Crematogaster melanogaster

The limited number of specimen records show C. melanogaster has been found in various habitats such as fynbos, karoo and strandveld. The ants were obtained from a rotten log, pitfall traps, and under a rock.

Identification
Collingwood and Agosti (1996) - This species was keyed but not named or described in Collingwood (1985). It is characterized by the exceptionally long straight propodeal spines which are more than one third the head width and the colour contrast between the yellowish-red head and alitrunk and the dark gaster.

Distribution
Sharaf et al. (2019): This species was described from South Africa for the Afrotropical region and it seems to be restricted to the southern African countries of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa (Guénard et al. 2017; Janicki et al. 2017). The only records for the Arabian Peninsula are from Oman (Collingwood and Agosti 1996; Borowiec 2014; Sharaf et al. 2018). However, the record from Oman appears doubtful based on the strange distribution pattern of the species. Since we were unable to examine any material of this species, we consider it prudent to list it as an Arabian species for the moment.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Oman.

Nomenclature

 *  melanogaster. Crematogaster arborea subsp. melanogaster Emery, 1895h: 29 (w.q.) SOUTH AFRICA. Combination in C. (Crematogaster): Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 840; in C. (Acrocoelia): Emery, 1922e: 147; in C. (Crematogaster): Bolton, 1995b: 166. Raised to species: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 840. Current subspecies: nominal plus homonyma.