Monomorium vaguum Santschi

Type location Zaïre (Santschi, 1930a: 68, illustrated, worker & queen; Bolton, 1987: 41, not illustrated) collected at Leopoldville, G. Maes, vi.1918; worker and queen described .

Santschi's (1930a) description is at . Bolton's modern description (1987) is at .

Nigeria specimen (as Diplomorium lujae, Taylor 1980a: 27). WORKER. TL 1.54 mm, HL 0.39, HW 0.31, SL 0.25, PW 0.19
Colour yellow-brown, darker on gastral apex, smooth and unsculptured, shiny. Erect hairs sparse but relatively long. Bolton (1987, not illustrated) gives the presence of a distinct clump of hairs on the anterior pronotum as diagnostic.

In Nigeria, it nests in dead wood and in crevices on trees, including cocoa. A moderately common species, found on 0.1-0.2% of cocoa trees at CRIN (Taylor, 1981). Tends aphids and may build or utilise tents. Also found on oil palm. Recorded from CRIN by B. Bolton (in Bolton, 1987), who saw the specimen in my voucher collection and told me that it was not Diplomorium lujae (personal communication); he does not, however, note my specimen in his list of material examined. Compare also with Diplomorium longipenne.

Elsewhere from eastern and southern Africa.

The photomontage is of a specimen from Ghana, collected by S Sky Stephens, 2006. Other images can be seen in the folder at -

The photomontage is of a specimen from Gabon, Pongara National Park; Gabon 92; 8.viii.2006; Yellow tray traps at edge of savannah; collected by Yves Braet. Other images can be seen in the folder at -

The photomontage is of a dark brown specimen from Congo, Brazzaville; 19.viii.2007; 24 h pitfall traps; collected by Yves Braet & Eric Nzassi, 2006. Other images can be seen in the folders at - t 1.8 , also light brown specimens at t 1.15 and t 1.18 .