Pyramica (Serrastruma) ludovici (Forel)

Type location Madagascar (Strumigenys ludovici sp. nov., Forel, 1904b: 369, worker) - see below
junior synonyms
alluaudi (Strumigenys Alluaudi n. sp., Santschi, 1911c: 360, worker & queen) from Tanzania - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0912834; and its junior synonym rothkirchi (Strumigenys Rothkirchi nov. spec., Wassmann, 1918b: 142, illustrated) from Cameroun, Soppo, N. von Rothkirch, 1912 - http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0912836
lotti (Strumigenys (Cephaloxys) escherichi Forel, lotti, subsp. nov., Weber, 1943c: 378, illustrated, worker & queen) from South Sudan, Lotti Forest, Imatong Mts, 5.viii.1939, N A Weber - see  http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0900066
nigeriensis (Strumigenys (Trichoscapa) Alluaudi Sants. stirps nigeriensis n. st., Santschi, 1914d: 376) from Nigeria, Olokemeji, F. Silvestri, 1913 - see below.
(see Bolton, 1983, 1995) .

Forel's (1904b) description is at . Santschi's (1911c) description of alluaudi is at . Santschi's (1914d) description of nigeriensis is at . Wasmann's (1918b) description of rothkirchi is at . Weber's (1943c) description of lotti is at . Bolton's modern description (1983: 343, illustrated) is at .

Nigeria specimen (as Serrastruma lotti, Taylor, 1979: 45). WORKER. TL 1.90 mm, HL 0.48, HW 0.39, SL 0.34, PW 0.28
Head with reticulate sculpture. Erect hairs generally rather sparse, moderately long and clavate, there is a pair of long slender sinuate hairs at the humeral angles of the pronotum and on the dorsum of the head above the eyes. Pronotum smooth except for a distinct longitudinal mid-dorsal carina. Mesonotum and propodeum spiculate, as is the pedicel. Gaster shiny, base of first gastral tergite with longitudinal striae.
TL 1.9-3.0 mm; the enlarged basal denticles on the mandible are strongly diagnostic, but note the variability of pronotal sculpturation, ranging from almost smooth to strongly sculptured and/or punctate.
I collected it from rotten wood on the ground and from a dead tree branch at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Idi Ayunre, Onipe Block; also nesting under dead wood bark on cocoa at Itamerin (neither record was noted by Bolton, 1983). See the nigeriensis images below, which this matches.

Found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, plus Madagascar and Mauritius. Pictured in Hölldobler & Wilson (1990, page 121), titled from "tropical Africa" (Bolton, 1983).

In Ghana listed by Bolton (1983) from Mampong (D. Leston), CRIG (D. Leston; B. Bolton), Mt. Atewa (C.A. Collingwood) and Kade (W.H. Gotwald & R. Schaefer). As S. lotti, found in leaf litter, on the ground and nesting in dead wood on the ground at the Mampong Cemetery farm in Ghana (Room, 1971). Collected from leaf litter in the semi-deciduous forest zone, a total of 20 workers, under cocoa at Nankasi, primary or secondary forest at Jachie, Kade and Atewa Forest Reserve, by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b).

Nigeria other records include the Silvestri collection, at Olokemeji, and CRIN (B. Bolton).

From Ivory Coast, at Agboville, Yapo Forest (I. Löbl), Anguédédou Forest (W.L. Brown), Banco Forest (I. Löbl; W.L. Brown), Divo (L. Brader), Issoneu (V. Mahnert & J.-L. Perret), Lamto (W.H. Gotwald & R. Schaefer), Man (I. Löbl; V. Mahnert & J.-L. Perret), Yapo Forest, and Sangrobo (W.L. & D.E. Brown) and Sassandra (I. Löbl).

Other West African records are from Guinea-Bissau, at Rio Cassine (L. Fea, perhaps in 1901); Togo, at Palimé, Klouto Forest (Vit); and Cameroun, at Korup and Nko'emvon (D.A. Jackson), and near Yaoundé (G. Terron).

Bernard (1952) reported an alate queen from Guinea, Mt. Nimba, Crest of Nion, 1300 m; which he felt was close to alluaudi Santschi, from Niger and Kilimanjaro, but, as the queens were badly known in the group, he thought description would be premature.

The photomontage is of the type worker is collated from - http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0101645

The photomontage is of the nigeriensis type worker is collated from - http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0912835

Oxford University Museum specimens

Pyramica ludovici B Taylor det.	Congo Y Braet	7.x.2007 Dzio-Dzio 3°29'33" S 15°18'33" E	Ngabe, Région de Pool collected by sweep netting (fauchage)	1
Pyramica ludovici B Taylor det.	Gabon Y Braet Gabon 224	27.vi-10.vii.2006 Pongara 00°34' N 09°19' E	Leaf litter, winkler funnel	2

The photomontage is of a worker from Gabon, Pongara National Park; collector Yves Braet (Gabon 224)

The photomontage is of a worker from Congo, Dzio-Dzio, Ngabe, Région de Pool; collector Yves Braet.