Revision of the ant genus Bothroponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) from the African continent

Abdulmeneem M. Alnour Joma, University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract

The Afrotropical ants in the genus Bothroponera include the pumicosa, talpa, and sulcata species complexes. Species in the Bothroponera pumicosa species complex are mainly distributed in the southern part of Africa. This group of ants is characterized by having coarsely foveolate sculpture and by having either a raised a “v” or “u” shaped anterior medial area of the clypeus (anteclypeus), with or without a carina. The mandibles have 7 teeth in the majority of species and 8 teeth in the others. The eyes are relatively large. The scapes usually do not reach the posterior lateral corner of the head, but in some species they reach or slightly exceed the posterior corner. Members of this complex lack the metatibial gland on the anterior side of the metatibia. The African members of this complex include: Bothroponera aspera (stat. nov.), B. berthoudi (= variolosa syn. nov.), B. cariosa, B. cavernosa, B. granosa, B. laevissima, B. montivaga (stat. nov.), B. pumicosa, B. strigulosa, and B. umgodikulula. Several morphological characters distinguish members of the Bothroponera pumicosa complex, such as sculpture pattern, gastral segment form, scape length, and form of the anterior border and disc of the clypeus. A key to the workers with diagnoses and comparisons is provided, together with illustrations of each species as well as the distributions and information about the material examined and colored photographs of the species.

Subject Area

Ecology|Entomology

Recommended Citation

Joma, Abdulmeneem M. Alnour, "Revision of the ant genus Bothroponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) from the African continent" (2014). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI3682467.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI3682467

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