The Ants of Africa
Genus Monomorium
Monomorium mayri (Forel)

destructor-group (Parholcomyrmex)

The subgenus Parholcomyrmex was defined by Emery (1915i: 190), type species Monomorium gracillima (as Myrmica gracillima, now junior synonym of Monomorium destructor) - see {original description}. The main characteristics Emery listed were - slightly dimorphic workers; funiculus with a three-segmented club (Monomorium santschii with four segmented-club, type location Tunisia), the first two segments equi-sized.

{Monomorium mayri}

Monomorium mayri (Forel)

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location India (Monomorium gracillimum var mayri, Forel, 1902c: 209; Wheeler, 1923b: 3, male); junior synonym karawajewi (as Monomorium destructor r gracillimum var karawajewi, Forel, 1913d: 437) from Sudan .

Forel's (1902c) description is at {original description}. Forel's (1913d) description of karawajewi is at {original description}. Santschi (1936a) gave an illustrated description of karawajewi, this is at {original description}. Bolton's modern description (1987) is at {original description}

WORKER - TL 1.5-1.8 mm; diagnosis as in key; colour dark-brown; otherwise similar to destructor (in Bolton, 1987: 326, illustrated, alitrunk profile).

Bolton (1987) lists African findings from Mali, Niger & Sudan.
{Monomorium mayri}

Illustrated specimen - in my Guide as Monomorium species A (F998): TL 2.18 mm, HL 0.53, HW 0.47, SL 0.39, PW 0.26

Colour brown, gaster darker, unsculptured, shiny. Appendages yellow. Erect hairs moderately long but relatively sparse. Has a minute triangular subpetiolar tooth. SI = 83.

In Nigeria, the illustrated specimen was labelled "from cocoa" at CRIN (B. Bolton). I did not find this variant at CRIN and only saw the single sized specimen which is illustrated.

{Monomorium mayri}The photomontage is of specimens from Egypt, Taifa, Kafr Sheik, E 31°21' N 30°56'; 27.viii.2003, collector Mostafa Sharaf. Other images can be seen in the folder at - {original description}

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© 2007, 2008 - Brian Taylor CBiol FIBiol FRES
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