Phrynoponera sveni (Forel)

Bolton, B. & Fisher, B. L., 2008, The Afrotropical ponerine ant genus Phrynoponera Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 1892, pp. 35-52 : 49

Phrynoponera sveni (Forel)

(Figures 6a-d)

Pachycondyla (Bothroponera) sveni Forel , 1916: 398. Syntype workers, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: no loc. (Kohl) ( MHNG) [examined]. [Combination in Phrynoponera by Wheeler, W.M. 1922: 80.]

Worker. TL 10.5-11.4, HL 2.20-2.36, HW 2.15-2.26, CI 95-98, SL 1.88-2.00, SI 86-91, PW 1.76-1.88, WL 3.20-3.48, maximum diameter of eye 0.52-0.58, OI 24-27 (7 measured).

Mandible with 4 teeth, smooth with scattered setal pits; some fine striation also may be present. Median portion of anterior clypeal margin shallowly convex to almost flat, lacking a prominent tooth on each side of the midline. Dorsum of head irregularly rugose to reticulate-rugose medially, the rugae sometimes smeared and confluent, chaotic rather than well defined. More laterally on dorsum the sculpture becomes more strongly reticulate-rugose, never with sharply defined costulae that radiate from the midline. Outer pair of petiolar spines very much longer than the median spine; intermediate spines slender and distinctly shorter than the median. Gastral tergites 1 and 2 finely longitudinally costulate on a reticulate-punctate background sculpture. Gastral tergite 3 reticulate-punctate only, or with a few feeble costulae present. Mesosoma, petiole and gaster with patches of cuticle that show dull metallic blue reflections.

All specimens examined had 4 teeth on the mandible, but because other species show some variation in this, individuals with 5 teeth are probably to be expected. Cephalic sculpture is coarse and disorganised. In some specimens the reticulate rugae are quite sharply defined everywhere, the reticulae becoming more broad towards the lateral margins. In others, the rugae near the midline are close-packed and blunted, the reticulae small, and the overall appearance is of coarse but chaotic sculpture. In some other species, blue metallic reflections are frequent on the propodeal declivity and elsewhere, but in sveni they are more widely distributed and appear always to be present. Samples of this species have been collected from rotten logs, in leaf litter samples, in pitfall traps, and from termitaries.

Material examined. Cameroun: Mvini (A. Dejean); Ottotomo (A. Dejean). Gabon: Prov. Ogooue-Maritime, Res. Monts Doudou, NW Doussala (B.L. Fisher). Central African Republic: Res. Dzanga-Sangha, NW Bayanga (B.L. Fisher); Dzanga-Ndoki, Lidjombo (B.L. Fisher). Democratic Republic of Congo: Medje (Lang); no loc. (Kohl); Kongolo (A. Watsham).