The Ants of Africa

	The Ants of Africa SUBFAMILY PROCERATIINAE Genus Discothyrea
Contents - Proceratiinae - PROCERATIINAE Introduction

Genus Discothyrea Roger

{Discothyrea} In Tribe PROCERATIINI.

Diagnostic Features - Tergite of second gastral tergite strongly vaulted so that the remaining segments point anteriorly. Alitrunk devoid of sutures. Mandibles edentate and overhung by the projecting clypeus. Apical antennal segment bulbous (Roger, 1863a: 176; type species D. testacea from USA). Roger's (1863a) genus definition is at .

Bolton (1973a) describes how two species are known and found in West Africa, apparently confined to the forest zone. Both (see below) are cryptobiotic, forming small colonies in dead wood just below ground. Lévieux (1983b), however, found members in the Ivory Coast savannah. Belshaw & Bolton (1994b) reported finding two further, undescribed species from Ghana (see bottom).

Examples of genus members can be seen on pages of the Japanese Ant Color Image Database, of which the link is one of two pages; and in Bolton (1994, right above).

Brown's (1958g) gave a consideration of the then knowledge, this is at .

Key to workers, based on historical descriptions.

¤	Queen only known; 9-segmented antennae; petiole with a pronounced ventral process (may be conspecific with traegaordhi)	South Africa - hewitti
¤	Queen only known; 11-segmented antennae; head in full face view near rectangular, eyes relatively small; quite slender, gaster parallel-sided	South Africa - Discothyrea ? nsp queen
1	12-segmented antennae (former Pseudosysphincta Arnold, 1916: 161; synonymy by Brown, 1958g: 248); TL 2.1 mm; yellowish rusty-red; fine sculpturation giving dull appearance	South Africa - poweri
--	11-segmented antennae	West Africa - mixta
--	8-segmented antennae; TL 1.6 mm, AL 0.45 mm; colour yellowish-brown, margins darker	Kenya & South Africa - patrizii
--	9-segmented antennae	2
2	Eyes small (5-6 facets only); TL 1.5 mm; antennal scape expanded apically reaching mid-point of head; testaceous red, but rear of head, thorax and anterior gaster darker red-brown; densely and finely puncturate, matt	South Africa - traegaordhi
--	Eyes larger with at least 30 facets	3
3	TL 2.5 mm; colour ferruginous red, dense punctate sculpturation, matt; each puncture giving rise to a single short erect hair; covered with white, velvety pubescence	West Africa and South Africa - oculata
--	Darker and more strongly sculptured than oculata, especially on posterior half of first gastral tergite; the coarser punctures each giving rise to more than one hair	Congo Basin - sculptior

Discothyrea new species (1)

Collected in Ghana, a total of 6 workers from leaf litter in the semi-deciduous forest zone - under cocoa at Ofinso, and under primary forest at Bobiri, Atewa Forest Reserve and Bunso - by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b).

Discothyrea new species (2)

Collected in Ghana, 3 workers from leaf litter in the semi-deciduous forest zone - under primary forest at Sui River Forest Reserve - by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b).

PONERINAE Introduction

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