Nesomyrmex Wheeler, 1910

Garcia, Francisco Hita, Mbanyana, Nokuthula, Audisio, Tracy Lynn & Alpert, Gary D., 2017, Taxonomy of the ant genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) in the Afrotropical region, with a review of current species groups and description of a new species of the N. angulatus group from Mozambique, European Journal of Taxonomy 258, pp. 1-31 : 5-7

Genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler, 1910

Review of Afrotropical Nesomyrmex species groups

Synoptic list of Afrotropical Nesomyrmex species

Nesomyrmex angulatus species group

Nesomyrmex angulatus ( Mayr, 1862) [ Algeria, Botswana, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Tunisia, Yemen, Zimbabwe]

= Nesomyrmex angulatus ilgii ( Forel, 1894)

= Nesomyrmex latinodis ( Mayr, 1895)

= Nesomyrmex angulatus concolor ( Santschi, 1914)

Nesomyrmex denticulatus ( Mayr, 1901) [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex evelynae ( Forel, 1916) [ Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Ghana, D.R. Congo, Kenya, Uganda]

Nesomyrmex grisoni ( Forel, 1916) [ Central African Republic, D.R. Congo, Ghana]

Nesomyrmex inhaca sp. nov. [ Mozambique]

Nesomyrmex innocens ( Forel, 1913) [D.R. Congo, Kenya]

Nesomyrmex stramineus ( Arnold, 1948) [ South Africa, Swaziland]

Nesomyrmex cataulacoides species group

Nesomyrmex cataulacoides ( Snelling, 1992) [ Cameroon, Kenya]

Nesomyrmex humerosus species group

Nesomyrmex humerosus ( Emery, 1896) [ Kenya, Tanzania, Yemen]

Nesomyrmex simoni species group

Nesomyrmex antoinetteae Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex braunsi (Forel, 1912) [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex cederbergensis Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex entabeni Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex ezantsi Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex inye Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex karooensis Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex koebergensis Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex larsenae Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex mcgregori Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex nanniae Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex njengelanga Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex ruani Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex saasveldensis Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex simoni (Emery, 1895) [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex tshiguvhoae Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

Nesomyrmex vannoorti Mbanyana & Robertson, 2008 [ South Africa]

The following newly developed identification key to species groups is loosely based on Bolton (1982) and Mbanyana & Robertson (2008), and also incorporates ideas from Snelling (1992).

Identification key to Afrotropical Nesomyrmex species groups (workers)

1. Antennae with 11 segments ( Fig. 2A ); petiolar node and postpetiole with conspicuous and very well developed lateral spines ( Fig. 2B ) …………………………………… N. cataulacoides group

– Antennae with 12 segments ( Fig. 2D ); petiolar node and postpetiole never with conspicuous and very well developed lateral spines as above, at most petiolar node with small, lateral denticles ( Fig. 2C , E–F) ………………………………………………………………………………………2

2. Anterior clypeal lobe short, flat-margined, and never convex, lobe with a small median triangular projection ( Fig. 3A ); pronotum anterodorsally sharply marginate, with sharp, dentate corners ( Fig. 2C ); petiole barrel-shaped with very weakly developed, short and triangular petiolar node ( Fig. 3B ) ……………………………………………………………………… N. humerosus group

– Anterior clypeal lobe always conspicuously developed, usually convex and variably rounded, sometimes flat, but never with a small median triangular projection ( Fig. 3C ); pronotum anterodorsally either rounded or weakly marginate but without sharp, dentate corners ( Fig. 2 E–F); petiole variably shaped, but never as above, usually with very well developed petiolar node ( Fig. 3D ) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………3

3. Propodeal spines present and conspicuous, usually long and narrow, in profile distinctly longer than their basal width ( Fig. 4 A–B); hairs on dorsum of mesosoma always present, short, and blunt ( Fig. 4 A–B) …………………………………………………………………… N. angulatus group

– Propodeal spines usually absent ( Fig. 4D ), if present, then very short and broad, in profile no longer than their basal width ( Fig. 4C ); hairs on dorsum of mesosoma variably developed: usually long, fine and acute, sometimes absent, and only very rarely short and blunt …………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………… N. simoni group

Figures

Fig. 2. Part of head in full-face view showing the antennae (antennal segments are counted in Roman numerals) and dorsum of mesosoma. A–B. Nesomyrmex cataulacoides (Snelling, 1992) (CASENT0172593, CASENT0178301). C. N. humerosus (Emery, 1896) (CASENT0906196). D. N. evelynae (Forel, 1916) (CASENT0178298). E. N. stramineus (Arnold, 1948) (CASENT0922011). F. N. braunsi (Forel, 1912) (CASENT0909209).

Fig. 3. Anterior cephalic dorsum (white ellipse around anterior clypeus) and body in profile. A–B. N. humerosus (Emery, 1896) (CASENT0906196). C. N. angulatus (Mayr, 1862) (CASENT 0235552). D. N. angulatus (Mayr, 1862) (CASENT0922010).

Fig. 4. Body in profile. A. Nesomyrmex evelynae (Forel, 1916) (CASENT0178298). B. N. angulatus (Mayr, 1862) (CASENT0922010). C. N. simoni (Emery, 1895) (CASENT0904790). D. N. braunsi (Forel, 1912) (CASENT0909209).