Trichomyrmex criniceps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India, Sri Lanka.

Nomenclature

 * . Holcomyrmex criniceps Mayr, 1879: 672 (w.) INDIA (Tamil Nadu).
 * Type-material: holotype worker.
 * Type-locality: India: Tranquebar (= Tharangambadi) (no collector’s name, “received from Drewsen”).
 * Type-depository: NHMW.
 * Bingham, 1903: 282 (s.). Radchenko, 1997f: 218 (q.m.).
 * Combination in Monomorium (Holcomyrmex): Emery, 1922e: 181;
 * combination in Trichomyrmex: Ward, et al. 2015: 76.
 * Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 65; Forel, 1903a: 693; Bingham, 1903: 282; Forel, 1911i: 221; Forel, 1913k: 55; Emery, 1922e: 181; Menozzi, 1939a: 335; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 163; Ettershank, 1966: 88; Bolton, 1995b: 260; Radchenko, 1997f: 218; Tiwari, 1999: 56; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 47; Dias, R.K.S. et al. 2020: 98.
 * Senior synonym of niger: Radchenko, 1997f: 218.
 * Senior synonym of ruber: Radchenko, 1997f: 218.
 * Distribution: India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka.
 * niger. Holcomyrmex criniceps var. niger Forel, 1902c: 220 (w.) INDIA (Karnataka, Maharashtra).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-localities: India: Kanara (Aitken), Poona (Wroughton).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Combination in Monomorium (Holcomyrmex): Emery, 1922e: 181.
 * Subspecies of criniceps: Forel, 1903a: 693; Emery, 1922e: 181; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 163; Ettershank, 1966: 91; Bolton, 1995b: 265.
 * Status as species: Tiwari, 1999: 56.
 * Junior synonym of criniceps: Radchenko, 1997f: 218.
 * ruber. Holcomyrmex criniceps var. ruber Forel, 1903a: 693 (w.) SRI LANKA.
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Sri Lanka (“Ceylon”): (no further data) (Yerbury).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Combination in Monomorium (Holcomyrmex): Emery, 1922e: 181.
 * Subspecies of criniceps: Emery, 1922e: 181; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 163; Ettershank, 1966: 92; Bolton, 1995b: 266.
 * Junior synonym of criniceps: Radchenko, 1997f: 218.

Description
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description (Bingham, 1903) page 282 as Holcomyrmex criniceps.

Worker

Major

Resembles in colour H. scabriceps, but seems to me more variable. Some specimens have the head and thorax dark chestnut-brown or even black, and the abdomen dark red. Between these latter and specimens with the head and thorax light ferruginous and abdomen black, nearly all gradations can be found. Differs from H. scabriceps in the head being striate only anteriorly; from about the middle of the head upwards it is somewhat distantly punctured, more densely so at the sides, the cheeks below being striate. Thorax : the pro-mesonotum finely longitudinally striate, the striae curving at the sides, the sculpture being distinctly finer and less rugose than in H. scabriceps ; the basal portion of the metanotum shorter than the pro-mesonotum, finely transversely striate; the obtuse triangular tubercles at the posterior lateral angles of the metanotum distinctly larger than in H. scabriceps ; legs as in that species, but proportionately a little shorter. Pedicel and abdomen as in the genus.

Minor

Closely resembles the major, much smaller, the head proportionately rather large, the thorax more finely sculptured, the striae on the anterior portion of the head almost obsolete.

Length - 3.5 - 5.5 mm

Hab. Western India ( Wroughton) ; Southern India (Rothney) ; Ceylon (Yerbury) ; Burma, Pegu Yoma (Allan & Bingham).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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 * Dias R. K. S. 2002. Current knowledge on ants of Sri Lanka. ANeT Newsletter 4: 17- 21.
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