Crematogaster wellmani

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Crematogaster wellmani
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Crematogaster
Species: C. wellmani
Binomial name
Crematogaster wellmani
Forel, 1909

Crematogaster wellmani casent0193751 p 1 high.jpg

Crematogaster wellmani casent0193751 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Subspecies
Synonyms

Defoliating activities have been observed in the African species Crematogaster buchneri, Crematogaster africana (Eguagie, 1973; Taylor, 2015) and Crematogaster wellmani (Bruno de Miré, 1969), whose workers attack the leaves, buds and flowers of several plants (Dejean et al., 2023).

Identification

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 6.15° to -17.93333°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Angola (type locality), Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Biology

Castes

Images from AntWeb

Crematogaster wellmani casent0902058 d 1 high.jpgCrematogaster wellmani casent0902058 p 1 high.jpgCrematogaster wellmani casent0902058 h 1 high.jpgCrematogaster wellmani casent0902058 l 1 high.jpg
Holotype of Crematogaster boxi. Worker. Specimen code casent0902058. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.
Crematogaster wellmani casent0902059 d 1 high.jpgCrematogaster wellmani casent0902059 h 1 high.jpgCrematogaster wellmani casent0902059 p 1 high.jpgCrematogaster wellmani casent0902059 l 1 high.jpg
Paratype of Crematogaster boxi. Worker. Specimen code casent0902059. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • wellmani. Crematogaster wellmani Forel, 1909b: 64 (w.) ANGOLA.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Angola: Benguela (C. Wellman).
    • Type-depository: MHNG (perhaps also MRHN).
    • [Misspelled as welmani by Santschi, 1916b: 500, and others.]
    • Santschi, 1916b: 500 (q.).
    • Combination in C. (Atopogyne): Santschi, 1916b: 500;
    • combination in C. (Acrocoelia): Emery, 1922e: 149;
    • combination in C. (Sphaerocrema): Santschi, 1926b: 218.
    • Status as species: Santschi, 1910c: 376; Forel, 1910e: 433; Santschi, 1916b: 500; Arnold, 1920a: 545; Emery, 1922e: 149; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 857; Menozzi, 1926a: 39; Santschi, 1926b: 218; Santschi, 1937d: 227; Menozzi, 1942: 168; Bolton, 1995b: 165; Hita Garcia, et al. 2013: 211.
    • Senior synonym of boxi: Bolton, 1995b: 165.
    • Senior synonym of dewasi: Bolton, 1995b: 165.
    • Senior synonym of retusa: Bolton, 1995b: 165.
    • Distribution: Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe.
    • Current subspecies: nominal plus luciae, weissi.
  • boxi. Crematogaster (Sphaerocrema) boxi Donisthorpe, 1945a: 10 (w.) GHANA.
    • Type-material: 8 syntype workers.
    • Type-locality: Ghana (“Gold Coast”): N Ashanti, 20 mi. N Wenchi, 15.v.1944, in pods of Sterculia tomentosa (H.E. Box).
    • Type-depository: BMNH.
    • Status as species: Donisthorpe, 1945d: 265.
    • Junior synonym of wellmani: Bolton, 1995b: 149.
  • dewasi. Sphaerocrema dewasi Bruneau de Miré, 1966: 240, fig. (w.) CAMEROON.
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Cameroon: Mampang (P. Bruneau de Miré).
    • Type-depository: MNHN.
    • Junior synonym of wellmani: Bolton, 1995b: 152.
  • retusa. Crematogaster (Atopogyne) wellmani st. retusa Santschi, 1916b: 500 (w.q.m.) ZIMBABWE.
    • Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens, syntype males (numbers not stated).
    • Type-locality: Zimbabwe (“Rhodesia”): Victoria Falls (G. Arnold).
    • Type-depository: NHMB.
    • Combination in C. (Acrocoelia): Emery, 1922e: 149;
    • combination in C. (Sphaerocrema): Santschi, 1926b: 219.
    • Subspecies of wellmani: Arnold, 1920a: 545; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 858; Emery, 1922e: 149; Santschi, 1926b: 219; Menozzi, 1942: 168.
    • Junior synonym of wellmani: Bolton, 1995b: 161.

Description

References

  • Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 165, Senior synonym of boxi, dewasi and retusa)
  • Dejean, A., Naskrecki, P., Faucher, C., Azémar, F., Tindo, M., Manzi, S., Gryta, H. 2023. An Old World leaf‐cutting, fungus‐growing ant: A case of convergent evolution. Ecology and Evolution 13: e9904 (doi:10.1002/ece3.9904).
  • Emery, C. 1922c. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Myrmicinae. [part]. Genera Insectorum 174B: 95-206 (page 149, Combination in C. (Acrocoelia))
  • Forel, A. 1909b. Fourmis du Musée de Bruxelles. Fourmis de Benguela récoltées par M. Creighton Wellman, et fourmis du Congo récoltées par MM. Luja, Kohl et Laurent. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 53: 51-73 (page 64, worker described)
  • Santschi, F. 1916b [1915]. Descriptions de fourmis nouvelles d'Afrique et d'Amérique. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 84: 497-513 (page 500, Combination in C. (Atopogyne))
  • Santschi, F. 1916b [1915]. Descriptions de fourmis nouvelles d'Afrique et d'Amérique. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 84: 497-513 (page 500, queen described)
  • Santschi, F. 1926b. Description de nouveaux Formicides éthiopiens (IIIme partie). Rev. Zool. Afr. (Bruss.) 13: 207-267 (page 218, Combination in C. (Sphaerocrema))

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Adenuga A. O. 1975. Mutualistic association between ants and some Homoptera - its significance in cocoa production. Psyche 82: 24-28.
  • Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2018. Notes on ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Gambia (Western Africa). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 26: 1-13.
  • Delage-Darchen B. 1971. Contribution à l'étude écologique d'une savane de Côte d'Ivoire (Lamto). Les fourmis des strates herbacée et arborée. Biologia Gabonica 7: 461-496.
  • Donisthorpe H. 1945. New and rare species of Crematogaster Lund (Hym. Formicidae) from the Gold Coast, etc. Entomologist 78: 10-11.
  • Donisthorpe H. 1945. On a small collection of ants (Hym., Formicidae) from West Africa, associated with Coccidae. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (11)12: 265-273.
  • Garcia F.H., Wiesel E. and Fischer G. 2013.The Ants of Kenya (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)—Faunal Overview, First Species Checklist, Bibliography, Accounts for All Genera, and Discussion on Taxonomy and Zoogeography. Journal of East African Natural History, 101(2): 127-222
  • Hita Garcia, F., G. Fischer, M.K. Peters, R.R. Snelling and H.W. Wagele. 2009. A preliminary checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Kakamega Forest (Kenya). Journal of East African Natural HIstory 98(2): 147-165.
  • IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
  • Majer J. D. 1976. The ant mosaic in Ghana cocoa farms: further structural considerations. Journal of Applied Ecology 13: 145-155.
  • Medler J. T. 1980: Insects of Nigeria - Check list and bibliography. Mem. Amer. Ent. Inst. 30: i-vii, 1-919.
  • Ross S. R. P. J., F. Hita Garcia, G. Fischer, and M. K. Peters. 2018. Selective logging intensity in an East African rain forest predicts reductions in ant diversity. Biotropica 1-11.
  • Santschi F. 1910. Formicides nouveaux ou peu connus du Congo français. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 78: 349-400.
  • Santschi F. 1937. Résultats de la Mission scientifique suisse en Angola (2me voyage) 1932-1933. Fourmis angolaises. Revue Suisse de Zoologie. 44: 211-250.
  • Taylor B. 1979. Ants of the Nigerian Forest Zone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). III. Myrmicinae (Cardiocondylini to Meranoplini). Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria Research Bulletin 6: 1-65.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004
Retrieved from "https://antwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Crematogaster_wellmani&oldid=716650"