Technomyrmex (Engramma) andrei Emery

Bolton (1995) had
Type location Gabon (Technomyrmex Andrei n. sp., Emery, 1899e: 488, illustrated, worker; Bernard, 1953b, 255, queen) collected at Ogowe by Mocquerys - see below
subspecies
camerunensis (Technomyrmex Andrei var. camerunensis n. v., Emery, 1899e: 489, worker) from Cameroun, Conradt
schereri (Technomyrmex Andrei Emery v. Schereri n. var., Forel, 1911e: 283, worker) from Liberia, collected at Cape Mount, by Scherer
workers and queen known (in Wheeler, 1922; see Bolton, 1995) .

This is superseded by Bolton (2007: 19)
Type location Gabon (Emery, 1899e: 488, illustrated, worker; Bernard, 1953b, 255, queen [not listed by Bolton]) collected at Ogowe by Mocquerys
junior synonyms
schereri (Forel, 1911e: 283, worker) from Liberia, collected at Cape Mount, by Scherer - no images on Antweb (April 2015)
wolfi (Engramma Wolfi n. sp., Forel, 1916: 432, worker, illustrated; Wheeler, 1922: 204, queen & male [not mentioned by Bolton]) type location Zaïre, from St. Gabriel, collected by Kohl - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?name=casent0909758
allecta (Engramma allecta, Stitz, 1916: 394, illustrated, worker) type location Zaïre, collected at Koloka, near Angu, by Schubotz - no images on Antweb (April 2015)
zumpti (Santschi, 1937b: 102, male) type location Cameroun, at Elefantsee, Kumba, Mt. Cameroun?, by F. Zumpt, xi. 1935; single male only described - see below.

Bolton (2007) has separated Technomyrmex camerunensis as a definitive species.

Emery's (1899e) description, with camerunensis, is at . and Forel's (1911e) description of schereri is at - .

My translation for schereri - "TL 3 mm; much smaller than the type, otherwise very similar. The propodeal dorsum (Basalfläche) is much shorter and the declivity distinctly steeper, with somewhat stumpier angles. Black, coxae, tarsi pale yellowish; antennae, mandible and rest of leg brown. The variety camerunensis is even closer to the type form."

There is a conflict between the Emery (1899e) description and drawing and Bolton's separation of andrei and camerunensis. Emery explicitly described camerunensis as less slender, the head less elongated, the scape surpassing the occiput by one-third its own length, the profile of the propodeum with a very rounded obtuse angle. Bolton makes no reference to this. Now (2014), using the digital method of image layering the profile drawings and the type worker photographs confirms the drawings were mislabelled.  Therefore I am not including the Bolton drawing here.

Wheeler (1922) also listed findings from Cameroun (Conradt) and Zaïre (Kinshasa, by Waelbroeck).

Bernard (1952) reported findings from Mt. Nimba, Guinea; numerous workers and an alate queen, differing slightly from the type in colour and diverse details, but certainly of this species - the most common in French West Africa. Collected at N'Zo, Nion crest at 1300 m, and in leaf litter sifting (Villiers). Mainly an insect of grassland.

Bolton's (2007) fresh description is at .

Characteristic of Bolton's approach, he chose to synonymize several older "species", arguing that the "supposed differences are taxonomically insignificant and are well within the range of variation seen among workers of this species".

On that argument, his separation of Technomyrmex parandrei seems quite weak.  From those that I have seen (listed below) the dramatic colouration of the worker from the Central African Republic on Antweb is not common.

Nigeria specimens (as Technomyrmex species T¹, Taylor, 1978: 53). WORKER. 53) TL 3.73 mm, HL 1.01, HW 0.92, SL 1.03, PW 0.61
Colour dark red-brown to black, extremities lighter and coxae of mid- and hind-legs white, shiny. Erect hairs sparse and confined to clypeus and gaster, although none on the first gastral segment. Fine pubescence all over. Sculpturation of very fine reticulation, especially on the alitrunk. Anterior clypeal border is deeply emarginate. Propodeum convexly humped in profile.
Found nesting in soil. Occasionally seen tending aphids on cocoa, also recorded constructing a soil tent over mealybugs, but not associated with black pod disease. Tents were found at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Idi Ayunre, and Oloruntedo, near Ondo.

As Technomyrmex species T¹ in Taylor (1981) but listed without reference by Bolton (2007).

The photomontage of the holotype worker is collated from - http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0905067

Oxford University Museum specimens

Technomyrmex andrei B Taylor det.	Liberia E Poirier Liabala PF 14	2.iv.2013 Nimba County 07°31’06" N 08°35’34" E	Pitfall trap Secondary forest 473 m asl	1
Technomyrmex andrei B Taylor det.	Liberia E Poirier Liabala PF 15	2.iv.2013 Nimba County 07°31’06" N 08°35’34" E	Pitfall trap Secondary forest 473 m asl	1
Technomyrmex andrei B Taylor det.	Liberia E Poirier Yekepa PF 20	29.iii.2013 Nimba County 07°33’38" N 08°32’33" E	Pitfall trap Degraded secondary forest 518 m asl minor	1
Technomyrmex andrei B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Sample 48	5.v.2007 Awae II 03°54'30" N 11°25'58"	aphid survey Relatively light brown	2
Technomyrmex andrei B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Sample 24	3.ix.2008 Batcham 03°54'30" N 11°25'58"	aphid survey	2
Technomyrmex andrei B Taylor det.	Gabon Y Braet Gabon 218	27.vi-10.vii.2006 Pongara 00°34' N 09°19' E	Leaf litter, winkler funnel	2
Technomyrmex andrei B Taylor det.	Gabon A Fotso Kuate Sample 32a	12.ix.2008 Tog 03°54'30" N 11°25'58"		1
Technomyrmex andrei B Taylor det.	Congo E Zassi 18-t-1-1	16-17.xi.2007 Lésio-Louna 03°16'56.5" S 015°28'28.3" E	Wooded Savannah; 24h pitfall trap	1
Technomyrmex andrei B Taylor det.	Central African Republic P Annoyer	15-18.x.2008 Dzanga-Sangha 03°03'58.3" N 16°08'59.6" E	Camp 1	4
Technomyrmex andrei B Taylor det.	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

The photomontage is of a worker from Congo, Réserve de Lésio-Louna, S 03°16'56.5" E 015°28'28.3"; 16-17.xi.2007; n sp 02; pitfall trap 18, t 1.1; wooded savannah; collected by Eric Zassi.

The photomontage is of a worker Central African Republic, Dzangha-Sangha Nature Reserve; collector Philippe Annoyer (CAR ME)

Technomyrmex (Engramma) wolfi (Forel)

Type location Zaïre (Engramma Wolfi, Forel, 1916: 423, illustrated, worker; Wheeler, 1922: 204, queen & male) from St. Gabriel, collected by Kohl; combination in Technomyrmex by Shattuck (1992b); all forms described (Bolton, 1995).

Forel's (1916) description is at .

Wheeler (1922, with the illustration) noted collections from Akenge, Ngayu and Medje (Lang & Chapin); Walikale to Lubutu (J. Bequaert).

FEMALE (undescribed) - Length 4.6 to 5 mm. Very similar to the worker. Head scarcely excavated behind. Eyes about two-fifths as long as the sides of the head. Clypeal border each side of the notch flattened and angularly projecting. Head and thorax a little more finely punctate and therefore a little more shining than in the worker. Propodeum feebly convex, sloping, without distinct base and declivity. Dark brown; mandibles, antennae and wing-insertions pale brown; legs, including the coxae, white, with a dark brown band around each femur and the tips of the hind coxae of the same color. Wings grayish hyaline, with pale brown veins and pterostigma.

MALE (undescribed) - Length nearly 3 mm. Head through the eyes as broad as long. Eyes and ocelli large. Mandibles well developed, decussating, with long, very finely and evenly denticulate apical borders. Clypeus short, with nearly straight, entire anterior border. Antenna long and slender; scape and all joints, except the first funicular, cylindrical; the latter as broad as long but not broader than the succeeding joints. Thorax short, not broader than the head; the mesonotum broader than long, not overhanging the pronotum. Propodeum sloping, without distinct base and declivity. Petiole with more distinct trace of the node at the anterior end than in the worker. Genitalia moderately large, exserted. Legs slender. Wing venation as in the female. Sculpture and pilosity much as in the female, the hairs and pubescence being very sparse and short, the former apparent only on the mouth-parts and tip of the gaster. Dark brown; front of head and three large spots on the mesonotum pale rusty brown; mandibles pale yellowish; scapes, first funicular joint, and legs, including the coxae, sordid white; the femora without brown bands. Wings and their veins a little paler than in the female.

The specimens from Akenge, Ngayu, and Medje (a female and four workers) were taken from the stomachs of toads (Bufo polycercus, superciliaris, and funereus), those from Walikale at lights. Kohl took the workers from which Forel described the species in the virgin forest in the ground among rotten leaves. This habit accounts for the occurrence of specimens in the toads' stomachs.

The photomontage is of a specimen from Gabon, Pongara National Park; collector Yves Braet (Gabon 218).

The photomontage is of a worker from Gabon; Tog; collector A Fotso Kuate (fk unmounted 32)

Technomyrmex (Engramma) allectus (Stitz)

Type location Zaïre (Engramma allecta, Stitz, 1916: 394, illustrated, worker) collected at Koloka, near Angu, by Schubotz; worker only known (see Bolton, 1995).

Stitz's (1916) description is at .

From the illustration and the following translation by Hauke Koch, this seems most probably to be a junior synonym of wolfi
- "Worker: TL 4mm; head at the point of the eyes as wide as the length of the median line to the edge of the clypeus, with convex sides, which are curved above the mandibular joints slightly less than at the back of the head, where they descend under a very rounded angle of the occipital corners into an almost even, slightly concave hind margin, which is almost as wide as the head between the front corners. Eyes in the middle of the sides of the head. Clypeus convex, posterior border shallowly semicircular, its frontal margin in the middle third deeply, almost semicircularly cut, the two lobes resulting from this projecting strongly over the mandibles on both sides. The margin of the clypeus is impressed, the lateral impressions are merged with the antennal grooves. Frontal carinae widely separated, ahead of their apical end shortly bent outwards and directed toward the eyes. Scapes when aligned parallel to the median line of the head, surpassing the occiput by slightly more than 1/3 of their length. Funicular joints 1-4 twice as long as wide at the end, the following joints gradually decreasing in length till the penultimate, which is 1.5 times as long as wide, the last one is twice as long as the penultimate. Black, the head slightly brownish, antennae brown, getting brighter to the tip of the funiculus. Mandibles and legs light brown, at the end very bright, almost yellow. The coxae of the middle and hindlegs as well as the following proximal ends of the femora also are bright, almost yellow. After this publication went to press, I got from Prof Forel "Fourmis du Congo …" (Forel, 1916) with the description of Engramma wolfi n. sp., whitch seems to fit the species described here almost totally. Except for the eyes being in the middle of the sides of the head (not behind), there are only minor differences in the sculpture: Head and thorax are punctuated evenly fine and dense, the lowering of the epinotum in the same way as its basal area.

Technomyrmex (Technomyrmex) zumpti Santschi

Type location Cameroun (Santschi, 1937b: 102, male) at Elefantsee, Kumba, Mt. Cameroun?, by F. Zumpt, xi. 1935; single male only described (see Bolton, 1995).

Santschi's (1937b) description is at . Bolton (2007, see top) noted that this matched "worker-associated males of andrei that have been examined".

The photomontage of the zumpti type male is collated from - http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0911594.