![]() |
The Ants of
Africa SUBFAMILY FORMICINAE - Genus Tapinolepis |
Contents - Formicinae - FORMICINAE Introduction |
Revised after Bolton (2003: 267) - separating Anoplolepis as previously understood into two separate genera Anoplolepis (in Tribe Lasiini; with Zealleyella as a junior synonym) and Tapinolepis (in Tribe Plagiolepidini; with Mesanoplolepis as a junior synonym). Note - as Bolton provided no analysis of the individual species, I have retained a separation of Tapinolepis and Mesanoplolepis as subgenera.
Bolton's prime separation points are :-
Anoplolepis
- mandible with 6-9 teeth, when closed not concealed by clypeus; dorsum
of head behind clypeus with erect stout setae; eye behind mid-length of
head, and anterior arc of torus around eyes posterior to and not
touching clypeal margin; ocelli absent (sometimes one median ocellus in
largest workers); metatibia with a large distinct apicoventral spur,
with a coarse seta on each side; anterior face of gaster without
distinct concavity.
Tapinolepis - mandible with 5 teeth, when closed mostly
concealed by clypeus; dorsum of head behind clypeus without erect stout
setae; eyes set variably around midlength of head but anterior arc of
torus around eyes touching and slightly indenting clypeal margin; three
ocelli distinct; metatibia with a divergent pair of large coarse setae
on each side, no median spur; anterior face of gaster with distinct
cavity, into which the petiole fits when alitrunk and gaster in
horizontal alignment.
In Tribe PLAGIOLEPIDINI (see Bolton, 2003: 107, 267)
Emery (1925b: 18) as subgenus of Anoplolepis; type species Plagiolepis
tumidula - his definition is at .
Emery (1925b) separated Tapinolepis - with one species from
South Africa and one from Ethiopia. Santschi (1926a) clarified and
restated his definitions of the Genus and the subgenera Anoplolepis,
Zealleyella, Mesanoplolepis and Tapinolepis.
These are at ; together with a note on
Mesanoplolepis he added later (1930b - as to the subgenus having
repletes but, unlike Zealleyella, not different morphs in terms
of head shape. All but one of the Mesanoplolepis species are
from eastern Africa, the odd one is from North Africa.
Bernard (1952) noted an unlabelled queen from Guinea (among the Mt. Nimba survey collection?), probably of the sub-genus Mesanoploplepis Santschi, of which queens were very poorly known. Bolton (1995) listed five species regarded as of this subgenus, all except Anoploplepis simulans (type location Tunisia) have type locations in southern Africa. Also it is only simulans of which the workers, males and queens are known. The South African species trimenii is known by workers and queens.
Provisional key to workers from all Africa (based primarily on historical sources)
1 | ![]() |
Tapinolepis subgenus Tapinolepis - 2 |
-- | ![]() |
Tapinolepis subgenus Mesanoplolepis - 3 |
-- | Queen and male only known; dark brown - image of queen on species page |
Kenya (Fundu Island) - bothae |
2 | Tapinolepis subgenus Tapinolepis | - |
2 | ![]() |
South Africa - candida |
-- | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Eritrea - tumidula |
Tapinolepis subgenus Mesanoplolepis | - | |
5 | TL 2.0-2.5 mm | 6 |
-- | TL > 2.5 mm | 7 |
6 | ![]() |
South Africa - decolor |
-- | Scapes surpass occiput by ca one-fifth of length | 6A |
6A | ![]() Senegal specimen slightly larger but otherwise very similar |
Benin - n sp Benin RVA |
-- | ![]() |
Sudan - pernix |
. | TL > 2.5 mm | - |
7 | Base colour yellow to yellow
brown |
8 |
-- | base colour dark brown to near black |
9 |
8 | ![]() |
Zimbabwe - deceptor |
-- | ![]() |
South Africa - trimenii |
9 | Scapes surpass occiput by no more than one-tenth of length | 10 |
-- | Scapes surpassing occiput by more than one-tenth their own length | 11 |
10 | TL 3.0 mm;
scapes surpass occiput by one-tenth of length; eyes occupy a quarter of
sides of head; overall microscopic punctate rugulosity; pubescence
whitish on head and alitrunk; colour dark
brown or blackish brown, appendages largely ferruginous - no images |
Zimbabwe - macgregori |
-- | ![]() |
Zimbabwe - litoralis |
11 | ![]() |
|
. | ![]() |
North African - simulans |
-- | TL > 2.7 mm | 12 |
12 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Egypt, Sudan and Kenya - mediterranea |
-- | Petiole scale very thin apically in lateral view | 13 |
13 | ![]() |
. |
. | ![]() |
Zimbabwe - macrophthalma |
-- | ![]() |
Zimbabwe - melanaria |
![]() |
Subfamily Formicinae |
© 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
href="tapinolepis.htm"