |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
widespread East & Southern Africa savannah species - natalensis |
18 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Tanzania, possibly only Kilimanjaro area; Congo Basin (?) - striatula |
-- | ![]() |
19 |
19 | ![]() |
20 |
-- | ![]() |
23 |
. | Pronotum rugae parallel | . |
20 | ![]() |
South Africa - faurei |
-- | Propodeal spines more typical; pronotum with fainter and sparser rugae | 20 |
20 | TL 5.6-6.0 mm; p![]() |
Lesotho - basutorum |
-- | Pronotum dorsum with more than five longitudinal rugae | 21 |
21 | ![]() |
Zimbabwe - rhodesiae |
-- | ![]() |
West Africa and Zaïre - fumata |
. | Pronotum rugae arched, transverse before meeting the median ruga at a right angle | . |
24 | Propodeum
profile with sharp rise from metanotal groove and a transverse ridge or
sill; TL 7.7-9.5 mm; occipitum and face densely reticulate; dark
red-brown, gaster dark brown, smooth and shiny |
25 |
-- | Dorsum of propodeum flat, raised behind the metanotal groove but without a transverse ridge or sill; TL 5.5-7.0 mm | 26 |
25 | ![]() |
Angola & Cameroun - baumi |
-- | ![]() |
West Africa - occidentalis |
26 | ![]() |
Zaïre, Angola & Mozambique - irregularis |
-- | ![]() |
Whole of western Africa - congolensis |
-- | ![]() |
Cameroun - nitida |
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MYRMICINAE Introduction |
© 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 - Brian
Taylor
CBiol
FRSB FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
href="myrmicaria_key2008.htm"