SUBFAMILY FORMICINAE - Genus Anoplolepis
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The Ants of Africa SUBFAMILY FORMICINAE - Genus Anoplolepis |
| Contents - Formicinae - FORMICINAE Introduction |
Revised after Bolton (2003: 267) - separating Anoplolepis as previously understood into two separate genera Anoplolepis (in Tribe Lasiini; with Zealleyella as a junior synonym) and Tapinolepis (in Tribe Plagiolepidini; with Mesanoplolepis as a junior synonym).
Bolton's prime separation points are :-
Anoplolepis - mandible with 6-9 teeth, when closed not concealed
by clypeus; dorsum of head behind clypeus with erect stout setae; eye
behind mid-length of head, and anterior arc of torus around eyes posterior
to and not touching clypeal margin; ocelli absent (sometimes one median
ocellus in largest workers); metatibia with a large distinct apicoventral
spur, with a coarse seta on each side; anterior face of gaster without
distinct concavity.
Tapinolepis - mandible with 5 teeth, when closed mostly concealed
by clypeus; dorsum of head behind clypeus without erect stout setae; eyes
set variably around midlength of head but anterior arc of torus around
eyes touching and slightly indenting clypeal margin; three ocelli
distinct; metatibia with a divergent pair of large coarse setae on each
side, no median spur; anterior face of gaster with distinct cavity, into
which the petiole fits when alitrunk and gaster in horizontal alignment.
Link to Tapinolepis page.
The genus was originally described as a subgenus of Plagiolepis by Santschi (1914b: 123), raised to genus by Emery (1925b: 16), it appears as a full genus in Bolton (1994, 1995), but was not separated in Bolton (1973a). Most were originally placed in Formica or Plagiolepis.
The original separation of Anoplolepis as a subgenus of Plagiolepis
(Santschi 1914b) appears to be a main ground of having the metanotum
indistinctly defined or obsolete (Arnold, 1922: 578-93). This feature was
shared by two subgenera -
Anoplolepis (Santschi, 1914b) with the meso-metanotal suture
obsolete, the metanotum-propodeum suture very feeble; dorsum of propodeum
not very convex, not higher or only slightly higher than the mesonotum;
head hardly narrower in front than behind; monomorphic, although in some,
if not all species, some workers are used as honey-storage vessels and
have the abdomen grossly distended.
Zealleyella Arnold (1922: 578-9) with the metanotum small, much
smaller than the mesonotum, from which it is feebly delimited; propodeum
convex and higher than the metanotum; large species often polymorphic.
Emery (1925b) separated Tapinolepis - with one species from
South Africa and one from Ethiopia. Santschi (1926a) clarified and
restated his definitions of the Genus and the subgenera Anoplolepis,
Zealleyella, Mesanoplolepis and Tapinolepis. These
are at 
;
together with a note on Mesanoplolepis he added later (1930b - as
to the subgenus having repletes but, unlike Zealleyella, not
different morphs in terms of head shape. All but one of the Mesanoplolepis
species are from eastern Africa, the odd one is from North Africa.
Bernard (1952) noted an unlabelled queen from Guinea (among the Mt. Nimba survey collection?), probably of the sub-genus Mesanoploplepis Santschi, of which queens were very poorly known. Bolton (1995) listed five species regarded as of this subgenus, all except Anoploplepis simulans (type location Tunisia) have type locations in southern Africa. Also it is only simulans of which the workers, males and queens are known. The South African species trimenii is known by workers and queens.
In Bolton's separation there are some anomalies which, as he gave no species details or even indication of any review, are questionable. For example Anoplolepis (Anacantholepis) bothae is given as Tapinolepis bothae [queen & male only known]; Anoplolepis (Anoplolepis) macgregori is given as Tapinolepis macgregori; and Anoplolepis (Anoplolepis) pernix is gven as Tapinolepis pernix. Typically, as in others of his generic revisions, Bolton synonymises subgenera and then creates species-groups, in this instance, under Anoplolepis, he wrote of the gracilipes group (being monomorphic) and the custodiens group (polymorphic).
Provisional key to workers from all Africa (based primarily on historical sources)
| 1 |  Polymorphic;
major workers with distinct ocelli, none in minors; major workers with
distinct metanotum; petiole with erect scale, usually with distinct
lateral vertical margination |
Anoplolepis subgenus Zealleyella - 2 |
| -- | 
Monomorphic and without ocelli; first four segments of funiculus
subequal; petiole with a thick erect scale |
Anoplolepis subgenus Anoplolepis - 4 |
|
Anoplolepis subgenus Zealleyella | - |
| ¤ | Queen & male only known | South Africa - nuptialis |
| 2 |  TL
3.3 (minor)-6.0 mm (major); scape surpasses occiput by one-third of its
length; head quadrate, sides moderately convex, posterior angles
slightly rounded and occiput straight; sculpturation fine and overall
shiny; erect pilosity yellowish, fairly dense on head and alitrunk;
major colour pale chestnut brown, genae yellowish, appendages lighter |
South Africa - rufescens |
| -- | Colour generally darker; scapes surpass occiput by no more than one-third of own length and much less so in majors | 3 |
| 3 |  TL
(major) 9.0-9.5 mm; head large and wide (HW 2.2 mm), rounded and
impressed posteriorly; propodeum with the dorsum relatively shallowly
convex and less convex and wider than others, declivity near flat, even
slightly concave between the spiracles; entire body is sculptured with
fine rugosity, densely packed giving a shagreened appearance; mandibles
are strongly longitudinally striate; whole body covered in decumbent
pubescence, greyish yellow, giving a remarkably silky appearance, on
gaster dorsum pubescence forms five evenly separated longitudinal lines,
running almost the entirety of the gaster, one forming a median line;
strong sparse erect hairs on all parts of the body, more abundant on the
posterior of the gaster, the anterior of the clypeus and the mandibles;
colour blood red, with a slight brown tint; internal border of
mandibles, apex of antenna, frontal carinae, apex of petiole and gaster
brown to near black |
Eastern & southern Africa - custodiens |
| -- | Possible junior synonym or variety of custodiens but overall slightly smaller and a pale yellow colour | South Africa - fallax |
| -- |  TL
2.7-7.0 mm; scape surpasses occiput by less than one-third its own
length; propodeum relatively short with high convexity, petiole scale
quite thin; head densely punctate-rugulose, alitrunk superficially
rugulose; without silky pubescence; colour dark rusty-reddish brown |
Southern Africa - steingroeveri |
|
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Anoplolepis subgenus Anoplolepis | - |
| ¤ | Queen & male only known | Kenya - bothae |
| ¤ | Queen only known | Gabon - opaciventris |
| 4 |  TL
3.8-4.2 mm; slender with scapes longer than body; legs also long and
slender, posterior pair one-third longer than whole ant; pale erect
hairs sparse; colour rufous-testaceous, gaster darker, appendages pale |
Only Zanzibar in Africa - gracilipes |
| -- | Generally stockier without obvious elongation | 5 |
| 5 | TL 2.0 mm, gaster 1.4; propodeum with 135° angle; colour brownish-yellow | Sudan - pernix |
| -- | TL > 2.5 mm | 6 |
| 6 | TL 3.0 mm; scapes surpass occiput by one-tenth of length; eyes occupy a quarter of sides of head; overall microscopic punctate rugulosity; colour dark brown or blackish brown, appendages largely ferruginous | Zimbabwe - macgregori |
| -- | Scapes surpassing occiput by more than one-third their own length | 7 |
| 7 | TL 2.7-3.0 mm; mandibles with 4-7 teeth, densely striate, clypeus strongly transverse, anterior margin rounded; scape without erect hairs quite long; propodeum dorsum horizontal, declivity oblique fairly short, petiole squamous erect anterior more convex than posterior; head subtly and finely coriaceous-rugulous, alitrunk similar, gaster more finely sculptured; colour fuscous brown-black, mandibles ochraeous, tibia and tarsi pale-yellow | Egypt - mediterranea |
| -- | TL > 3.0 mm; base colour testaceous yellow | 8 |
| 8 |  TL
3.2-3.5 mm; head distinctly narrower anteriorly; dorsum of propodeum
rounded, declivity flat, slightly concave basally and twice as long as
dorsum; mandibles finely striate; head and alitrunk densely and finely
punctate, matt; gaster microscopically reticulate, with a silky
appearance; rust coloured, pointed, erect hairs quite long on head and
gaster; colour testaceous yellow, gaster brown |
West Africa & Congo Basin - tenella |
| -- |  TL
3.5-3.75 mm; head evenly ovoid, as long as wide, sides arcuate, and
posterior angles strongly rounded, giving the head the shape of a
rounded square; large eyes set posterior of the mid-point of the head;
clypeus distinctly carinate, anterior border with a median obtuse angle;
petiole scale high but cuneiform, with a rounded dorsal profile;
apparently with much more numerous erect hairs than the other species;
head and alitrunk matt due to dense microscopic puncturation; more
superficial on the gaster; colour testaceous yellow, head and gaster
slightly darker, appendages paler. |
West Africa & Congo Basin - carinata |
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Subfamily Formicinae | © 2007, 2008 - Brian Taylor CBiol
FIBiol FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
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