Dorylus (Dorylus) spininodis Emery

Type location Cameroun (Emery, 1901c: 194, illustrated, worker) collected by Conradt; subspecies longiceps (Viehmeyer, 1914c:26, worker, illustrated) from Tanzania, and variety punctus (Santschi, 1933b: 97, worker) from Zaïre; worker only known (see Bolton, 1995) .

Emery's (1901c) description (comparison is with politus) is at . Viehmeyer's (1914c) description of longiceps is at .

Wheeler (1922) lists findings from Cameroun (Victoria, F. Silvestri), Nigeria (Benin and Olokemeji, F. Silvestri), Congo and Uganda.

Nigeria specimen (as Dorylus (Dorylus) species B, Taylor, 1978: 17). WORKER. TL 7.0-3.5 mm. At least four morphs; largest HL 1.93, HW 1.59, SL 0.62, PW 1.00
Colour red-brown apices darker, legs yellow-brown. Sculpturation of minute scattered hair-pits; reticulation on lateral alitrunk, especially mesonotum, and lateral petiole. Erect hairs sparse but present on petiole as well as gaster; pilosity very sparse and very short. Head near parallel-sided. Mandibles with three blunt teeth. Anterior clypeal margin tridentate, one medial and one forward of each antennal insertion. Frontal carinae with highly raised medial portion to form a near-rectangular platform. Alitrunk flat dorsally. Subpetiolar process a long, rear-curved, narrow, blunt triangle.
I found it nesting and foraging in dead wood on the ground at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Idi Ayunre.

The photomontage is of a major specimen from Gabon, Estuaire, Pongara National Park, 20.ii.2006; in nest of sea turtle, Dermochelya coriacea; collector Maité Ikaran; ex Yves Braet.

Other images can be seen in the folder at -

The photomontage is of a media specimen from Gabon, Estuaire, Pongara National Park, 20.ii.2006; in nest of Dermochelya coriacea; collector Maité Ikaran, ex Yves Braet.

Santschi (1933b) describing D. (D.) spinodis Em. st. longiceps Stitz {actually Viehmeyer] v punctus n. var. had -
Worker - head elongated as with politus and longiceps with the colour clearer than the latter. It differs from spininodis and longiceps by the spine of the subpetiolar lamina reduced to a simple tooth, as in politus. It differs from the latter by having stronger and more dense puncturation, more dense even than spininodis. On the vertex the puncturations are separated by about three times their diameter; in the media and minor workers each puncture has a fine, erect hair inserted, more visible than in politus and spininodis. Zaïre, Kasaï, Makumbi, 28.x.1921, by Dr H. Schouteden.

From Guinea, 10 minor workers of ssp "longiceps var punctus" were collected from the savanna location of Kéoulenta (27.iii.1942, Lamotte) (Bernard, 1952)