Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) kneri Mayr
Type location Ghana (Cremastogaster kneri n. sp.,
Mayr, 1862: 764, worker; Forel, 1913a: 125, queen - no
description) collected in the Akwapim Mountains; subspecies behanzini
(Santschi, 1915c: 251, worker) from Benin collected at
Cotonou, dakarensis (Santschi, 1914d: 349, worker) from
Senegal collected at Dakar by F. Silvestri, 1913; funerea
(Santschi, 1915c: 251, worker) from Cameroun collected at
Molundu, by Reichensperger; and pronotalis (Santschi,
1914d: 347, illustrated) from Nigeria collected at
Olokemeji, by F. Silvestri, 1913; placement of pronotalis
as a subspecies of kneri by Santschi (1926b); all forms
described (see Bolton, 1995)
 .
Mayr's (1862) description is at
 .
Santschi's (1914d) description of pronotalis, with dakarensis,
is at
Arnold (1920a: 525) gave an illustrated translation, this is at
 .
and  .
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Nigeria specimens (Taylor, 1979: 31). WORKER. TL variable
3.00-3.60 mm; largest HL 0.86, HW 0.86, SL 0.62, PW 0.50
Colour yellow-orange, gaster darker apically, shiny. Fine
reticulate sculpturation on lateral alitrunk and pedicel. Pilosity
sparse and difficult to see, few erect hairs. Profile of pro- and
mesonotum flat, mesonotum with a slight carina. Propodeum on a
lower level and with a flat dorsum. Propodeal spines long, acute
and upturned. Subpetiolar tooth moderately long and acute.
Santschi's (1915c) description of pronotalis variety
behanzini was -
WORKER - TL 2.7-3.4 mm; smaller and less sculptured than type,
striae (on face) more prolonged but front still shiny. Head
slightly less wide. Smaller specimens duller on head and thorax.
Anterior border of petiole node less transverse, somewhat concave,
angles spread in front, but a little rounded and raised while
upper face is slightly concave. Variety dakarensis in
contrast has a smoother head and the anterior border of the
petiole is transverse as in the pronotalis type. Specimens
from Benin, Cotonou, 8 workers. He added that luctans
and rugosior have the pronotum less strongly bordered
anteriorly; a feature he used to group rugosa-bequaerti-pronotalis.
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 Santschi's
(1915c) description of pronotalis variety funerea
was -
WORKER - differing from other varieties of the species by its
brown black colour; the thorax and head being almost black; the
appendages rust. Dorsum of head smooth, postclypeal notch weaker,
reticulation on thoracic dorsum slightly stronger. Scape slightly
surpassing the occiput. Pronotum less shouldered; mesonotum
dropping less sharply posteriorly and median carina effaced;
propodeum slightly wider between the spines. Petiole node with a
longer anterior edge. Specimens from Cameroun, Molundu, by
Dr. Bishmann.
Wheeler (1922) had other records from several places across
sub-Saharan Africa.
In Nigeria it nests in dead wood and under bark on
trees, including cocoa where it is moderately common and will nest
in old dry cherelles. Constructs tents of vegetable debris over
Homoptera (pseudococcids). Also found on native trees, coffee and
kola. Adenuga and Adeboyeku (1987) report it as attending a
homopteran on mango.
Found in Ghana, where Majer found it in 6.3% of his 144
pkd samples at Kade, with around 30 workers per sample (1975,
1976a, b, c), also earlier listed by Strickland (1948, 1951a).
Strickland (1951a) mentions it being found attending aphids on a
shrub in Togo, the only time he (possibly W.J. Hall) found
any member of the subgenus attending aphids. |
 The
photomontage is collated from
http://mcz-28168.oeb.harvard.edu/mcz/FMPro?-DB=Image.fm&-Lay=web&-Format=images.htm&Species_ID=30790&-Find
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 The
photomontage is of a specimen from Tanzania, Mkomazi Game
Reserve, 3°54.75' S 37°48.58' E, pkd collection from
Combretum molle, 8.iv.1995, by G McGavin. Other images can
be seen in the folder at - 
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