Translation by Hauke Koch -
WORKER: TL 3.5 mm; head slightly wider than long, the sides
convex; occipital corners very much rounded, the hind-margin
straight, slightly depressed to the middle (barely noticeable).
Eyes in the middle of the sides of the head. Frontal carinae
parallel, as long as their distance from the midline of the head,
which runs as a fine groove to the occiput (conspicious in lateral
view). Frons inconspiciously bordered. Clypeus semicircular at the
back, with straight frontal margin, which is slightly depressed in
the middle. Mandibles with four teeth. Scape, when aligned to the
head, surpassing the occiput by less than their own width.
Funicular joints 3 and 4 as long as wide, the following joints
getting longer, the penultimate 2 joints twice, the last thrice as
long as wide at the base, all three forming a strongly developed
club. Promesonotum, viewed laterally, at the top shallowly convex,
descending equally inclined and with a strong curvature to the
front and back. Metanotal groove with both sides aligned in a
blunt, almost rectangular angle. Pronotum in its greatest width
more or less one quarter wider than long in the midline, its
curvature transversely shallower than longitudinally; its convex
lateral margins are angular and rounded, forming a blunt shoulder
below which the lateral areas are somewhat depressed; parallel to
the margin below each shoulder there is a small longitudinal welt.
The mesonotum is separated from the pronotum by an inconspicious,
anteriorly moderately convex, slightly depressed suture; its
frontal median part is slightly elevated and projects tonguelike
into the pronotal area; in the middle of this tongue lies near the
frontal suture a minute humplike elevation, reminding of the rest
of a keel, which can be seen best when viewed diagonally from the
front and from above. The lateral margins of the mesonotum are
angularly rounded, almost parallel and only weakly converging
posteriorly; dorsally somewhat longer than its greatest width; the
basal part transversely shallowly convex; the decline following
without distinct border, it is even, to both sides acutely
angularly bordered and amounts for circa 1/3 of the length of the
whole mesonotum. The dorsum of the propodeum is 1/3 wider than
long and to both directions shallowly convex, but anteriorly at
the mesonotal suture shallow and proceeds without distinct border
to the declivity. The spines are short, almost denticular, coming
from a relatively broad ground, but sharpening rapidly; in lateral
view they are aligned with the dorsum of the propodeum, from which
they are slightly angled basally; when viewed from above, the
apices are diverging moderately; the propodeal spiracle at the
base of the spines is large. Petiole a triangle with broadly cut
hind-apex, convex base and to both sides heavily rounded corners,
the sides straight. Viewed from above, the area is wider than
long, a quarter wider than the postpetiole, in the frontal part
even, transversely weakly concave, with sharp-edged margins,
without a ventral tooth. Postpetiole dorsally with a deep
impression, which becomes a deep groove anteriorly.
Mandibles and clypeus very finely and densely longitudinally
striated, also the angles of the frontal lobes bordering on the
antennal grooves and the genae, this sculpture proceeding weakly
on the ventral side of the head in these areas, then getting lost.
Otherwise the head is smooth, very shiny, with not very dense
microscopical points, each bearing a hair. All dorsal areas of the
thorax finely and densely rugosely punctuated. The lateral
mesonotum and propodeum show the same sculpture as their dorsal
area; the sides of the pronotum are smooth and shiny, only weakly
rugosely punctuated at the front. Both petiole and postpetiole
dorsally finer punctuated but more finely than the alitrunk.
Gaster smooth, shiny, with microscopic fine points. The area of
the head, according to the punctuation, with fine appressed grey
hairs, the same on the scape, slightly longer and erect on the
funiculus and the mandibles. Clypeal margin with a row of longer
hairs. Alitrunk, petiole, postpetiole and gaster with few erect
hairs; on the alitrunk these are short, on the petiole and
postpetiole slightly longer, on the gaster short, fine, appressed
and arising from puncturations. Femora and tibiae with sparse
appressed hairs. Head, scape, alitrunk and legs brown, the genae
and funiculus lighter. Abdomen yellow. 4 workers; French Congo
(Fort Crampel), 06.01.1911; Schubotz.
From the description, it seems highly likely that this is the
senior synonym of
Crematogaster
latuka. |
