The Ants of
Africa SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Meranoplus |
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Contents - Myrmicinae - MYRMICINAE Introduction |
In Tribe MERANOPLINI.
Diagnostic Features - Antennae 9-segmented with a 3-segmented club; antennal scrobes well developed and deep. Eyes situated towards the posterior of the ventral border of the scrobes. Promesonotum fused, strongly margined all around, projecting posteriorly as a shelf which overhangs the near vertical propodeum. Posterior margin of shelf with a number of teeth or spines. Propodeum unarmed or bidentate or bispinose. Petiole and postpetiole scale-like. All are brown to dark brown, with all dorsal surfaces having abundant, long, soft hairs giving the ants a furry appearance.
Arnold (1917) gave a transcription of Smith (1854 - unavailable in HNS) and a key to South African forms; these are at . Botlon's (1981a) revsion is at .
Key to the workers of African species (adapted from Bolton, 1981a):
1 | Apex of petiole with a pair of spines | 2 |
-- | Apex of petiole unarmed | 4 |
2 | Dorsal surfaces with no more than short appressed hairs; TL 2.5-3.4 mm; uniform pale yellow, gaster may be darker | . |
. | southern east Africa - glaber | |
-- | Dorsal surfaces with conspicuous dense covering of long hairs | 3 |
3 | Postpetiole low and nodiform, with abundant soft hairs on dorsum; petiole with short spines; TL 2.8-3.6 mm; mid-brown with darker gaster to uniform dark brown | . |
. | southern east Africa - spininodis | |
-- | Postpetiole high and narrow with few erect hairs; petiole with long spines; TL 2.8-3.2 mm; yellowish-brown, gaster slightly darker | . |
. | Zimbabwe - sthenus | |
4 | Postpetiole in profile broad and nodiform; long propodeal spines which project beyond mesonotal margin in dorsal view | 5 |
-- | Postpetiole in profile squamiform or very strongly antero-posteriorly compressed | 6 |
5 | Mandibles with four teeth; anterior of clypeus with a prominence or denticle on each corner; TL 2.8-4.3 mm; medium to dark brown, gaster usually darker, sometimes with reddish tint | . |
. | . | Senegal, Ghana (savannah) plus east and southern Africa - magrettii |
-- | Mandibles with five teeth; anterior of clypeus without lateral prominences; TL 3.2-4.9mm; uniform medium to blackish-brown | . |
. | . | southern Africa - peringueyi |
6 | Propodeum without spines; TL 2.7-4.0 mm; mid to dark brown, gaster often darker | . |
. | Pan-African - inermis | |
-- | Propodeum armed with a pair of short spines | 7 |
7 | Posterior margin of mesonotum with 4-6 opaque cuticular projections; spaces between with translucent lamellae; postpetiole dorsum a crest without rugae; TL 2.8-3.8 mm; mid to dark brown, gaster often darker | . |
. | Pan-African - nanus | |
-- | Posterior margin of mesonotum with broad shelf-like lamella, may be projected into 2-4 triangular teeth; postpetiole dorsum narrow but flattened, with rugae; TL 2.8-3.8 mm; uniform mid to dark brown | . |
-- | Pan-African - clypeatus |
MYRMICINAE Introduction |
© 2007, 2011, 2013 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
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