Lepisiota cacozela

Lepisiota cacozela
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Plagiolepidini
Genus:	Lepisiota
Species:	L. cacozela
Binomial name
Lepisiota cacozela (Stitz, 1916) Specimen Labels

A relatively rarely species reported from Nigeria and the Congo Basin. In Nigeria it is quite common, especially on cocoa, where it can be a sub-dominant, with Crematogaster africana, on 5-10% of trees, at 53 of 76 farms examined and regarded as negatively associated with Oecophylla longinoda (Taylor 1977; Taylor & Adedoyin 1978; Taylor et al., 2018). It nests in dead branches and tends aphids and coccids where it builds tents of vegetable and other debris over feeding areas. It forages on native herbaceous vegetation and trees, including Anacardium occidentale and Acacia gourmaensis, and on cashew, kola and in mango (Mangifera indica) orchards, where it was observed antagonist of Oecophylla longinoda. (Taylor et al., 2018)

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 6.5° to 3.73503°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Benin, Congo (type locality), Ivory Coast.

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.

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.

Nomenclature

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

• cacozela. Acantholepis capensis var. cacozela Stitz, 1916: 395 (w.) CONGO. [First available use of Acantholepis capensis st. canescens var. cacozela Santschi, 1914b: 126; unavailable name.] Combination in Lepisiota: Bolton, 1995b: 227. Raised to species: Santschi, 1935a: 270.

References

• Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 227, Combination in Lepisiota)
• Santschi, F. 1935a. Fourmis du Musée du Congo Belge. Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr. 27: 254-285 (page 270, Raised to species)
• Stitz, H. 1916. Formiciden. Ergeb. Zweiten Dtsch. Zent.-Afr. Exped. 1: 369-405 (page 395, 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).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Kone M., S. Konate, K. Yeo, P. K. Kouassi, K. E. Linsemair. 2010. Diversity and abundance of terrrestrial ants along a gradient of land use intensification in a transitional forest-savannah zone of Cote d'Ivoire. Journal of Applied Biosciences 29: 1809-1827.
• Kone M., S. Konate, K. Yeo, P. K. Kouassi, and K. E. Linsenmair. 2012. Changes in ant communities along an age gradient of cocoa cultivation in the Oumé region, central Côte d’Ivoire. Entomological Science 15: 324–339.
• Stephens S. S., P. B. Bosu, and M. R. Wager. 2016. Effect of overstory tree species diversity and composition on ground foraging ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in timber plantations in Ghana. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & management 12(1-2): 96-107.
• Stitz H. 1916. Formiciden. Ergebnisse der Zweiten Deutschen Zentral-Afrika Expedition 1: 369-405.
• Taylor B., N. Agoinon, A. Sinzogan, A. Adandonon, Y. N'Da Kouagou, S. Bello, R. Wargui, F. Anato, I. Ouagoussounon, H. Houngbo, S. Tchibozo, R. Todjhounde, and J. F. Vayssieres. 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): 006–029.
• Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. II. The ants collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 39-269.
• 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