Ants from Benin collected by S. Tchibozo

In 2007, I was sent a small number of ants collected by pitfall trapping in the Forêt de Gnanhouizoumè, 06°50-55 N 02°20-30'E, by Sévérin Tchibozo, of CERGET, link http://www.cerget.org/index.htm

The species found were
Benin 1 Plagiolepis brunni Mayr - Pan-African
Benin 1 Tapinoma modestum Santschi - clutching the Plagiolepis in its mouthparts; second West Africa record
Benin 2 Tetramorium versiculum Bolton - previously Ghana & Ivory Coast
Benin 3 Tetramorium occidentale (Santschi) - Pan-African
Benin 4 Platythyrea conradti Emery - Pan-African
Benin 5 Camponotus (Myrmosaga) schoutedeni Forel - no prior illustrations; first record west of Cameroun
Benin 6 Anochetus bequaerti Forel - Pan-African; a variable species, this specimen is particularly brightly coloured
Benin 7 Paratrechina nimba Bernard new status - the existing description is inadequate, so this is a best fit determination; type record is from Guinea
Benin 8 Melissotarsus species - to be described; quite distinct from the four species recognised by Bolton (1982)
Benin 9 Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) chlorotica Emery - no prior illustrations; West Africa & Congo Basin
Benin 10 Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) nigeriensis Santschi - exactly matches the Santschi (1914d) drawing; prior record from Nigeria (Lagos)
Benin 11 Lepisiota cacozela Emery; also Benin 13 - this has the thick petiole scale shown by Santschi (1935a); West Africa & Congo Basin
Benin 12 Lepisiota monardi (Santschi) - matches the Santschi (1930b) illustration and confirms the presence in West Africa
Benin 14 Camponotus (Tanaemyrmex) maculatus (Fabricius) - type form; Pan-African
Benin 15 Pyramica (Serrastruma) maynei (Forel) queen - no prior illustrations; Pan-African
Benin 16 Dorylus (Anomma) burmeisteri (Shuckard) - Pan-African