Dorylus nigricans molestus

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mozambique, United Republic of Tanzania, Zimbabwe.

Biology
Dorylus nigricans molestus is a driver ant.

Butler et al. (2018) - Driver ant are a group of nomadic swarm-raiding army ants that are restricted to sub-Saharan Africa (Wilson, 1964; Gotwald, 1995). The group is comprised of approximately nine species (Kronauer et al., 2007; Scheoning, 2008) in the subgenus Anomma. Driver ants are top invertebrate predators with extremely large colonies that can contain more than 10 million workers (Gotwald, 1995). Unlike the queens of most other ants, army ant queens are permanently wingless. Instead of going on a mating flight, new queens mate within their natal nest with approximately 10–30 unrelated males that disperse on the wing. In driver ants, mating probably occurs within a 2- to 3-week period before the new queen assumes regnancy of her colony (Kronauer et al., 2004b; Kronauer & Boomsma, 2007), and the mother queen disperses on foot, taking a portion of the existing workers with her (Gotwald, 1995). Colonies of driver ants are monogynous, and queens are highly multiply mated.

In Kakamega Forest, Kenya this species co-occurs with Dorylus wilverthi (Garcia et al., 2009; Peters & Okalo, 2009; Kronauer et al., 2011; Peters et al., 2011). Dorylus molestus occurs in open agricultural habitat and grasslands (Scheoning et al., 2006; Peters & Okalo, 2009; Peters et al., 2009).

Hybridization
Butler et al. (2018) found this ant and the co-occuring Dorylus wilverthi hybridize. Their study of the population genetics of naturally occurring colonies concluded: "hybridization is bidirectional and occurs at equal rates in both species. Hybrid workers make up only 1–2% of the population, and successful interspecific matings represent approximately 2% of all matings in both species. This shows that, although interspecific matings that give rise to worker offspring occur regularly, they are much rarer than intraspecific mating. Finally, we find no evidence of an association between hybridization and genetic caste determination in this population. This means that genetic caste determination is not a necessary outcome of hybridization in ants, even in species where queens mate with multiple males.

Nomenclature

 *  molestus. Anomma molesta Gerstäcker, 1859: 262 (w.) MOZAMBIQUE. [Also described as new by Gerstäcker, 1862: 502.] Menozzi, 1927a: 264 (q.); Boven, 1972: 135 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. 1943: 322 (l.). Combination in Dorylus (Anomma): Emery, 1895j: 710. Subspecies of burmeisteri: Emery, 1892d: 554. Currently subspecies of nigricans: Emery, 1895j: 710; Stitz, 1911b: 375; Santschi, 1935b: 264. Senior synonym of antinorii: Emery, 1910b: 12. Material in copal: DuBois, 1998a: 137. See also: Raignier & Boven, 1955: 103; Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1984: 268.
 * antinorii. Alaopone antinorii Emery, 1881a: 275, fig. (w.) ETHIOPIA. Combination in Dorylus: Dalla Torre, 1893: 10; in D. (Alaopone): Emery, 1895j: 736. Junior synonym of molestus: Emery, 1910b: 12.

Taxonomic Notes
Kronauer et al. (2007) treat this taxon as a full species rather than a subspecies.