 Closely
related to
Aphomomyrmex
afer, the only other African member of the Tribe. Both
ant species are inhabitants of subspecies of the forest
understorey tree Leonardoxa africana and have been
extensively studied by Doyle McKey and colleagues - see
McKey studies for details and
reference list.
P. phylax is found solely as an occupant of domatia of
the L. africana subspecies africana (ssp L4 or T4
in earlier papers), which is as very specialised myrmecophyte
apparently with an obligate mutualistic relationship with this
sole species of ant. Another ant,
Cataulacus
mckeyi, also is found solely as an occupant of L.
africana africana but this ant is thought to be a parasite of
the Leonardoxa-Petalomyrmex relationship benefitting from
the association with the tree but conveying no benefit on its
host.
As the host tree is found only in a limited area of coastal rain
forest in Cameroun (approximately that shown as the "area of
2001 collections" in Map 7,
the geographical range of the ant is pretty well known - from ca 4°28'N
to 2°34'N, and no further than 10°25'E.
The photomontage is of a specimen of this very small species
that was sent to me by Professor Doyle McKey.
Other images can be seen in the folder at -
|
The
photomontage is collated from