Cataulacus micans

Nothing is known about the biology of Cataulacus micans.

Identification
A member of the intrudens group. The worker is characterized by its very strongly developed mesokatepisternal tooth and the wealky sculptured, often polished gaster.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: South Africa.

Nomenclature

 *  micans. Cataulacus rugosus subsp. micans Mayr, 1901b: 27 (w.q.m.) SOUTH AFRICA. Raised to species: Forel, 1914d: 219. Senior synonym of tristiculus: Bolton, 1974a: 46.
 * tristiculus. Cataulacus intrudens st. tristiculus Santschi, 1919b: 237 (w.q.m.) SOUTH AFRICA. Junior synonym of micans: Bolton, 1974a: 46.

Worker
Bolton (1974) - TL 4.2 – 4.7, HL 1.02 -1.18, HW 1.04 – 1.12, CI 100 - 102, EL 0.42 – 0.44, OI 39 - 40, IOD 0.80 – 0.86, SL 0.54 - 0.56, SI 49 - 50, PW 0.82 – 0.92, AL 1.12 – 1.22, MTL 0.52 - 0.56 (3 measured).

Occipital crest not developed but the vertex separated from the occiput by an acute angle. Occipital corner dentate, the tooth flanked by a smaller denticle on the occipital margin. Sides of head behind eyes denticulate. Pronotum marginate, the edges weakly denticulate, the denticles not strongly developed, usually appearing as rather low, broadly triangular prominences. Sides of mesonotum and propodeum each with one or two denticles, the latter armed with a pair of spines. Mesokatepisternal tooth relatively very strongly developed, long, triangular and acute, projecting anterolaterally and visible with the alitrunk in dorsal view. Dorsal alitrunk without trace of sutures. First gastral tergite not marginate laterally.

Dorsum of head rather coarsely and closely longitudinally rugose; this sculpturation being derived from a rugoreticulum of which some cross-meshes are visible, though much less strongly developed than the longitudinal component. Interspaces superficially reticulate-punctate, somewhat shining. Sculpturation of dorsal alitrunk variable in intensity but basically of a fine, loose rugoreticulum on the pronotum, the cross-meshes of which tend to be lost on the mesonotum, resulting in a fine, longitudinal rugulation upon that segment. Interspaces everywhere finely and densely reticulate-punctate. Segments of pedical coarsely longitudinally rugose. First gastral tergite very finely sculptured, either with a fine superficial reticulation or reticulate-puncturation and usually with a few faint basigastric rugulae.

All dorsal surfaces of head and body with erect, stout, blunt hairs; those on the head may be very short and inconspicuous.

Queen
Bolton (1974) - TL 5.5, HL 1.22, HW 1.20, CI 99, EL 0.48, OI 43, IOD 0.88, SL 0.58, SI 48, PW 1.04, AL 1.54, MTL 0.66.

As worker, with the usual modifications of the alitrunk. Denticles of sides of head behind eyes reduced, the appearance crenulate. Pronotal margination irregular, with only two or three developed denticles. Mesokatepisternal tooth short and blunt. Propodeal spines short and blunt. Sculpturation of head and pronotum as worker, the mesoscutum sparsely longitudinally rugose, the mesoscutellum rather more coarsely rugose. Propodeal dorsum transversely rugose.

Male
Bolton (1974) - TL 4.6, HL 0.90, HW 0.96, CI 106, EL 0.38, OI 40, IOD 0.72, SL 0.50, SI 52, PW 0.84, AL 1.40, MTL 0.58.

Vertex rounding into occiput, the two surfaces not separated by an angle. Occipital corners dentate, sides of head behind eyes denticulate. Sides of pronotum weakly marginate, with one or two tuberculiform denticles. Anterior arms of notauli developed and crossribbed but tending to fade out medially, the posterior arm absent. In dorsal view the shape of the anterior arms tends to be broadly U-shaped rather than V-shaped. Propodeal spines short and blunt. Sculpturation of head as in worker but the longitudinal rugae fine and relatively widely separated. Alitrunk sculptured as female but on the propodeum the rugae diverge posteriorly towards the bases of the spines. Between the spines the rugae are transverse. Erect hairs present on all dorsal surfaces.

Type Material
Bolton (1974) :

Syntype workers, females, males, SOUTH AFRICA: Port Elizabeth, 1890 (Brauns) (NM, Vienna) [examined].

Cataulacus intrudens st. tristiculus Syntype workers, female, male, SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Province, Port Elizabeth, 1917 (T. Reese) (NM, Easle) [examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Arnold G. 1926. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Appendix. Annals of the South African Museum. 23: 191-295.
 * Bolton B. 1982. Afrotropical species of the myrmicine ant genera Cardiocondyla, Leptothorax, Melissotarsus, Messor and Cataulacus (Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 45: 307-370.
 * Santschi F. 1919. Fourmis nouvelles éthiopiennes. Revue Zoologique Africaine (Brussels). 6: 229-240.