The Ants of Africa
SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Nesomyrmex
Contents - Myrmicinae - MYRMICINAE Introduction

Genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler

Genus definition Wheeler (1910a: 259), revived status Bolton (2003: 249); Wheeler's definition, based on the queen of N. clavipilis (type location Grenada), is at {original description}. Emery (1896g) noted the Leptothorax subgenus Goniothorax had the pronotum with the anterior angles projecting and acute. African species he listed were L. angulatus Mayr, latinodis Mayr  and humerosus n. sp. Also the Madagascar species madecassus For., retusispinosus For. and sikorai n. sp.

Note. Mbanyana & Robertson (2008) - Abstract: Members of the genus Nesomyrmex in southern Africa are small, non-dominant, myrmicine ants that nest either in trees (angulatus-group) or in soil (simoni-group). Of the twenty species recorded from this region, the following 15 are newly described : antoinetteae, cederbergensis, entabeni, ezantsi, inye, karooensis, koebergensis, larsenae, mcgregori, nanniae, njengelanga, ruani, saasveldensis, tshiguvhoae and vannoorti. All Nesomyrmex species recorded from southern Africa are described and illustrated, with accompanying information on biology and distribution.

This paper is not freely available and inclusion here will follow in due course.

Mbanyana, N. and H. G. Robertson. 2008. Review of the ant genus Nesomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) in southern Africa. African Natural History 4: 35-55

Key to the workers of African species (adapted from Bolton, 1982, plus Snelling, 1992).
1 {Nesomyrmex cataulacoides}Antennae 11-segmented, lateral spines on both petiolar and postpetiolar; nodes TL 1.73-1.85 mm Cameroun - cataulacoides
-- Antennae 12-segmented, petiole and postpetiole with no more than tubercles 2
2 {Nesomyrmex angulatus}In profile the alitrunk dorsum an uninterrupted surface, which is evenly flat or slightly convex 3
-- {Nesomyrmex evelynae}In profile the metanotal groove impressed or the propodeum on a lower level than the promesonotum, or both 4
3 {short description of image}Head and body uniform blackish-brown, sculpturation more pronounced; TL 2.9-3.4 mm West Africa & Congo Basin - grisoni
-- {Nesomyrmex angulatus}Head narrows from occiput to anterior and very much so anterior to the eyes; sculpturation of the head and ailtrunk is much less prominent: petiole of noticeably shorter and more rounded in both lateral and dorsal views head and body uniform yellow; TL 3.1-3.8 mm primarily North African - angulatus
-- {Nesomyrmex latinodis} Head near parallel throughout its length; petiole with very distinct sharp anterior and dorsal margins; TL3.2 mm sub-Saharan African - latinodis
Metanotal groove impressed or the propodeum on a lower level than the promesonotum, or both .
4 First gastral tergite with blunt standing hairs all over 5
-- First gastral tergite with no more than a single tranverse row of standing hairs 8
5 {Leptothorax humerosus}Petiole node with narrow dorsal profile & not denticulate; relatively large eyes; anterior pronotal angles projecting as a pair of acute teeth; sides of pronotum sharply margined; TL 3.7 mm; medium brown but mandibles, clypeal lobe, antennae and propodeal spines yellow .
. {Leptothorax humerosus} East Africa - humerosus
-- {Nesomyrmex innocens}Petiole node with broad dorsal profile & denticulate; smaller eyes 6
6 {Nesomyrmex denticulatus}Subpetiolar process of an anterior tooth followed by a flange; larger species TL 3.1-3.5 mm; uniform yellow, gaster apex may be darker .
. {Nesomyrmex denticulatus} South Africa - denticulatus
-- {Nesomyrmex stramineus}Subpetiolar process no more than a simple anterior tooth 7
7 {Nesomyrmex innocens}Propodeal spines short and broad; head with dense reticulo-punctation on dorsum; TL 2.3-2.5 mm; no frontal carinae or antennal scobes; dorsum of head densely and sharply reticulate-punctate, propodeal spines short and broad; uniform yellow .
. {Nesomyrmex innocens} Congo Basin & Kenya - innocens
-- {Nesomyrmex stramineus}Propodeal spines long and narrow; head with weak sculpturation on dorsum; TL 2.8 mm; uniform pale yellow South Africa - stramineus
return to key8 {Nesomyrmex braunsi}Propodeum unarmed; TL5.2-5.9 mm; bicoloured with head and gaster dark brown (reddish) and alitrunk and pedicel red .
. {Nesomyrmex braunsi} South Africa - braunsi
-- Propodeum with a pair of spines or teeth 9
9 {Nesomyrmex evelynae}Small, TL 2.4-2.9 mm; yellowish species with small eyes

.
. {Nesomyrmex evelynae}

West Africa & Congo Basin to Kenya - evelynae
-- {Nesomyrmex simoni}Large reddish species, TL 4.7 .
. {Nesomyrmex simoni} South Africa - simoni
Contents MYRMICINAE Introduction
© 2007, 2013, 2014 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

href="nesomyrmex.htm"