Cataulacus fricatidorsus

Identification
Separable from Cataulacus wissmannii by details of structure and sculpturation, fricatidorsus may be distinguished from its immediate relatives by the form of margination and denticulation of the pronotum. When experience identifying the species of this group has been acquired it is apparent that in the present species the gaster tends to be proportionally shorter and broader than in related forms; also the tergite and sternite of the first segment tend to be strongly convex, giving the gaster a markedly short and stocky aspect. (Bolton 1974)

Distribution
This taxon was described from South Africa.

Nomenclature

 *  fricatidorsus. Cataulacus otii st. fricatidorsus Santschi, 1914e: 26 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. Raised to species: Bolton, 1974a: 42.

Worker
Bolton (1974) - TL 3.5 – 3.8, HL 0.92 – 0.96, HW 0.98 – 1.04, CI 106 - 108, EL 0.40, OI 38-41, IOD 0.74 – 0.80, SL 0.48 – 0.50, SI 48 - 50, PW 0.82 – 0.86, AL 0.98 – 1.06, MTL ca 0.50 (2 measured).

Occipital crest absent, the vertex curving into the occiput through an obtuse angle. Occipital corners dentate and with a denticle on the occipital margin close to the corner tooth. Sides of head behind eyes denticulate; the preocular tooth usually reduced and rounded. Pronotum strongly marginate, the marginations expanded laterally so that they distinctly overhang the sides of the segment. Margination equipped with a number of irregular, rounded, tuberculiform denticles, some of which appear to be composed of two or more denticles fused together. Alitrunk strongly narrowed behind the pronotum. Mesonotum marginate but very weakly so, with one or two denticles. Propodeum with one or two lateral denticles and armed with a pair of short, acute spines. Dorsal alitrunk without any trace of sutures. Sides of first gastral tergite not marginate.

Dorsum of head finely reticulate-rugose with reticulate-punctate interspaces. Dorsal alitrunk similarly sculptured but the rugulation extremely fine except on the propodeum, where it is coarser than at any other place on the body. Dorsal surfaces of petiole and postpetiole longitudinally rugose. First gastral tergite strongly reticulate-punctate, without rugulae except at the base where a few longitudinal rugulae occur.

All dorsal surfaces of head and body with erect, stout, short hairs. In profile the hairs on the first gastral tergite are seen to be much denser basally and apically than in the centre of the sclerite.

Type Material
Bolton (1974) - Syntype workers, SOUTH AFRICA: Xatal, Zulu land, Dukudu, 27.vii.1905 (I. Triigardh) (NM, Basle) [examined].

Additional References

 * [[Media:Bolton 1974a.pdf|Bolton, B. 1974a. A revision of the Palaeotropical arboreal ant genus Cataulacus F. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Entomol. 30: 1-105 PDF]]