Cataulacus intrudens (F. Smith)

"intrudens" group
"rugosus" group Type location South Africa (Meranoplus intrudens, F. Smith, 1876d: 609, illustrated, all forms); junior synonyms batonga (Forel, 1913a: 114, worker) from Zimbabwe, baumi (Forel, 1901d: 304, all forms) from Angola, bulawayensis (Forel, 1914d: 218; Arnold, 1917: 391, worker & queen) from Zimbabwe, densipunctatus (Stitz, 1923: 163, worker) from Namibia, foveosquamatus (Santschi, 1937a: 58, illustrated, queen) from South Africa, gazanus (Santschi, 1928f: 208, worker) from Mozambique, hararicus (Forel, 1894b: 79, worker) from Ethiopia, intermedius (Santschi, 1917b: 287, worker) from Zimbabwe, johannae (Forel, 1895c: 250, worker & queen) from Madagascar, pseudotrema (Santschi, 1926b: 244, worker) from Tanzania, rugosus (Forel, 1894b: 78, worker) from Mozambique, subrugosus (Santschi, 1914e: 26, worker; Santschi, 1937d: 236, queen) from South Africa and umbilicatus (Santschi, 1937a: 59, illustrated, queen) from Mozambique; plus unavailable names krugeri (Prins, 1965d: 104, all forms) from South Africa and tangana (Santschi, 1928f: 209, worker & queen) from Tanzania; all forms known (in Bolton, 1974a: 43, illustrated) .

Bolton (1974a: 42ff) synonymized the many names given above and drew attention to this species, which he describes as the most common of the genus in southern and eastern Africa, and appears to recognise two main groups (also separated as far as South Africa was concerned in a key by Arnold, 1920a: 403). Bolton's modern description (1974a) is at and .

A group with fine or reduced sculpturation on the basal gaster - intrudens plus batonga, hararicus and intermedius -
Smith's (1876d) description of Meranoplus intrudens from South Africa is at - note that although Smith appeared to refer to an illustration of the worker, for comparison with the queen, his illustrations are of the queen and the male. A partial transcription (wrongly titled Smith, 1879) was given by Arnold (1917: 391), this is at . Forel's (1913a) description of batonga from Zimbabwe is at . An illustrated translation was given by Arnold (1917: 389), this is at .Forel's (1894b) description of hararicus from Ethiopia is at . Santschi's (1917b) description of intermedius from Zimbabwe is at . A translation was given by Arnold (1926a: 403, 404), this is at .

The photomontage is collated from http://mcz-28168.oeb.harvard.edu/mcz/FMPro?-DB=Image.fm&-Lay=web&-Format=images.htm&Species_ID=29235&-Find

The photomontage of a specimen apparently wrongly identifed as wissmanni is collated from http://mcz-28168.oeb.harvard.edu/mcz/FMPro?-DB=Image.fm&-Lay=web&-Format=images.htm&Species_ID=29233&-Find

A group with coarse sculpturation on the basal gaster - rugosus plus baumi, bulawayensis, krugeri, pseudotrema, gazanus and tangana -
Forel's (1894b) description of rugosus from Mozambique is at . A translation was given by Arnold (1917: 392), this is at . Forel's (1901d) description of baumi from Angola is at . A translation was given by Arnold (1917: 388), this is at . Forel's (1914d: 218) description of bulawayensis from Zimbabwe is at . Arnold's (1917: 391, 1920a: 404) translation of bulawayensis is at . Santschi's (1914e) description of subrugosus from South Africa is at , Arnold's translation is on the rugosus card (above). Santschi's (1926b) description of pseudotrema from Tanzania is at . Stitz's (1923) description of densipunctatus from Namibia is at . Santschi's (1928f) description of gazanus from Mozambique is at . Santschi's (1928f) description of tangana from Tanzania is at . Prins's (1965b) description of krugeri from South Africa is at .

Smith (1876d) reported observations by J.M. Hutchison, at Weenen in South Africa, of the species making formicaria in the thorns of a species of acacia.

Queens only are known of - Santschi's (1937a) description of foveosquamosus from South Africa is at and his description of umbilicatus from Mozambique is at .

The photomontage is of a specimen from Tanzania, Mkomazi Game Reserve, 3°57.996' S 37°48.128' E, pkd collection from Lanne schweinfurthii, 16.i.1996, by G McGavin. Other images can be seen in the folder at - This appears close to the description of the variety tangana given by Santschi (1928f), type location Tanga, Tanzania.