The Ants of Africa SUBFAMILY DOLICHODERINAE Genus Technomyrmex Mayr
Technomyrmex Introduction

Key to workers of African species
Derived in part from that compiled by Wheeler (1922) for Engramma; with additions and amendments following Bolton (2007).

-	BT KEY	SPECIES	Bolton 2007 status
1	Head shape approximately rectangular or ovoid, where impressed posteriorly or anteriorly (the clypeal margin) the impression is no more than shallow	(subgenus Technomyrmex) 13	.
--	Head shape cordiform, clypeus with distinct median notch	(subgenus Engramma) 2
-	(subgenus Engramma)	-	.
2	Notch on the clypeal margin more or less semi-circular with rounded lateral corners	3	.
--	Head shape cordiform, clypeus with distinct medial notch which has sharp corners	5
-	.	-	.
3	TL 3-3.2 mm CI 86-90 SI 91-100; pilosity of dark erect bristly hairs; brownish yellow; median notch of clypeus semi-circular or nearly so; separated by transverse fine rugulose sculpture on the propodeal declivity	.	in arnoldinus group
.		eastern & southern Africa - arnoldinus	in arnoldinus group
--	Pilosity much reduced or absent	4	.
4	Promesonotum profile flattened with a slight impression at pronotum-mesonotum suture; clypeus with well-defined impression of anterior margin	4A	.
--	Promesonotum evenly convex in profile; anterior clypeal margin very widely and shallowly arcuately impressed; TL ca 3.3 mm CI 91 SI 89; head cordiform but with a near straight occiput; eyes set less than 2x own length from occiput; no visible ocelli; propodeal dorsum long with a sharp angle to the flat declivity; no setae at all on gaster segments; whole body with a quite dense covering of minute pubescence but with very little sculpturation so shiny; almost completely dark brown, including coxae, gaster segments with narrow pale border.	Central African Republic - dzangae n. sp.	new species here
4A	TL 2-7-4.3 mm CI 82-95 SI 102-130; dorsal surfaces alitrunk finely and densely reticulo-punctate; overall colour dark-brown to black; mid- and hind-legs with coxae, trochanters and basal quarter to third of femora white to yellow	West Africa & Congo Basin east to Kenya - andrei	in bicolor group
--	TL 3.5-3.7 mm CI 87 SI 118; apparently separable from andrei solely by having yellow parts where they are white in andrei; middle and hind coxae black, the hind femur wholly black; the variability of "andrei" suggests this is no more than weakly justified	Gabon - parandrei	Bolton n.sp. in bicolor group
--	TL 3.1-3.5 mm CI 88 SI 125; apparently separable from andrei solely on the basis of its pale colour	Central African Republic - metandrei	Bolton n.sp. in bicolor group
-	Head shape cordiform, clypeus with distinct medial notch which has sharp corners	-	.
5	Long slender species with elongated head and alitrunk	6	.
--	Relatively short and without obvious elongation of head or alitrunk	8
6	Frontal carinae with a single seta; TL 3.2-3.3 mm CI 91-94 SI 96-100; uniformly medium to dark brown	Mozambique - taylori	as "taylori" in camerunensis group
--	Frontal carinae with 2-3 setae, the posteriormost close to the level of the rear of the eye	7
7	More or less uniformly dark brown to black; TL 3.0-4.2 mm CI 83-92 SI 125-148	.	.
.		Cameroun and Congo Basin east to Kenya - camerunensis	new status in camerunensis group
--	Larger, TL 4.5-5.1 CI 70-74 SI 173-189, and more elongated; eyes set further forward; lighter in colour	Gabon - schoedli	new species in camerunensis group
-	.	-	.
8	Scapes surpassing the occiput	9	.
--	Scapes not surpassing the occiput	10	.
9	Scapes surpassing the occiput by about one-fourth of their length; TL ca 3 mm CI 96-100 SI 82-87; colour dark, pubescence abundant; fine brownish hairs on alitrunk and gaster; clypeus with wider median notch than voeltzkowi	.	.
.		East Africa - ilgi	in ilgi group
--	Scapes surpassing the occiput by one-third to two-fifth of their length; TL 2.5-3.0 mm (Bolton 2-7-3.7 mm CI 83-95 SI 92-116); clypeal notch narrow and deep; dorsum of head behind the clypeus entirely without erect setae; short inconspicuous pale pubescence all over; black, clypeus, femora and scapes brown, rest of appendages yellowish	Eastern & southern Africa - voeltzkowi	in textor group [dubious grouping as all others have the clypeal margin shallowly impressed]
-	.	-	.
10	Head roughly triangular with curved sides; propodeum profile no more than weakly convex	11	new species in lasiops group
--	Head, without the mandibles, as broad as long, deeply excavated behind; propodeum profile with a distinct rise from the metanotal groove and a domed transition to the decilivity	12	.
11	Dorsum of head behind the clypeus with 4 pairs of erect setae; TL 2.3-2.7 mm CI 87-91 SI 83-88; overall yellowish brown, gaster slightly darker	.	.
.	.	Cameroun, Gabon, Congo - lasiops	new species in lasiops group
--	Without erect hairs on the head or body; TL 2.8-3.3 mm CI 100-110 SI 67-76; antennal scapes slightly surpassing the occipital border; funicular joints 2 to 7 slightly longer than broad; base of propodeum nearly as long as the declivity, horizontal; pilosity well developed; colour anteriorly red-yellow, posteriorly dark brown;	Zaïre, Cameroun & Gabon - lujae	in lujae group
12	Antennal scapes not reaching the occipital border; funicular joints 2 to 7 broader than long; base of propodeum much shorter than the declivity, sloping forward; TL 2.25 to 3 mm CI 100 SI 67; head strongly cordiform, deeply scalloped posteriorly; eyes large, flat, anterior of mid-point of head; erect hairs fairly numerous on all surfaces; brown, gaster blackish (congolensis much lighter)	Congo Basin - laurenti	in laurenti group
--	TL 1.8 to 2.2 mm CI 97 SI 74; dull yellow, with brown gaster; smaller, alitrunk with no more than two pairs of erect setae on the pronotum (abraded but insertions clearly marked); over with much less obvious and finer pubescence and generally much shinier; gaster in contrast with more abundant but finer and longer erect setae; brownish-yellow with a darker but still yellowish gaster	Congo Basin - kohli	j.syn. of laurenti in laurenti group
	subgenus Technomyrmex	.	albipes group .
13	Dorsum of head behind the clypeus entirely without erect hairs (setae); clypeal margin with a shallow median impression less than semicircular	14	textor group; parviflavus complex
--	Dorsum of head behind the clypeus with erect hairs present	16
14	Decumbent but distinct hairs on all gastral tergites; TL 3.2 mm CI 89 SI 100	Cameroun - nsp Cameroun fk um20	new species
--	At least gastral tergites 1 without hairs	14A	.
14A	TL 2.5-2.8 mm CI 82-88 SI 122-129; third gastral tergite with suberect hairs; uniformly dark brown, except for yellow trochanters and the middle and hind coxae (apparently not always lighter)	.	.
.		West Africa & Congo Basin - senex	new species - textor group; parviflavus complex
--	With gaster distinctly darker than the head and alitrunk; gastral tergites 1-3 without setae	15	.
15	TL 1.9-2.9 mm CI 81-89 SI 110-126; overall dull yellow, head and gaster slightly darker; propodeal dorsum shorter than length of declivity to the spiracle	.	.
.		West Africa & Congo Basin - parviflavus	new species - textor group; parviflavus complex
--	TL 2.7-3.0 mm CI 81-83 SI 134-135; scapes longer and eyes slightly smaller than parviflavus, the propodeal profile shows the length of the dorsum to be greater than the length of the declivity to the spiracle	Gabon - sycorax	new species - textor group; parviflavus complex.
-	.	.	.
16	Gastral tergites 2-3 without setae; TL 3.4-3.6 mm CI 99 SI 85; head width and length approximately the same; with posterior wide and shallowly impressed; metanotal groove deep; propodeum declivity flat and sub-bordered; quite dense greyish pubescence not hiding fine dense puncturate sculpturation; black, appendages dark brown; shiny, with dense puncturation	.	.
.		Zaïre - rusticus	in albipes group but in no named complex.
--	Gastral tergites 2-3 with setae, ranging from 1-2 pairs to many	17	.
17	Dorsal or outer surfaces of middle and hind tibiae with numerous suberect to erect setae	18	.
--	Dorsal or outer surfaces of middle and hind tibiae without any setae	19	.
18	TL 2.75-3.25 mm CI 99 SI 97; shiny but muted by quite dense pubescence; erect hairs on all parts; rust-red with gaster black;	West Africa - semiruber	in albipes group
--	Queen only known; TL 5.4 mm CI 96 SI 92, generally like schoutedeni but with prominent fine setae all over	Cameroun - pilipes	unchanged, in schoutedeni group
-	.	.	.
19	Dorsal surfaces of pro- and mesonotum without setae	20	.
--	Dorsal surfaces of either pro- and mesonotum, or both, with at least one pair of erect setae	21
20	No image but very close to schoutedeni - TL 3.4-3.5 mm; clypeal notch broad and shallow, the median border without an impression; funicular joints shorter; colour yellowish red, gaster black, its segments narrowly bordered with yellow	Tanzania & Zaïre - zimmeri	in schoutedeni group
--	TL 3.6-4.3 mm CI 91-97 SI 92-108; scape surpasses occiput by about 1/6 its own length; alitrunk weakly convex with a marked suture; mesonotum dorsum slightly long than wide, with raised spiracles; propodeum strongly domed but more convex than in semiruber, spiracles well raised tubercular with a strong hair; head and pronotum subopaque, partly matt, very densely puncturate, rest of alitrunk matt and densely reticulo-punctate; gaster shiny but finely reticulate; very few erect hairs, 2-3 yellowish on alitrunk; pubescence yellowish, very fine, quite distinct and abundant throughout; brown, mandibles dull red, gaster dull yellow or slightly brown. Type worker image poor due to a covering of glue.	Zaïre - schoutedeni	in schoutedeni group
.	.	.	.
21	Head without erect setae behind the level of the posterior margin of the eye; gastral tergites 1-4 with numerous erect setae	22	.
--	Head with one or more pairs of erect setae behind the level of the posterior margin of the eye	25
22	TL ca 2.4 mm,  CI 89, OI 26; SI 100; uniform yellow-brown	Congo - new species Mayombe	in albipes group
--	Bicoloured or darker brown to black	22A	.
22A	TL 2.2-2.7 mm CI 88-92 SI 100-108; bicoloured, head and alitrunk yellow (posterior head and alitrunk dorsum often darker, as example), gaster black	Panafrican - nigriventris	in albipes group
--	Darker brown to black	23
23	Lateral margins of propodeal declivity without erect setae; TL 2.4-2.5 mm CI 87-92 SI 104-120; head longer than wide, much narrower anteriorly; eyes longer than wide; colour brown, erect hairs quite long	.	.
.		West Africa & Congo Basin - moerens	.
--	Lateral margins of propodeal declivity with 1-3 pairs of erect setae	24
24	Dark species, with pale tarsi, mandibles, scapes and funiculi; TL 2.4-2.9 mm CI 87-95 SI 91-102; scapes not surpassing the occiput; gastral tergites 1-4 with numerous erect setae; propodeum dorsum and declivity with a rounded transition	Tramp species - albipes	in albipes group
--	Propodeum dorsum and declivity with a distinct angle at the transition; larger eyes than albipes; TL 2.4-3.1 mm CI 85-93 SI 104-115	tramp species, not known from Africa - vitiensis	in albipes group
-	.	.	.
25	Larger species, HL > 0.80, HW > 0.75, SL > 0.70; propodeal profile with a long curved dorsum	26	.
--	Smaller species	27
26	TL 3.5-3.6 mm CI 97 SI 97; gaster black, strongly contrasting with the head and alitrunk; more densely hairy	.	.
.		Tanzania - hostilis	in albipes group
--	TL 3.4-3.5 mm CI 92-94 SI 99-100; generally uniform blackish-brown to black; middle and hind tarsi yellow lighter than tibiae and femora	.	.
.		Zimbabwe - menozzii	in albipes group
27	TL 2.2-2.5 mm 84-94 CI SI 92-106; variably coloured from generally uniform light brown to black; sometimes with the gaster darker; legs lighter than head and body	. .	.
.	.	Pan-African & Tramp - pallipes	in albipes group
--	TL 2.6-3.2 mm CI 90-97 SI 94-104; eyes smaller; more brightly coloured with head light orange-brown, alitrunk and petiole dull yellow, gaster slightly darker	.	new species in albipes group
.		Kenya & Tanzania - vapidus	new species in albipes group

Technomyrmex species (indet.) (1)

Described as widespread, 821 workers from fourteen sites, in Ghana semi-deciduous forest leaf litter by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b).

Technomyrmex species (indet.) (2)

Described as widespread, 168 workers from eleven sites, in Ghana semi-deciduous forest leaf litter by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b).

Technomyrmex species (indet.) (3)

Three workers found in secondary forest leaf litter at CRIG, Ghana, by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b) = nigriventris.

Technomyrmex species (indet.) (4)

In Ghana, three workers were found in primary forest (Mankrang Forest Reserve) and cocoa (Asiakwa) leaf litter by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b).

Technomyrmex species (indet.) (5)

Described as widespread, 530 workers from ten sites, in Ghana semi-deciduous forest leaf litter by Belshaw & Bolton (1994b).

From Bolton (2007) the three common species in Belshaw's findings can be deduced as T. andrei, T. moerens and T. parviflavus. The fourth remains enigmatic but T. andrei was sighted from Mankrang and T. parviflavus was sighted from Asiakwa.

Other unnamed forms

Technomyrmex species A

From Ghana at the Mampong Cemetery Farm on leaf litter and herbs under cocoa (Room, 1971); also on cocoa at Kade by Majer (1975). Also collected by Bigger (1981a) at CRIG, 6 workers by pkd from Amelonado cocoa canopy and 19 from the ground under the cocoa.

Technomyrmex species A/

From Ghana at the Mampong Cemetery Farm on leaf litter and nesting in dead wood under cocoa (Room, 1971).

Technomyrmex species B

Collected in Ghana by Bigger (1981a) at CRIG, 7 workers from the ground under Amelonado cocoa.

Technomyrmex species C

From Ghana at the Mampong Cemetery Farm on herbs under cocoa (Room, 1971).

Technomyrmex species D

From Ghana at the Mampong Cemetery Farm on leaf litter and nesting in dead wood under cocoa (Room, 1971).

Technomyrmex species 1

Found on Ghana cocoa at Kade by Majer (1975, 1976b), using pkd, with 14-20 workers per sample.

Technomyrmex species 6

From Ghana on cocoa mistletoe (Room, 1975).

© 2007. 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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