Ant Diversity of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique



Gorongosa National Park  in Mozambique is in the process of restoring animals to this wonderful habitat and is creating a biodiversity inventory of the fauna and flora within the park boundary. The ants are being inventoried as a special project.

This page supports the study of the ant diversity of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. Even though the richness of the ant fauna has not been fully examined, so far we have posted records of 52 genera and 209 species. This page will include notes on biology and distribution. Illustrated keys to species will be presented using a combination of identification tools.

Contributors
 * E.O. Wilson (Harvard University)
 * Gary D. Alpert (Harvard University)
 * Piotr Naskrecki (Harvard University\Gorongosa National Park)
 * Patrick McCormack (Harvard University)
 * Leeanne Alonso (Global Wildlife Conservation)
 * Allan Short (Gorongosa National Park)
 * Marc Stalmans (Gorongosa National Park)
 * Vasco Galante (Gorongosa National Park)
 * Kathleen Horton (Harvard University)
 * Domingos Muala (Gorongosa National Park)
 * Tonga Torcida (Gorongosa National Park)
 * Francisco (Paco) Hita-Garcia (Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt, Germany)

Acropyga

 * Acropyga species (arnoldi)

Anochetus

 * Anochetus africanus

Anoplolepis

 * Anoplolepis custodiens

Atopomyrmex

 * Atopomyrmex mocquerysi

Bothroponera

 * Bothroponera cariosa 	Emery, 1895

Calyptomyrmex

 * Calyptomyrmex kaurus Bolton, 1981

Camponotus

 * Camponotus auropubens Forel, 1894

Cardiocondyla

 * Cardiocondyla emeryi

Carebara

 * Carebara species 1


 * Carebara species 7 (nicotianae)


 * Carebara species 8

Cataulacus

 * Cataulacus intrudens

Centromyrmex

 * Centromyrmex sellaris Mayr, 1896

Cerapachys

 * Cerapachys species 1 (Parasyscia sudanensis)


 * Cerapachys species 4

Crematogaster

 * Crematogaster species 1

Discothyrea

 * Discothyrea hewitti Arnold, 1916

Dorylus
See Key to Dorylus species of Gorongosa National Park


 * Dorylus bequaerti

Hypoponera

 * Hypoponera spei Forel, 1910

Lepisiota

 * Lepisiota species 1

Leptogenys

 * Leptogenys leiothorax

Megaponera

 * Megaponera analis (Megaponera analis)

Melissotarsus

 * Melissotarsus emeryi Forel, 1907

Only a single species of Melissotarsus has been found in Mozambique. This species was found in a small secondary forest patch a few kilometers east of Chitengo. This species can be identified by the abrupt anterior edge of the pronotum in dorsal and lateral view. Many workers and several queens nest under the bark of a a tree tunneling their galleries in live wood, close to the surface. They tend armoured scale insects and only depart from their nest for mating flights.

Reference:
 * [[Media:2010-45-53-Ben-Dov and Fisher.pdf| Ben-Dov, Y. & Fisher, B.L. 2010. The mutualism of Melissotarsus ants and armoured scale insects in Africa and Madagascar: distribution, host plants and biology.  Entomologia Hellenica 19:45-53. PDF]]

Meranoplus

 * Meranoplus glaber

Mesoponera

 * Mesoponera ambigua Andre, 1890

Microdaceton

 * Microdaceton exornatum

Monomorium

 * Monomorium junodi

Myrmicaria

 * Myrmicaria species 1

Nesomyrmex

 * Nesomyrmex angulatus

Nylanderia

 * Nylanderia natalensis

Ocymyrmex

 * Ocymyrmex phraxus

Odontomachus

 * Odontomachus assiniensis

This species has been found frequently at lower elevations surrounding Chitengo Camp in moist forest that is occasionally inundated during the rainy season. Nests are often located under and in rotten wood on the ground.

Key to Odontomachus species
Return to List of ant species of Mozambique.


 * In dorsal view, pronotm with transverse rugae, gaster without appressed hairs, (Fig. 1) Odontomachus assiniensis


 * In dorsal view, pronotom with longitudinal rugae, gaster with numerous short appressed hairs, (Fig. 2) Odontomachus troglodytes

Oecophylla

 * Oecophylla longinoda

Paltothyreus

 * Paltothyreus tarsatus (Fabricius, 1798)

Paratrechina

 * Paratrechina zanjensis

Pheidole

 * Pheidole crassinoda pluto

Plagiolepis

 * Plagiolepis species 2

Platythyrea

 * Platythyrea arnoldi

Plectroctena

 * Plectroctena mandibularis

Key to Plectroctena species
Return to List of ant species of Mozambique.


 * In frontal view, ventral surfaces of head with striation between the punctures, color black (Fig. 1)   Plectroctena mandibularis


 * In frontal view, ventral surfaces of head without striation between the punctures, color red or orange-brown (Fig. 2) Plectroctena subterranea

Polyrhachis

 * Polyrhachis schistacea

Pristomyrmex

 * Pristomyrmex cribrarius Arnold, 1926

Proceratium

 * Proceratium carri

Pseudoponera

 * Pseudoponera species 6 (Mesoponera)

Solenopsis

 * Solenopsis species 1

Sphinctomyrmex

 * Sphinctomyrmex species 1 (Zasphinctus)

Stigmatomma

 * Stigmatomma species 1

Strumigenys

 * ''Strumigenys faurei

Syllophopsis

 * Syllophopsis cryptobia cf.

Tapinolepis

 * Tapinolepis species 1

Tapinoma

 * Tapinoma species 1 (luteum)

Technomyrmex

 * Technomyrmex ilgi (Forel, 1910)

Tetramorium

 * Tetramorium chloe cf.

Tetraponera

 * Tetraponera ambigua 	(Emery, 1895)