Psalidomyrmex foveolatus André
Type location Sierra Leone (André, 1890: 314,
worker; NOTE - Emery, 1899e: 471, queen & male was a
description of P. procerus, correction by Emery 1901a)
collector A. Mocquerys; all forms described
.
André's (1890) description is at
.
Bolton's modern description (1975b) is at
.
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Nigeria specimen (Taylor, 1976: 31). WORKER. TL 8.42 mm,
HL 1.87, HW 1.65, SL 1.24, PW 1.03
Colour dark red-brown, shiny. Sculpturation as for genus.
Mandible falcate. Antennal scapes relatively short. First gastral
tergite not narrowed anteriorly, the foveolae on this segment and
the pronotal dorsum with a dense striation between them. Bolton
(1975b: 7, illustrated, first gastral tergite and petiole in
dorsal view) described generally larger specimens, TL 9.4-10.2.
Collected by me from soil at the base of a cocoa tree at the Cocoa
Research Instiiute of Nigeria, Idi Ayunre. Soil nesting and
foraging under the surface. Also recorded from "Ibadan"
probably CRIN (R.H. Booker) (Bolton, 1975b). |
Wheeler (1922) also listed it from Guinea (Kakoulima, F.
Silvestri) and Cameroun (Conradt; Bibundi, Tessmann).
Bernard (1952) reported findings (unlisted by Bolton, 1975b) from
Guinea - Kéoulenta, 500 m, sample D, 1 queen;
Station T134, Ziéla, savanna, without rocks, 4 workers (2
brown and 2 orange-yellow immatures - a state in which the large
Ponerines can remain for several months). He described it as
similar to the types of André, characterised by the ventral
border of the petiole with a sharp angle - rounded in other
species.
Elsewhere, known from Ivory Coast, at Lamto, Toumodi (J.
Lévieux); and Ghana, at CRIG, Kibi, Wiawso and
Asamankese (D. Leston; CRIG also by B. Bolton) (Bolton, 1975b).
In Ivory Coast also in Lévieux (1972). Bolton &
Brown (2002) reported findings from Ivory Coast, Palmeraie Lame,
by T. Diomande, and Iringou, by F. Krell; Cameroun, Ottotomo
Forest, by A. Dejean.
The holotype can be seen at
http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0101471
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