Dorylus (Anomma) molestus Gerstæcker - revived status

Type location Mozambique (Anomma molesta, Gerstæcker, 1858: 262, worker) collected by Peters; spelling molestus in agreement with Bolton (1995) .

Bolton (1995: 177) lists as a junior synonym antinorii from Ethiopia (Alaopone antinorii, Emery, 1881a: 275, illustrated, worker); it was combined in Dorylus by Dalla Torre (1893: 10) but that is the placement of Alaopone as a subgenus of Dorylus; further confirmed by Emery (1895j: 736), who curiously appears to link it with with D. (Rhogmus) fimbriatus. The synonymy with molestus is attributed by Bolton to Emery (1910b: 12) - . The antinorii drawing, although of a minor, is unequivocal and shows what can only be taken as an Alaopone from the overall shape and the nine-segmented antennae. I, therefore have transferred Dorylus antinorii as a distinct species within the subgenus Dorylus (Alaopone).

Gerstaecker's description was cited by Raignier & van Boven (1955) as - "Anomma molesta, n.sp.; rufo-brunnea, glabra, nitida, capite abdomineque obscurioribus, mandibulis minus elongatis, apice obtusiusculis, dente interno posteriore lato, valido, anteriore vix distincto, margine interstitiali leviter crenulato. Long. lin. 5 [TL = 10.6 mm]". In 1862, Gerstaecker added that the petiole was distinct, accepted by Wasmann (1904) and then others, Emery (1899e) etc., as the petiole being straight and narrow distinct with no postero-ventral teeth (similar to wilverthi and longer than arcens).

Forel (1909b) described the male of emeryi "(stanleyi ?n.sp...?)" in comparison with nigricans. TL 28-30 mm; HW 4.8, TL 6.6, abdomen 6.4; head with vertex near flat, slightly convex between the eyes. Frontal carinae less prominent, space between less concave; whole of head flatter, eyes smaller. Propodeal dorsum longer; petiole node larger; gaster slightly enlarged posteriorly, but less than in subgenus Rhogmus. Legs shorter. Wings darker brown. Pubescence less on thorax, less dense and more woolly, resembling grey brown felt. Specimen from Zaïre, Katanga, Mawambi, by Lemaire; rather bigger than type of emeryi.

From their detailed study of queens, Raignier & van Boven (1955) decided that the definition by Forel (1912j) was actually of a specimen identical with that of molestus, as described by Mayr (1896?) - presumably they referred to the comparative notes in Mayr's description of Dorylus emeryi. Forel's descriptions of workers collected in Entebbe, Uganda, are at . Note these drawings and my photographs (soldier and minima) are reasonably matched (the soldier head is straighter sided and narrower posteriorly than Dorylus burmeisteri, although the soldier petiole is shown as having postero-ventral teeth.

Bernard (1952) wrote that the worker was distinguished from all races of nigricans by having a slender, matt, petiole, not enlarged or angular posteriorly; other constant differences are of the antennae and the face. He did not comment on the posteroventral teeth. He related how Santschi (1914) thought it was the male of nigricans var molesta (on the grounds of molesta workers being the sole highland form of East Africa). However, in Santschi's collection, he (Bernard) had found the form grouped with stanleyi, the males being significantly different from nigricans. Thus, Bernard adopted the view that molesta workers were associated with the known males of stanleyi. Note - Bernard's use of stanleyi as the species name would be wrong if the association with molesta is correct.

Gotwald (1982) gave the illustration (right).

The photomontage is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0172660&shot=p1&project=null, collected at Chogoria, Kenya, by Caspar Schðning, 8.i.2002.

Wheeler (1922) listed very many findings of molestus (as a variety of nigricans) from eastern Africa and findings of stanleyi (males only known) from Congo and several from eastern Africa, including at 2420 m in Tanzania.

Guinea records were workers taken at Yanlé, Gama, Ziéla (Lamotte) and higher, around 700-900 m, by Villiers in the north-eastern primary forest of Mt. Nimba. It was less frequent than emeryi and nigricans, whereas in Katanga stanleyi was dominant (Bernard, 1952).

In Kenya, Gotwald (1974) investigated molesta from the central highlands, the Kakamega Forest and in the savannah (which in Kenya is at above 1500 m). The major prey organism were insects, although annelids were 22.2% of Forest prey.

Photographs of a queen collected in Kenya can be seen at http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0172663&shot=p1&project=null; with a male at http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0172663&shot=p1&project=null.