Melissotarsus weissi

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Lighter coloured workers may sometimes be difficult to separate from Melissotarsus emeryi, but in general the sharper marginations of the sides of the alitrunk in weissi are fairly distinct. The sexual forms of weissi are both easily separated from those of emeryi as the male of the former is dark brown to black (pale yellow and feebly sclerotized in the latter), and the female of weissi has the postpetiole relatively narrow in dorsal view with an arched-convex anterior margin, as opposed to a very broad and distinctly transverse postpetiole in emeryi. (Bolton 1982)

1)

-With the alitrunk in dorsal view the anterior margin of the pronotum rounding evenly into the anterior declivity, the two not meeting in a sharp angle or edge. (Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Africa, Ivory Coast). . . . . beccarii

-With the alitrunk in dorsal view the anterior margin ofthe pronotum separated from the anterior declivity by a sharp angle or edge. . . . . 2

2)

-Sides of alitrunk meeting dorsum in a fairly well-defined angle. Alitrunk colour medium to dark reddish brown. (Ghana, Congo, Zaire). . . . . weiss

-Sides of alitrunk rounding bluntly into the dorsum. Alitrunk colour yellow to light yellowish brown. (Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Zaire, Central African Republic. South Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana). . . . . emeryi

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya.

Nomenclature

 *  weissi. Melissotarsus weissi Santschi, 1910c: 356, fig. 3 (q.) CONGO. Bolton, 1982: 335 (m.). Senior synonym of major: Bolton, 1982: 337; of titubans: Bolton, 1995b: 250.
 * major. Melissotarsus major Santschi, 1919h: 85 (w.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. Santschi, 1923e: 277 (q.m.). Junior synonym of weissi: Bolton, 1982: 337.
 * titubans. Melissotarsus titubans Delage-Darchen, 1972a: 216, figs. 1-10 (w.q.m.) IVORY COAST. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1980: 531 (l.). Junior synonym of beccarii: Bolton, 1982: 336; of weissi: Bolton, 1995b: 250 (syntypes examined).

Bolton (1982) - So little material of Melissotarsus is available at present that this survey must be regarded as strictly preliminary. Three species are now recognized in the Afrotropical region but it is possible that each may be compounded of more than one different sibling-species. Conversely it is by no means impossible that further collections will bridge what appear here as species for the differences between them, though consistent in the few samples to hand, are relatively minor and may well be anulled by further collecting.

The three presently recognised species are basically so similar that to present a full description for each would be redundant so, for the purposes of identification, a description of the type-species beccarii is given and the other two are compared to it.

The shape of the alitrunk in dorsal view shows subtle but perhaps significant differences between separate series of workers presently grouped as single species, but discovering whether these differences are meaningful, or even consistent, will have to await the amassing of considerably more samples than are presently available.

For the present I define weissi as having a dark brown to black strongly sclerotized male, and a similarly coloured female in which the postpetiole in dorsal view is quite narrow (1.20-1.40 x broader than long) and has a rounded or even hemispherical anterior margin. The worker of weissi has the alitrunk medium to dark reddish brown, the anterior margin of the pronotum in dorsal view sharply defined and angular where it meets the anterior declivity, and the sides of the alitrunk meeting the dorsum in a fairly well-defined angle.

Worker
Bolton (1982) - TL 2.3-3.0, HL 0.58-0.74, HW 0.60-0.78, CI 98-104, SL 0.27-0.34, SI 41-47, PW 0.36-0.50, AL 0.56-0.84 (14 measured).

Answering to the description of Melissotarsus beccarii but darker in colour, the alitrunk medium to dark reddish brown; with the anterior pronotal margin meeting the anterior declivity in a well-defined angle or edge, and with the sides of the alitrunk meeting the dorsum in a fairly well-marked angle.