Crematogaster castanea

An arboreal ant, this species colonized tree wounds in a field based fire manipulation experiment in Kruger National Park (Wigley et al. 2019).

Identification
A member of the Crematogaster castanea group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Comoros, Eritrea, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe. Malagasy Region: Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte.

Nomenclature

 *  castanea. Crematogaster castaneus Smith, F. 1858b: 136, pl. 9, fig. 2 (w.q.) SOUTH AFRICA (not Albania). Combination in C. (Crematogaster): Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 830; in C. (Acrocoelia): Emery, 1922e: 145; in C. (Crematogaster): Bolton, 1995b: 166. Subspecies of tricolor: Forel, 1911f: 279; Santschi, 1913a: 412 (in key). Revived status as species: Emery, 1915g: 12; Arnold, 1920a: 488; Santschi, 1920d: 378. Senior synonym of decolor: Forel, 1907g: 80. Current subspecies: nominal plus adusta, analis, aquila, arborea, bruta, busschodtsi, durbanensis, ferruginea, hararica, insidiosa, inversa, mediorufa, museisapientiae, rufimembrum, rufonigra, simia, ulugurensis, yambatensis.
 * decolor. Crematogaster tricolor var. decolor Forel, 1891b: 188 (w.) MADAGASCAR. Junior synonym of castanea: Forel, 1907g: 80.