Crematogaster (Atopogyne) kohli Forel

Type location Zaïre (Forel, 1909b: 70, worker, not illustrated; Forel, 1915c: 340, queen) from Kisangani [Stanleyville], by Kohl; subspecies winkleri (Forel, 1909b: 69, worker; Forel, 1913a: 124, queen) from Cameroun, collected at Victoria, by H. Winkler; plus unavailable names variety fickendeyi (Forel, 1913a: 125, worker) from Cameroun, collected at Victoria, by Fickendey; and transversiruginota (Forel, 1916: 410) worker from Zaïre; worker and queen described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Forel's (1909b, 1915c) description, with winkleri is at .
My translation of the type is -
WORKER - TL 2.5-2.7 mm; very similar to Crematogaster inconspicua Mayr (in subgenus Crematogaster) in having [my interpretation] a mid-thorax depression [I suspect as shown in Crematogaster depressa]; also the postpetiole is deeply incised posteriorly, but without an anterior notch. In contrast, kohli is shorter and stockier; the scapes do not reach the posterior quarter of the head; the flat mesonotum has an anterior median longitudinal prominence (the mesonotum is convex and without a carina in inconspicua). Propodeal spines as long as the basal interval and quite sharp. Head impressed behind, wider than long. Similar in the first instance to africana but differing mainly in the depressed thorax which resembles that of inconspicua.
Shiny, very finely and feebly shagreened, with sparse puncturations; thorax less shining, because of very fine longitudinal striae.
Almost no erect hairs. Pubescence fairly weak, more on tibiae and scapes which lack erect hairs.
Very black; legs and scapes dark brown; mandible, funiculi and tarsi dark red brown.
FEMALE - TL 6.7 mm; scutellum prominent; propodeum subvertical, high, with spines about as long as the inter-basal space; sculpturation of head more feeble than worker, with occiput quite shiny. In that, similar to foraminiceps, prompting the question of how valid is the separation? The sparse hair pits are stronger and more abundant between the fine striations.
Specimens from Kisangani [Stanleyville] by Kohl; later also from St. Gabriel, by Kohl from carton nests, 10-20 cm in size, on larger trees.

Forel's (1909b) description of winkleri was -
TL 2.8-4.6 mm; larger than the type - of africana - with a more compact central mesonotal carina; propodeal spines more robust and petiole node larger and more rounded.
The winkleri were from cocoa farms in Victoria, Cameroun, collected by Winkler; others were among Crematogaster specimens E. André had asked him to identify from Congo, collected by Father Hermann Kohl and Professor Laurent, botanist, from in the stems of plants. These included this species (as winkleri), samples No. 104, 105, 106 and 108, from Olombo, Eala and Bokala in hollow twigs of Barteria dewvrei, Cuviera angolensis and Plectroctonia laurentii. Forel (1911f) later reported winkleri from Zaïre, Kasai, Kondué by Luja.
Later, Forel (1911e) had .

On fickendeyi, Forel (1913a) wrote - worker, TL 3.3-5.3 mm; differing (from winkleri) in having a very wide, almost circular, petiole, much wider than the postpetiole; the latter is also distinctive with a superficial longitudinal groove; entirely black, as the gaster; Victoria, ameroun, by Fickendey; also collected at Kasai, Kondué, Congo, by Luja.
Forel (1916) separated winkleri n var transversiruginota as - Workers, TL 3.2-4 mm; a big as the biggest winkleri but distinguished by having the mesonotum strongly truncate and the dorsal carina short; the dorsum of the propodeum has strong transverse rugae; petiole a little wider anteriorly; from Motombe on the Okiavo River; taken from a carton nest some 50 cm tall.

Wheeler (1922) included other findings of winkleri from Nigeria (Oni Camp, east of Lagos, by W.A. Lamborn; Old Calabar, by Bates, see below) and Cameroun (Johann-Albrechtschöhe, by Conradt).

In the Congo Basin, Bequaert (1922, p 407) cited it as collected by Father Kohl from in myrmecophilous plants. He also reported it from the low tree or shrub, Sarcocephalus species (p 459) - seen in the Ituri Forest and near Masongo (Zaîre). The domatia were inconspicuous (illustrated), being no more than a very slight swelling on the upper half or two-thirds of an internode. When inhabited, ants often had made a small circular opening just below the node. All ants observed were small Crematogaster; those identified were kohli (as Crem. africana ssp winkleri variety fickendeyi) - "a form commonly found nesting in other places". The ants had established regular colonies in the cavities with a queen, workers and brood, together with coccids fixed on the inner walls of the stem. Another host plant was Plectronia laurentii.

Crematogaster (Atopogyne) species 4 - Nigeria specimens

Propodeal spines down curved. Body shiny, sculpture coarse. Monomorphic. No subpetiolar spine.

From Nigeria, in Bolton's key to CRIN species (unpublished, 1969).