The Ants of Africa
SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Calyptomyrmex
Contents - Myrmicinae - MYRMICINAE Introduction

Genus Calyptomyrmex Emery (1887b: 471)

In Tribe STENAMMINI.

Diagnostic Features - Median portion of clypeus vertical, projecting anterodorsally as a bilobed structure overhanging the mandibles. Antennae 11- or 12-segmented with a 3-segmented club. Antennal scrobes, above the eyes and very deep, able to contain the whole antenna. Dorsum of alitrunk without sutures, promesonotum convex in profile, the propodeum sloping and armed with a pair of spines or teeth. Dorsal surfaces usually with spatulate or other bizarre hairs.

Emery's (1887b) genus definition is at {original description} (figures unavailable). Type species C. beccarii, type location New Guinea. Arnold (1917) gave a translation, this is at {original description}.

Described by Bolton (1973a) as cryptic species, usually nesting in very rotten wood deeply embedded in the ground, and foraging in soil cover. Extensively revised by Bolton, with 16 species known from Africa (1981a, 1995). The full original text of the first can be found at -
Bolton, B. 1981. A revision of the ant genera Meranoplus F. Smith, Dicroaspis Emery and Calyptomyrmex Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region. Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Entomol. 42: 43-81. View or download entire file (4.5M) {short description of image}.

Key to species (developed from that of Bolton (1981a)

1 {short description of image}First segment of gaster with stellate, squamous hairs Gabon - stellatus
-- First segment of gaster with variously shaped mairs but never stellate 2
2 {short description of image}Most forward pair of hairs on the outer margin of the clypeus stout contrasting with the pair of fine hairs projecting from the anterior margin 3
-- {short description of image}Most forward pair of hairs on the outer margin of the clypeus elongate and fine matching the pair of fine hairs projecting from the anterior margin 6
3 {short description of image}Maximum diameter of eye much greater than the maximum width of the hairs in the anterior transverse row on the pronotum 4
-- {short description of image}Maximum diameter of eye at the most equal to the maximum width of the hairs in the anterior transverse row on the pronotum 5
4 {short description of image}First gastral tergite with short, scattered, scale-like hairs; TL 2.5-2.7 mm Zimbabwe - arnoldi
-- {short description of image} First gastral tergite with elongate, dense, spatulate, long-stemmed hairs; TL 2.5 mm Uganda - tensus
5 {short description of image} Eyes with 5-6 facets, maximum diameter ca 0.04 mm; TL 2.5-2.6 mm Forest from Sudan west to Ghana - brevis
-- {short description of image}Eyes with > 6 facets, maximum diameter ca 0.06-0.08 mm; TL 2.8-3.1 mm Widespread (mainly eastern) from Sudan southwards - piripilis
return to couplet 4 Most forward pair of hairs on the outer margin of the clypeus elongate and fine matching the pair of fine hairs projecting from the anterior margin .
6 {short description of image}First gastral tergite with only simple, stout, erect hairs, with acute apices; TL 3.9-4.3 mm West Africa & Congo Basin (Gabon) - barak
-- First gastral tergite with scale-like, spatualte or clavate hairs 7
7 Maximum diameter of eye at the most equal to the maximum width of the hairs in the anterior transverse row on the pronotum; TL 2.4-2.8 mm West Africa & Angola - kaurus
-- Maximum diameter of eye much greater than the maximum width of the hairs in the anterior transverse row on the pronotum 8
8 {short description of image}Whole of first gastral tergite with bizarre hairs; TL 3.3-3.5 mm East Africa - shasu
-- Only base of first gastral tergite with bizarre hairs, or no such hairs 9
9 {short description of image}First gastral tergite with essentially ovoid to teardrop shaped hairs 10
-- {short description of image}{short description of image}First gastral tergite with more elongate hairs, with a longer basal stem 12
10 {short description of image}Large species, TL 3.0-3.7 mm; with abundant large squamate hairs; mandibles longitudinally striate, usually very distinct West Africa & Congo Basin - nummuliticus
-- {short description of image}Smaller species, TL no more than 3.0 mm; with small squamate hairs; mandibles smooth or faintly marked 11
11 Dorsum of head predominantly longitudinally rugose, with a reticulum on the occiput but without a transversely rugulose triangular area on the vertex; TL 2.6-2.7 mm Zimbabwe - nedjem
-- {short description of image}Dorsum of head with longitudinally rugae that diverge towards the occipital corners and enclose a triangular and transversely rugulose area of the vertex Ethiopia, Gabon, South Africa - foreli
12 {short description of image} Clypeus with hairs behind the outer apical pair also fine; first gastral tergite with long slender clavate hairs, longer than maximum diameter of the eye; TL 2.8-3.0 mm Zaïre - rennefer
-- {short description of image}Clypeus with hairs behind the outer apical pair much stouter and very different in appearance; first gastral tergite with stout clavate hairs, not or barely longer than maximum diameter of the eye 13
13 {short description of image}Propodeal dorsum strongly transversely rugose; without reticulate sculpture; TL 3.2-3.6 mm Kenya, Uganda, Zaïre - duhun
Propodeal dorsum reticulo-punctate, with no more than one or two feeble rugulae; TL no more than 2.9 mm 14
14 {short description of image}In dorsal view postpetiole distinctly wider than petiole; eyes smaller with 15 or fewer ommatidia 15
-- {short description of image}In dorsal view petiole and postpetiole of similar widths; eyes with 18 plus ommatidia; TL 2.7-2.9 mm Ethiopia, Kenya, Zaïre - clavatus
15 Clypeal fork with long prongs, outer edges of which are near straight; TL 2.6-2.7 mm Zimbabwe & South Africa - brunneus
-- Clypeal fork with short stout prongs, outer edges of which are strongly bowed; TL 2.1-2.6 mm South Africa - clavisetus

Contents MYRMICINAE Introduction
© 2007 - Brian Taylor CBiol FIBiol FRES
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