SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Paedalgus
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The Ants of Africa SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Paedalgus |
| Contents - Myrmicinae - MYRMICINAE Introduction |
In Tribe PHEIDOLOGETONINI. Revised by Bolton & Belshaw (1993).
Now [November 2007] regarded by Fernandez (2004) as in the genus
Carebara 
.
Diagnostic Features - Mandibles with four teeth. Clypeus longitudinally bicarinate. Eyes present, minute, of one or two ommatidia only. Antennae 9-segmented with a 2-segmented club; octatus antennae with only 8 segments. Promesonotal suture absent; metanotal groove not impressed. Dorsum of alitrunk with sharp lateral margins; propodeum unarmed.
Forel's (1911i) genus definition is at
Once thought that all were associated with termites. Paedalgus termitolestes, first described by Wheeler (1922) was found as a colony living in a mound-shaped termitarium, and was listed as a specialist termite feeder by Hölldobler & Wilson (1990, page 566). Wheeler, however, noted that whether it fed on the termites or on the mycelium of the fungus cultivated by the termites was not resolved. Newer findings, especially of P. distinctus show instances of apparent leaf litter foraging and of tending Homoptera. Bernard (1952) reported that, although none were found in the Mt. Nimba, Guinea, surveys, the genus was well represented in Ivory Coast and Congo.
Key to workers: (developed from Bolton & Belshaw, 1993)
| ¤ | Queen only known | Sudan (southern mountains) - sudanensis |
| 1 | Dorsum of head behind frontal lobes, entire dorsal alitrunk, and basal half of first gastral tergite, entirely lacking standing hairs | 2 |
| -- | Conspicuous standing hairs obvious | 3 |
| 2 |  Mandible
with 4 teeth; eyes with a single ommatidium; alitrunk without a shallow
depression at the promesonotal suture; TL 1.0-1.1 mm |
Guinea - infimus |
| -- |  Mandible
with 5 teeth; eyes with a 2-3 (4) ommatidium; alitrunk with a shallow
depression or step at the promesonotal suture; TL 1.4-1.5 mm |
South Africa - robertsoni |
| 3 | Dorsal (outer) surface of middle and hind tibiae with short curved pubescence only; TL 1.0 mm | 4 |
| -- | Dorsal (outer) surface of middle and hind tibiae with short curved decumbent to adpressed pubescence which is directed apically; and tibiae with a number of long straight and projecting erect hairs | 5 |
| 4 |  Leading
edge of scape with 2 long straight hairs; TL 1.0 mm |
Zaïre - termitolestes |
| -- |  Antennae
with 8 segments; leading edge of scape without long hairs; TL 1.0 mm |
Kenya - octatus |
| 5 |  Erect
to suberect standing hairs on first gastral tergite confined to the
basal half; TL 1.2-1.4 mm |
West Africa - distinctus |
| -- | Erect to suberect hairs over all of first gastral tergite | 6 |
| 6 |  Head
and body uniform dark brown, legs yellow; propodeal lobes short and
narrow, sides of propodeal declivity with angular sides but without a
distinct margin TL 1.2-1.4 mm |
Ghana - saritus |
| -- | Head and body uniformly yellow; propodeal lobes long and broad, sides of propodeal declivity with distinct raised margins | 7 |
| 7 |  Head
in profile with long erect hairs behind the frontal lobes; propodeum
raised into a triangular peak; pronotum with sharply angled humeri; TL
1.4 mm |
Kenya & Cameroun - rarus |
| -- |  Head
in profile with short erect hairs behind the frontal lobes; propodeum
not raised into a triangular peak; pronotum with rounded humeri; TL 1.3
mm |
Kenya - pisinnus |
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MYRMICINAE Introduction | © 2007 - Brian Taylor CBiol
FIBiol FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
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