The Ants of Africa

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

Genus Pyramica Roger (1862a: 251)

In Tribe DACETINI

Dacetine Ants - Afrotropical Genera, after Bolton's revision of 1999, separable into those with elongate, linear mandibles, terminating in a fork of two or three spiniform teeth - Strumigenys, Microdaceton, Quadristruma - and those with basically triangular mandibles, some elongate but all without a terminal fork - Pyramica.

Diagnostic Features - Pedicel of two segments, postpetiole distinctly separated from the gaster, both segments with spongiform or lamelliform appendages of variable development. Antennae 6-segmented (4-segmented in a few instances), funiculus with two-segmented club. Antennal scrobes present. Mandibles basically triangular, even if elongated, and with a simple, single apical tooth. Roger's (1862a) genus definition is at - .

An early key to African and Madagascar dacetines is that of Santschi (1913b). It, with modern annotation, is at .

Bolton (1999) revived the Genus Pyramica Roger and synonymized all the following - Asketogenys, Chelystruma, Cladarogenys, Codiomyrmex, Codioxenus, Dorisidris, Dysedrognathus, Epitritus, Glamyromyrmex, Gymnomyrmex, Kyidris, Neostruma, Pentastruma, Serrastruma, Smithistruma, Tingimyrmex, and Trichoscapa - under this ancient Genus name. Those in bold have Afrotropical members.

Pyramica Roger (1862a: 251).
Type species: Pyramica gundlachi Roger, by monotypy, type location Cuba.
Pyramica junior synonym of Strumigenys, Roger (1863b: 40), Dalla Torre (1893: 145), Bingham (1903: 147).
Revived from synonymy as a subgenus of Strumigenys by Brown, W.L. (1948e: 110).
Junior synonym of Strumigenys (Brown, W.L. & Wilson, 1959b: 281), Brown, W.L. (1960c: 37).
Revived from synonymy by Bolton (1999).

Baroni Urbani & De Andrade (2007: 101) postulated that Strumigenys should be the senior synonym of (Afrotropical genera only given here): Cladarogenys, Codiomyrmex, Epitritus, Glamyromyrmex, Miccostruma, Pyramica, Serrastruma, Smithistruma and Trichoscapa. I note this but, as my key objective is the ease of identification, have retained the old genera with two main pages for Strumigenys and here Pyramica.

I find all these revisions by certain taxonomists confusing, to say the least, and, although perhaps correct, simply irritating for those with interests wider than narrow museum niceties. Thus, for now, I have decided to regard the synonymised genera as subgenera and so preserve recognition of species described in non-taxonomic research publications.

In compiling the key below and the subsidiary, linked, subgenera, keys, I found that of Bolton (2000: 272 ff) limited in usefulness, at least for anyone not equipped with a very high quality stereomicroscope and able to mount tiny ants with, e.g. the mandibles open and the ventral sides of the head visible. I have followed more simply visible characters along the lines of the earlier Bolton (1983) keys.

Key to subgenera known from sub-Saharan Africa

1	Mandibles elongate and linear	2
-	Mandibles relatively short	3
2	Antennal scapes with a broad, forward-produced, subbasal lobe, head with large orbicular hairs, clypeus with spatulate or otherwise broad hairs	subgenus Epitritus
-	Antennal scapes linear, head with only simple hairs, including clypeus	subgenus Cladarogenys
3	Mandible with a prominent basal lamella and no more than 17 denticles	4
-	Mandible without any lamella and with >20 denticles	subgenus Serrastruma
4	Fully closed mandibles with a distinct transverse border, bases overlapped by clypeus	5
-	When fully closed, mandibles with a strongly defined transverse border, with distinct gap between it and the clypeal margin; head without hairs; monotypic tramp	subgenus Trichoscapa
5	In profile mandibles increase in width from base to apex, with apex downcurved	subgenus Glamyromyrmex
-	In profile mandibles near parallel from base to apex, no more than extreme apex downcurved	subgenus Smithistruma

MYRMICINAE Introduction

href="pyramica.htm"