SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Nesomyrmex
|
|
The Ants of Africa SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Nesomyrmex |
| Contents - Myrmicinae - MYRMICINAE Introduction |
Genus definition Wheeler (1910a: 259), revived status Bolton (2003:
249); Wheeler's definition, based on the queen of N. clavipilis
(type location Grenada), is at
.
Key to the workers of African species (adapted from Bolton, 1982, plus Snelling, 1992):
| 1 |  Antennae
11-segmented, lateral spines on both petiolar and postpetiolar; nodes TL
1.73-1.85 mm |
Cameroun - cataulacoides |
| -- | Antennae 12-segmented, petiole and postpetiole with no more than tubercles | 2 |
| 2 |  In
profile the alitrunk dorsum an uninterrupted surface, which is evenly
flat or slightly convex |
3 |
| -- |  In
profile the metanotal groove impressed or the propodeum on a lower level
than the promesonotum, or both |
4 |
| 3 |  Head
and body uniform blackish-brown, sculpturation more pronounced; TL
2.9-3.4 mm |
West Africa & Congo Basin - grisoni |
| -- |  Head
narrows from occiput to anterior and very much so anterior to the eyes;
sculpturation of the head and ailtrunk is much less prominent: petiole
of noticeably shorter and more rounded in both lateral and dorsal views
head and body uniform yellow; TL 3.1-3.8 mm |
primarily North African - angulatus |
| -- | 
Head near parallel throughout its length; petiole with very distinct
sharp anterior and dorsal margins; TL3.2 mm |
sub-Saharan African - latinodis |
| Metanotal groove impressed or the propodeum on a lower level than the promesonotum, or both | . | |
| 4 | First gastral tergite with blunt standing hairs all over | 5 |
| -- | First gastral tergite with no more than a single tranverse row of standing hairs | 8 |
| 5 |   Petiole
node with narrow dorsal profile & not denticulate; relatively large
eyes; anterior pronotal angles projecting as a pair of acute teeth;
sides of pronotum sharply margined; TL 3.7 mm; medium brown but
mandibles, clypeal lobe, antennae and propodeal spines yellow |
East Africa - humerosus |
| -- |  Petiole
node with broad dorsal profile & denticulate; smaller eyes |
6 |
| 6 |  Subpetiolar
process of an anterior tooth followed by a flange; larger species TL
3.1-3.5 mm; uniform yellow, gaster apex may be darker |
South Africa - denticulatus |
| -- |  Subpetiolar
process no more than a simple anterior tooth |
7 |
| 7 |  Propodeal
spines short and broad; head with dense reticulo-punctation on dorsum;
TL 2.3-2.5 mm; no frontal carinae or antennal scobes; dorsum of head
densely and sharply reticulate-punctate, propodeal spines short and
broad; uniform yellow |
Congo Basin - innocens |
| -- |  Propodeal
spines long and narrow; head with weak sculpturation on dorsum; TL 2.8
mm; uniform pale yellow |
South Africa - stramineus |
 8 |
 Propodeum
unarmed; TL5.2-5.9 mm; bicoloured with haed and gaster dark brown
(reddish) and alitrunk and pedicel red |
South Africa - braunsi |
| -- | Propodeum with a pair of spines or teeth | 9 |
| 9 | Small,
TL 2.4-2.9 mm; yellowish species with small eyes |
West Africa & Congo Basin - evelynae |
| -- |  Large
reddish species, TL 4.7 |
South Africa - simoni |
 |
MYRMICINAE Introduction | © 2007 - Brian Taylor CBiol
FIBiol FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
href="nesomyrmex.htm"