Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) bequaerti Forel

Type location Zaïre (Forel, 1913b: 319, worker & queen; Santschi, 1914d has an illustration) collected at Sankisia, by J. Bequaert; subspecies atraplex (Santschi in Wheeler, 1922: 155, worker) from Yakuluku, by Lang & Chapin; gerardi (Santschi, 1915c: 252, worker) from Kataki, by Gérard, and ludia (Forel, 1913b: 321, worker), collected at Lake Kabwe, by J. Bequaert - all from Zaïre, modica (Santschi, 1926b: 222, illustrated, worker; junior synonym saga, Santschi, 1937a: 56, worker from Kenya) from Uganda, mutabilis (Santschi, 1914b: 93, illustrated, worker) from Kenya and semiclara (Santschi, 1928d: 66, worker) from Zimbabwe (see Bolton, 1995) .

Forel's (1913b) description is at . Santschi's (1914b) illustrated description of mutabilis is at . Santschi's (1926b) description of modica is at . Santschi's (1928d) description of semiclara is at . Santschi's (1937a) description of saga, with a key to the varieties, is at .

WORKER (Nigeria specimens) - TL 3.02 mm, HL 0.75, HW 0.75, SL 0.65, PW 0.47
Colour brown, shiny. Sculpturation of slight striations on the lateral alitrunk. Pilosity moderate, erect hairs few. Alitrunk profile flat, metanotal groove not impressed but the propodeum is on a lower level and the posterior face of the mesonotum is angled. Propodeal spines long, straight, flat and acute. Subpetiolar spine blunt.

Santschi's (1915c) description of gerardi is - WORKER - TL 5 mm; darker red brown than type, including the scapes most of the femora and tibiae; gaster black; appendages otherwise rust. More strongly sculptured, with mesonotal carina more pronounced; propodeal spines shorter, less divergent and more slender. Petiole node slightly shorter. Specimens from Katanga, Kataki, by Dr Gérard.

Wheeler (1922) has the description (by Santschi) of variety atraplex as - Worker TL 4 mm; rather dull yellow; gaster, postpetiole and femora yellowish brown, tips of propodeal spines brownish black, contrasting with thorax; in other respects like the type and var. mutabilis but median impression of pronotum feebler.

Bernard (1952) listed 4 workers of this form, variety mutabilis, "known solely from Congo and eastern Africa", as collected in Guinea, Mt. Nimba, at station T 40, Ziéla, from a termite hill (Lamotte); also one alate queen from Camp IV, 1000 m.

In Nigeria it nests in dead branch ends on trees and in mummified cherelles (small aborted pods) on cocoa. Found on up to 1% of cocoa, often in association with Oecophylla longinoda (Taylor, 1977). Tends aphids on cocoa flowers. Also found on native shrubs and trees.

In Ghana, Belshaw & Bolton (1994b) found it, as a 'tourist', in leaf litter samples at three locations (primary forest at Atewa Forest Reserve, secondary forest at Bunso, and cocoa at Asiakwa) in the semi-deciduous forest zone.

The photomontage of atraplex is collated from http://mcz-28168.oeb.harvard.edu/mcz/FMPro?-DB=Image.fm&-Lay=web&-Format=images.htm&Species_ID=20845&-Find