Cataulacus boltoni

Identification
Worker: Dorsal cephalic hairs clavate to subspatulate; propodeal rugae transverse; sides of pronotum not marginate.

This species is a member of the tenuis group (Bolton 1974) and is readily distinguished from other group members by the combination of bizarre cephalic hairs, transversely rugose propodeal base and nonmarginate mesosomal dorsum. In this last character it is most like Cataulacus vorticus, to which it runs in Bolton's key; boltoni differs from vorticus in the much stronger mesosomal sculpturation, the transversely rugulose propodeal base and the longer, stouter and more numerous setae of the first gastric tergum. The hairs of the cephalic dorsum are longer than in vorticus, especially on the vertex and occiput. (Snelling 1979)

Distribution
This taxon was described from Nigeria.

Nomenclature

 *  boltoni. Cataulacus boltoni Snelling, R.R. 1979a: 3, figs. 1-8 (w.) NIGERIA.

Worker
Holotype Worker. TL 2.74; HL 0.76; HW 0.72; CI 95; EL 0.38; OI 53; IOD 0.53; SL 0.37; SI 52; PW 0.50; WL 0.78; MTL 0.28.

Occipital crest absent; occipital margin raised, with low, blunt denticles, one on occipital corner and one mesad of it, several located behind eye. Preocular denticle small, separated from eye by a small gap. Pronotum not marginate laterally, humeral angle dentiform; side with minute denticle at about midlength and a larger one at promesonotal junction. Mesonotum and propodeum not marginate, with a couple of widely spaced, minute denticles on each side; propodeal spines short and bluntly rounded apically. Promesonotal and mesometanotal grooves absent on dorsum. Sides of propodeum, in dorsal view, distinctly convergent posteriorly, those of mesonotum straight, more strongly convergent and separated from propodeum by a narrow V-shaped notch. First gastric tergum not marginate at sides.

Dorsum of head moderately shiny, finely rugoreticulate, the interspaces finely and densely reticulate-punctate, the punctures shallow. Mesosomal dorsum less shiny, with irregular close-set, longitudinally oriented rugulae, strongest at sides, those on posterior part of mesonotum and base of propodeum sharp, transverse; interspaces densely reticulate-punctate. Dorsal surface of petiole and postpetiole sharply longitudinally rugose. First gastric tergum finely and densely reticulate-punctate throughout, no longitudinal rugulae at base.

Hairs on clypeus and cephalic dorsum bizarre, stout and short to medium, clavate to subspatulate. Hairs on meso- and metasoma numerous, stout and medium length on dorsum and sides, slender on venter.

Type Material
Holotype worker, NIGERIA: Gambari, 24 May 1975 (B. Taylor), in British Museum (Natural History).

Etymology
This species is dedicated to Mr. Barry Bolton, who recognized the novelty of this species and sent it to me for inclusion in this paper.