Plagiolepis (Plagiolepis) mediorufa Forel
Type location Zaïre (Plagiolepis pygmaea, var
mediorufa, Forel, 1916: 437, not illustrated; raised to
species by Wheeler, 1922: 213); worker only known (see Bolton, 1995)
 .
Forel's description (1916, my translation) was -
WORKER- TL 1.1-1.4 mm; different from type (of pygmaea) by
having a narrower head, which is not impressed, especially convex
behind, with convex sides. Characteristic colour is head and gaster
brown; thorax of a more or less reddish yellow; coxae and funiculi
brown; rest of appendages yellowish.
Congo, St Gabriel, by Kohl, in a myrmecophytic plant.
Three specimens.
Raised to full species by Wheeler (1922: 213) with the following
comments -
numerous workers from Kisangani (Stanleyville; by Lang and Chapin),
taken from the leaf-pouches of Cola laurentii (also reported
by Bequaert, 1922: 418). This form was originally described as a
simple variety of the Palearctic P. pygmaea (Latreille), from
specimens taken by Kohl "dans une plante myrmécophile,"
near Stanleyville. It should, in my opinion, be regarded as a distinct
species on account of its peculiar habitat, for pygmaea nests
in the soil under stones. Moreover, the worker mediorufa, is
decidedly smaller, with much shorter antennae, the median funicular
joints especially being distinctly shorter than long, whereas in pygmaea
they are longer than broad. The head is proportionally smaller and
narrower, with more rounded sides and with the occipital border
straight or slightly convex, not concave as in pygmaea. [Pl.
pygmaea has a curious distribution with a type locality of France;
a subspecies minu from Greece; and two subspecies, bulawayensis
and mima, from Zimbabwe].
Collingwood (1985), describing species from Saudi Arabia, separated
pygmaea (which he noted as being South European, not found
south of the Maltese Islands) by its uninterrupted outline to the
dorsal alitrunk; eyes about the middle of the head; first funiculus
segment as long as combined 2 to 4; 2 & 3 subequal, broader than
long and each much shorter than 4; larger than 1.5 mm; colour pale
brown to dark brown, eye length two fifths or more of head length.
The photomontage is of a specimen from the Central African
Republic, Dzanga-Sangha NP; 02°53’25.9" N 16°10’26.4"
E 409m; A vue 17, 11.ii.2005, collector Philippe Annoyer Other images
can be seen in the folder at - 
|
