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Aenictus guineensis
| Aenictus guineensis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dorylinae |
| Genus: | Aenictus |
| Species group: | rotundatus |
| Species complex: | rotundatus |
| Species: | A. guineensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Aenictus guineensis Santschi, 1924 | |
Identification
Its sparse, erect, long setae, the presence of a developed subpetiolar process and the lack of a developed propodeal ridge separates this species from the rest of the species present in the rotundatus complex, except for Aenictus ugaduwensis and Aenictus rotundatus, and separation is feasible only via index analysis. It is more slender and presents more rectangular heads than Aenictus ugaduwensis (details under that species).
Aenictus guineensis is the western counterpart of the Southern and Eastern African A. rotundatus, and separating individuals can be difficult, especially with small, isolated individuals.
There are some characteristics that may separate series of workers, but it’s a matter of comparison and very variable among individuals. Some of these for A. guineensis are a more developed propodeal ridge (but as a thin line at most in larger individuals), smoother mandibles (which can become shagreened in the most sculpted A. rotundatus), more rectangular rounded subpetiolar process (against more shark-finned), slightly longer scapes and relatively more elongated petiole.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 13.37629° to 13.37629°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Benin, Guinea (type locality), Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal.
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Countries Occupied
| Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species. |
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Estimated Abundance
| Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species. |
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Biology
Castes
Known only from the worker caste.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- guineensis. Aenictus rotundatus st. guineensis Santschi, 1924b: 204, fig. 7b, 7b’ (w.) GUINEA.
- Type-material: 2 syntype workers.
- Type-locality: Guinea (“Guinée française”): Kakulima (F. Silvestri).
- Type-depository: NHMB.
- Subspecies of rotundatus: Bolton, 1995b: 59; Hita Garcia, et al. 2013: 201.
- Status as species: Taylor et al., 2018: 10; Gomez, 2022: 61.
- Distribution: Guinea.
Type Material
- Syntype, GUINEA: Kakulima (Silvestri) (1w) [CASENT0911438] NHMB [Examined by Gomez, 2022]; Syntype, same data (1w, beheaded) NHMB [Examined by Gomez, 2022]. The type material [CASENT0911438] presents two labels, as A. rotundatus v. guineensis and as A. guineensis.
Taxonomic Notes
Taylor et al. (2018): Type worker CASENT0911438, as Aenictus rotundatus Mayr stirps guineensis n.st., Santschi, 1924; type location Guinea. Additional prior record from Nigeria (Taylor, 1980, as Aenictus sp. 1). This species is some 75-80% of the size of the Eastern Africa species Aenictus rotundatus and has a notably more rectangular head and a flatter profile to the petiole among other differences. New record from Benin: J.-F. VAYSSIÈRES, Korobourou, RVA 3015, 9.xi.2012, M. indica orchard, Quadrat 1, série 1, variété Gouverneur, ground nesting, n = 2.
Description
References
- Gomez, K. 2022. A revision of the Afrotropical species of the Dorylinae ant genus Aenictus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on the worker caste. Belgian Journal of Entomology 124: 1–86 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.5898821).
- Santschi, F. 1924b. Descriptions de nouveaux Formicides africains et notes diverses. II. Rev. Zool. Afr. (Bruss.) 12: 195-224 (page 204, fig. 7 worker described)
- Taylor, B., Agoinon, N., Sinzogan, A., Adandonon, A., Kouaguou, Y. N., Bello, S., Wargui, R., Anato, F., Ouagoussounon, I., Houngbo, H., Tchibozo, S., Todjihounde, R., Vayssieres, J.F. 2018. Records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Republic of Benin, with particular reference to the mango farm ecosystem. Journal of Insect Biodiversity 8(1): 6-29 (doi:10.12976/jib/2018.08.1.2).