Anoplolepis (Zelalleyella) custodiens (F. Smith)
Type locality South Africa (Formica custodiens, F.
Smith, 1858b: 33, worker; Mayr, 1895: 148, male) moved to Anoploplepis
by Emery (1925b: 17); junior synonyms hendecarthrus from
South Africa (Camponotus hendecarthrus, Roger,
1863a: 132, worker & queen) and berthoudi from Lesotho
(Formica berthoudi, Forel, 1876: 33, worker); subspecies
detrita, hirsuta and pilipes all from Somalia
(Emery 1892a: 118, workers); all forms described; in subgenus Zealleyella
(see Bolton, 1995). Prins (1982) provided a comprehensive
description of all forms, including examples of worker
polymorphism, with the TL ranging from 3-10 mm - these are shown
(right) in the much reduced compilation of his excellent
illustrations. The colour image shown below left is from the AMNH
collection at Antbase.org
 .
Smith's (1858b) cursory description is at
 .
Roger's (1863a) description of Camponotus hendrecarthus is
at  .
Emery's (1892a) descriptions of detrita, hirsuta
and pilipes are at
 .
Forel's (1895) description of the male is at
 .
Arnold (1922) gave a full description; the worker is at
and sexuals at  .
Recorded by Forel (1909b), as Plagiolepis custodiens,
from Zaïre, at Banana by Busschodts. |
 Forel
(1876) described berthoudi from Lesotho as follows
(comparison with others of the genus Formica, my
translation) (drawing below right from Arnold, 1922: 582) -
WORKER - TL 9.0-9.5 mm; head large, and wide (HW 2.2 mm), rounded
and impressed posteriorly; genae much bigger. Mandibles long (1.5
mm), crossing, more slender and of agressive form ("proportion
gardeé"), apical border longer; internal border short,
indistinctly separable from the apical border by an obtuse angle;
apical border with 7-8 strong black teeth, smooth and irregular
between 6 and 7 posteriorly, about twice as long as those in F.
rufa. Clypeus ("chaperon") without distinct carinae;
anterior border extended forward medianly and feebly on each side.
Frontal carinae long, slightly divergent, near straight (sometimes
a little convex laterally). Three very small rudimentary ocelli.
Eyes and ocelli situated more posteriorly than F. rufa,
eyes a little smaller. Maxillary palps with six segments very
short, especially the last two segments. Labial palps with four
segments, apical two together as long as the first. Antenna more
slender, longer, specially the scape, 11-segmented; segments 2-10
diminish evenly in length from 2 to 10. The thorax is similar in
size and almost the same shape as F. rufa (large workers);
the head relatively is smaller and narrower in F. rufa (
HW rufa 2 mm, berthoudi 2.2 mm); thorax width is
1.4 mm in both species. Only the propodeum (metanotum) is a little
different, with the dorsum and the declivity distinctly separated
on each side by the spiracles; the propodeal dorsum is less convex
and wider than others; the declivity is near flat, even slightly
concave between the spiracles. Legs a little longer and more
slender. Petiole scale as high as F. rufa but slightly
inclined anteriorly, with the dorsal border even narrower and
wider, with a median impression. Gaster is not laterally
compressed, exactly the same shape and size as F. rufa.
Colour blood red, with a slight brown tint (analogous to F.
sanguinea).
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 Internal
border of mandibles, apex of antenna, frontal carinae, apex of
petiole and gaster brown to near black. Whole of body, with the
exception of the mandible teeth, covered in decumbent pubescence,
greyish yellow, giving a remarkably silky appearance; this
pubescence is strongest on the gaster, least on the clypeus and
genae; this partially hides the true colour of the cuticle. On the
dorsum of the gaster the pubescence has a remarkable disposition,
forming five evenly separated longitudinal lines, running almost the
entirety of the gaster, one forming a median line; the pubescence
changes direction in the alternate lines as follows - the decumbent
hairs on each side of the median line are oblique from rear to
front, then the second longitudinal lines have the hairs oblique
from front to back, the outer lines have the hairs again oblique
from rear to front, the overall effect is of alternating black and
grey lines. This is an optical illusion as immersing the specimen in
alcohol momentarily destroys the reflections. Something of the same
optical banding can be seen on the pronotum when viewed from certain
angles. There are strong sparse erect hairs on all parts of the
body, more abundant on the posterior of the gaster, the anterior of
the clypeus and the mandibles. Eyes without hairs. The entire body
is sculptured with fine rugosity, densely packed giving a shagreened
appearance. only the mandibles are strongly longitudinally striate,
the teeth being smooth.
Two specimens seen from Lesotho. |
Wheeler (1922) wrote of Zaïre findings at Banana, San
Antonio (Lang and Chapin). At Banana this species was found
nesting in flat craters in the pure sand of the sea-beach (PL.
XIX, figs. 1 and 2; see left and "click"). According to
a note by Mr. Lang, "the ants were found very near the water,
where the sand was moved by the wind or even inundated by the
breakers. Only a slight excavation, marking the entrance of the
nest, was visible, and it was difficult to trace out the
galleries. These ants carry particles of sand considerable
distances, sometimes two or three feet from the nest entrances.
They work during the day-time and retreat into their nests when
disturbed."
A. custodiens has been previously taken in Banana by
Busschodts and in Angola by Silvestri, and is well known from
other parts of the Ethiopian Region as far north as Abyssinia and
as far south as the Cape. It is the host of (the parasitic
species) A. nuptialis Santschi, which was discovered by
Dr. Brauns at Willowmore, Cape Province.
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 The
photograph right is of a specimen from Addo Elephant Park, South
Africa, and is reduced from the superb Myrmecos.net original taken
by Alex Wild (click to see original).
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 The
specimens in these field photographs were taken in Pretoria, South
Africa, by Joan Young; nos 101-6402, 101-6405, 101-6406 &
101-6408
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J Young
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A second nest entrance, by J Young; nos IMG 7779 t0 77786
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