Phrynoponera gabonensis (André)

Type location Gabon (Bothroponera gabonensis, André, 1892a: 50, worker; in Phrynoponera, Wheeler, 1920: 53; Stitz, 1910: 130, queen); junior synonyms esta (Wheeler, 1922: 77, worker & queen), fecunda (Wheeler, 1922: 78, worker & queen), robustior (Santschi, 1919h: 82, worker) and umbrosa (Wheeler, 1922: 78, worker) all from Zaïre; synonymy by Brown (1950e: 246); worker and queen described (see Bolton, 1995). I have separated the former variety Phrynoponera striatidens as a separate species .

André's (1892a) description is at - . Santschi's (1919h) brief description of robustior is at - .

Botlon & Fisher (2008b: 39) had the synonymy as - var. striatidens (Santschi, 1914); armata (Santschi, 1919, synonymy Bolton & Fisher, 2008); var. robustior (Santschi, 1919), var. esta Wheeler, 1922, var. fecunda Wheeler, 1922, var. umbrosa Wheeler, 1922, and heteroderus Wheeler, 1922b, synonymy Bolton & Fisher, 2008). Their synonymy of striatidens seems questionable, however.

Bolton & Fisher's (2008b) description is at http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2008/f/z01892p052f.pdf.

Santschi's (1919h) description of armata is at - .In this he stated the clypeus has an anterior lobe which was without any impression or teeth on the anterior border. He noted also that the base of the gaster was almost smooth. Both these features set armata apart from gabonensis. Bolton & Fisher made no specific comment on armata but make a blanket statement claiming "Gastral tergites 1-2 show much variation in density and intensity of sculpture".

WORKER - TL 6.5-7.5 mm, mandibles 4-toothed, gaster shining and apical areas of head, body and appendages red. Wheeler (1922, type form illustrated, right) wrote of there being five forms in the collections before him and separated all the varieties (now synonyms) on the basis of colouration and/or sculpturation on the mandibles. All the specimens were found in the stomachs of toads.

The specimen from Zaïre (Wheeler, 1922), is also pictured by Hölldobler & Wilson (1990, page 91).

Bernard (1952) listed findings, most of variety fecunda, at Mt. Nimba by Lamotte (Nimba, locality not given, 1 female, 1 worker; Nion crest, 1300 m, 19.iv.1942, 1 worker, var. robustior; Camp IV, 1000m, 1 worker; Nion, 1 immature female. He felt it curious that the specimens of what seemed to otherwise be a tropical forest species should be found on the high crest and in cultivated land.

Described as widespread, at 6 sites, in the Ghana semi-deciduous forest zone, from leaf litter sampling, 24 workers, and soil, one specimen, by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b). A single worker was collected from the ground at CRIG by Bigger (1981a).

Phrynoponera heteroda Wheeler Type location Zaïre (Wheeler, 1922: 78, not illustrated. queen) collected at Stanleyville by Lang & Chapin; queen only known (see Bolton, 1995, who changed the spelling from heteroderus) - Now synonymised under gabonensis.

Wheeler (1922) described the single female as -
FEMALE (dealated), TL 9 mm. Very closely related to gabonensis but differing in its large size and - apical borders of mandibles 7-toothed, and in addition to the coarse punctures, striated in their apical halves. Antennae somewhat longer, funiculus joints 2-7 being as long as broad. Rugae on front and vertex coarser and more distinctly divergent, eyes somewhat smaller, the posterior corners of the head more acute, the clypeus bluntly bidentate as in gabonensis. Sculpture of thorax and petiole very similar, the gaster sculptured as in variety striatidens but even more sharply so the whole surface is opaque. Propodeal spines broad and flat as in gabonensis but the median petiolar tooth is nearly twice as long as the intermediate teeth. Pilosity if anything more abundant. Colour black, with mandibles, legs and posterior gaster dark castaneous brown.

The photomontage is of a specimen from Ghana, collected by S Sky Stephens, 2006. Other images can be seen in the folders at -

The photomontage is of a specimen from Gabon, Pongara National Park; Gabon 216; 27.vi-10.vii.2006; Winkler Funnel, leaf litter; collected by Yves Braet. Other images can be seen in the folders at -

The photomontage of a specimen from Gabon is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0178229&shot=p1&project=null, used in the illustration by Bolton & Fisher (2008b, Fig. 2).
Collection Information: Ogooue-Maritime: Reserve de Faune de la Moukalaba-Dougoua, 12.2 km 305° NW Doussala; 02°19'00"S 010°32'00"E 110 m;: Collection codes: BLF02122; Collected by: B.L.Fisher; Habitat: rainforest; Date: 24 Feb 2000; Method: EC19 sifted litter; Transect Type: MW 50 sample transect, 5m Transect; Sample #: 09

The photomontage is of a cotype of Phyrnoponera gabonensis esta from Zaïre. The original photographs, together with enlarged images, are from the MCZ, Harvard University, website at - MCZ link.

The photomontage is of a cotype of Phyrnoponera gabonensis fecunda from Zaïre. The original photographs, together with enlarged images, are from the MCZ, Harvard University, website at - MCZ link.

The photomontage is of a cotype of Phyrnoponera gabonensis umbrosa from Zaïre. The original photographs, together with enlarged images, are from the MCZ, Harvard University, website at - MCZ link.