Phrynoponera gabonensis (Ern. Andre)

Brown, W. L., 1950, Morphological, taxonomic and other notes on ants., Wasmann Journal of Biology 8, pp. 241-250 : 246

Phrynoponera gabonensis (Ern. Andre) .

Bothroponera gabonensis Ern. Andre , 1892, Revue d'Entomologie Caen, 11:50, worker. Wheeler, 1922, Bulletin American Museum of Natural History, 45:76-77, fig. 11, worker, [[queen]], as Phrynoponera .

Pachycondyla (Bothroponera) gabonensis var. striatidens Santschi, 1914, Bollettino Laboratorio di Zoologia Generate e Agraria Portici, 8:315, fig. 4, [[queen]]. (New synonymy.)

Pachycondyla (Bothroponera) gabonensis var. robustior Santschi , 1919, Revue Zoologique Africaine, 7:82, worker. (New synonymy.)

Phrynoponera gabonensis var. esta Wheeler , 1922, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 45:77-78, worker, [[queen]]. (New synonymy.)

Phrynoponera gabonensis var. fecunda Wheeler , 1922, Ibid., p. 78, worker, [[queen]]. (New synonymy.)

Phrynoponera gabonensis var. umbrosa Wheeler , 1922, Idem., p. 78, worker, (New synonymy.)

I have examined the types of Wheeler's three varieties and specimens of what he considered to be typical P. gabonensis . All of these specimens came from the Congo, mostly from the stomachs of species of Bufo. At least some of each series came from Medje, and most are represented from Akenge. The differences between these forms are very slight, and in spite of careful examination, I cannot see the characters which Wheeler cites in several cases as points of differentiation. Where variation of perceptible degree does occur, it is extremely slight and seems to link Santschi's two varieties with the typical form. It seems to me that both Wheeler and Santschi were pushing even the weak varietal category to inexcusable extremes by placing names on these utterly insignificant variants. Though I have not seen specimens, I consider it at least a possibility that Phrynoponera heterodus Wheeler belongs in the synonymy of Phrynoponera gabonensis .