Crematogaster (Crematogaster) sjostedti Mayr

TL 3.1-3.6 mm; the main diagnostic characteristics seem to be - short funiculus segments and a fairly short scape; a median carina on the dorsal mesonotum; short propodeal spines.

It seems quite clear that the synonymy, some of which derives from Santschi (1930b: 69), is far from satisfactory. The illustrations provided by Arnold show major variations in, for instance, length of propodeal spines. Thus, I have separated what appear from the literature to be two distinct species - gerstaeckeri and sjostedti. The synonymy as given in Bolton's Catalogue (1995: 153) can be found under Crematogaster gerstaeckeri.

Type location Tanzania (Cremastogaster sjöstedti, Mayr, 1907b: 17, worker; listed as a stirps of gerstaeckeri by Santschi, 1930b: 69 BUT without any explanation); subspecies godefreyi (Forel, 1914d: 237, worker; junior synonym carininotum, Santschi, 1917b: 279, worker, from Zimbabwe, synonymy Santschi, 1918d: 184) from South Africa; rufescens (Santschi, 1919b: 236, worker; Wheeler, 1922: 844) and zulu (Santschi, 1920b: 15, worker & queen; Wheeler, 1922: 855) from South Africa; bulawayensis (Cr. africana, r buchneri var bulawayensis, Forel, 1913a: 125, worker), infaceta (Santschi, 1916b: 498, worker), inquieta (Santschi, 1928d: 65, worker), pudica (Santschi, 1916b: 499, worker; Santschi, 1930b: 69) from Zimbabwe; kohliella (Forel, 1916: 409, worker) from Zaïre, at St. Gabriel, by Kohl (in Santschi, 1918d: 185) and oraclum (Forel, 1913b: 323, worker) from Zaïre, ?Sankisia by J. Bequaert; pulla (Santschi, 1914b: 94, worker; Wheeler, 1922: 844) from Kenya; also sjostedti var. tricoloroides, Santschi, 1937a: 55, worker) from Kenya; all forms described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Mayr's (1907b) description is at . Forel's (1913b) description of oraclum is at . Forel's (1914d) description of godefreyi is at . Santschi's (1914b) description of pulla is at . Forel's (1916) description of kohliella, as strain of sjostedti, is at . Santschi's (1916b) description of bulawayensis, infaceta and pudica is at and Arnold (1920a) gave an illustrated translation of bulawayensis, which he regarded as a full species; this is at . Arnold (1920a) gave a translation of carininotum, as a race of neuvillei which he regarded as a full species, this is at . Arnold (1920a) gave an illustrated translation of godefreyi [as godfreyi], this is at . Arnold (1920a) gave a translation of foraminicipoides, as a variety of godefreyi, this is at . Arnold (1920a) gave a translation of infaceta, as a race of bulawayenis, and its variety pudica, this is at . Arnold (1926) gave a translation of bulawayensis varieties rufescens and zulu, this is at . Santschi's (1928d) description of inquieta, as a variety of sjostedti, is at . Santschi's (1937a) description of tricoloroides, as "Crematogaster (Acrocelia) gerstaeckeri st. sjostedti var. tricoloroides", is at .

The photomontage of bulwayensis is collated from http://mcz-28168.oeb.harvard.edu/mcz/FMPro?-DB=Image.fm&-Lay=web&-Format=images.htm&Species_ID=29119&-Find. Photographs of pudica can be seen at http://mcz-28168.oeb.harvard.edu/mcz/FMPro?-DB=Image.fm&-Lay=web&-Format=images.htm&Species_ID=29123&-Find.

Bequaert (1922, p 407) cited kohliella as collected by Father Kohl from in myrmecophilous plants. He also (p 370) described finding it (as ssp oraclum of Crem. gallicola) as very common at Sankisia (Zaïre) in a cecidium on the branches of Dalbergia bequaerti.

The photomontage is of a specimen from Tanzania, Mkomazi Game Reserve, 3°54.75' S 37°48.50' E, pkd collection from Combretum molle, 9.iv.1995, by G McGavin. Other images can be seen in the folder at -