The Ants of Africa
Genus Pristomyrmex
Pristomyrmex orbiceps (Santschi)

Pristomyrmex orbiceps (Santschi)

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Cameroun (Xiphomyrmex orbiceps n. sp., Santschi, 1914d: 367, illustrated, worker) collected at Victoria, by F. Silvestri, 1913
junior synonym laevigatus (Weber, 1952: 20, illustrated, worker) from Zaïre, south of Asa .


{Pristomyrmex orbiceps}{Pristomyrmex orbiceps}Santschi's (1914d) description is at {original description}. Weber's (1952) description of laevigatus is at {original description}. Bolton's modern description (1981b: 286, illustrated, worker head) is at {original description}.


{Pristomyrmex orbiceps} Nigeria specimens (as Pristomyrmex species A, Taylor, 1980a: 5). WORKER. - TL 2.89 mm, HL 0.75, HW 0.78, SL 0.64, PW 0.47
Colour very dark brown, polished. Unsculptured. Erect hairs mainly on the ventral surface, one pair on the mesonotal dorsum. Very sparse and very short pilosity on the gaster. Pronotum with rounded acute tubercles. Propodeal spines acute, upturned and triangular. Petiole and postpetiole with smoothly rounded nodes.

Described by Bolton (1981b, illustrated, head only) as widely distributed throughout the wet forest zones of West and Central Africa, nesting in fallen twigs or larger pieces of wood in the leaf litter.

Collected at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Idi Ayunre byB. Bolton and B. Taylor. My collections were from leaf litter and from a nest in what appeared to be an old mason wasp brood pot lying on the leaf litter (Bolton, 1981b).


In Ghana from Aburi (F. Silvestri, 1913, in Santschi, 1914d); other collections were at Kibi, Bunso and Mampong (D. Leston) and at CRIG and Mt. Atewa (B. Bolton) (Bolton, 1981b). Reported, as species A, from the Mamfe-Mampong cocoa farm in Ghana by Room (1971), but he collected it only on herbs and on the ground. Described as widespread (13 locations, 505 workers) in their leaf litter collections from the semi-deciduous forest zone by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b).

Other West African records (Bolton, 1981b) were Ivory Coast, at Divo (L. Brader), plus at ORSTOM and Banco Forest (W.L. Brown); and Cameroun, at Nko'emvon (D.A. Jackson).

Bernard (1952) noting that it was found throughout West Africa but was rare, listed a Guinea finding of one worker from Mt. Nimba, north-east, 700-900 m, in leaf litter by Villiers.


Oxford University Museum specimens

Pristomyrmex orbiceps
B Taylor det.
Liberia
E Poirier
Liabala
PF 2
2.iv.2013
Nimba County
07°31’06" N
08°35’34" E
Pitfall trap
Secondary forest
473 m asl

1
{album}
Pristomyrmex orbiceps
B Taylor det.
Liberia
E Poirier
Liabala
PF 6
2.iv.2013
Nimba County
07°31’06" N
08°35’34" E
Pitfall trap
Secondary forest
473 m asl

1
{album}
Pristomyrmex orbiceps
B Taylor det.
Liberia
E Poirier
Liabala
PF 7
2.iv.2013
Nimba County
07°31’06" N
08°35’34" E
Pitfall trap
Secondary forest
473 m asl

1
{album}
Pristomyrmex orbiceps
B Taylor det.
Congo
E Zassi
20-t-3-1
13-14.xi.2007
Lésio-Louna
03°16'24.8" S
015°28'08.2" E
Gallery Forest; 24h pitfall trap
1
{album}
Pristomyrmex orbiceps
B Taylor det.
Queen

Central African Republic
P Annoyer
ME
18.xi.2010
Dzanga-Sangha
2°28'45.9"N
16°13'15.0"E
396 m; nuit, à vue, camp transit 2 près lac 1
1
{album}
Pristomyrmex orbiceps
B Taylor det.
Queen
Ghana
S Sky Stephens
06G0029
2006
In personal collection of S Sky Stephens
1
{album}

{Pristomyrmex orbiceps}The photomontage is of a worker from Liberia, Liabala; collector E Poiriet (Liabala PF 2)).


{Pristomyrmex orbiceps}The photomontage is of a worker from Congo, Réserve de Lésio-Louna; collector Eric Zassi (20-t-3-1).


{Pristomyrmex orbiceps  queen} The photomontage is of a queen from Ghana, collector S Sky Stephens, 2006. This sppears to be the first finding of a queen.


{Pristomyrmex orbiceps queen} The photomontage is of a queen from Central African Republic, collector P Annoyer (CAR ME1)


{Pristomyrmex orbiceps }The photomontage is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=castype13686&project= Collection details - Central African Republic: Prefecture Sangha-Mbaéré; Parc National Dzanga-Ndoki, Mabéa Bai, 21.4 km 53° NE Bayanga; 03°02'00"N 016°24'36"E, 510m. Collection Information: Collection codes: BLF4000. Date: 1-7 May 2001. Collected by: B.L.Fisher. Method: EC19 sifted litter. Habitat: rainforest Transect Type: MW 50 sample transect, 5m Transect Sample No.: 14.

Contents
© 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

href="pristomyrmex_orbiceps.htm"