Crematogaster flaviventris

Identification
Collingwood and Agosti (1996) - HW 1.21; SI 85. This is a member of the Crematogaster castanea complex distinguished by the yellowish gaster contrasting with the brown head and alitrunk. The propodeal spines are sharp and well developed with a downward curvature.

Distribution
Sharaf et al. (2019): Crematogaster flaviventris was originally described from the Democratic Republic of Congo and is also found in Angola, Zambia, and southern Sudan (Guénard et al. 2017; Janicki et al. 2017). On the Arabian Peninsula, it seems to be restricted to Yemen (Collingwood and Agosti 1996; Blaimer 2012a; Borowiec 2014).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen.

Nomenclature

 * . Crematogaster flaviventris Santschi, 1910c: 370 (w.q.m.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.
 * Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queen(s), syntype male(s) (numbers not stated).
 * Type-locality: Democratic Republic of Congo (“Congo belge”): Sakkuru (Luja).
 * Type-depository: NHMB.
 * As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Santschi, 1913a: 413 (in key); Santschi, 1914b: 86; Emery, 1922e: 146; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 833; Santschi, 1930b: 69; Weber, 1943c: 308.
 * Subspecies of inversa: Santschi, 1914b: 86.
 * Subspecies of castanea: Santschi, 1935a: 257; Bolton, 1995b: 153.
 * Status as species: Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 330; Borowiec, L. 2014: 65; Sharaf, Aldawood & Hita Garcia, 2019: 52.
 * Distribution: Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia.

Taxonomic Notes
Sharaf et al. (2019): This species record for Yemen is somewhat dubious. We have not examined the type material but preliminary examination of type images on AntWeb suggest that the material from Yemen is similar in color but there appear to be substantial differences in overall surface sculpture. This needs to be further investigated, ideally by comparing the Yemeni material with the type from Central Africa.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Collingwood, C. A. and D. Agosti. 1996. Formicidae (Insects: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2) Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15: 300-385.
 * Collingwood, C. A., and Donat Agosti. "Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2)." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15 (1996): 300-385.
 * IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
 * Santschi F. 1913. Cremastogaster du groupe tricolor-Menileki (Hym. Formicidae). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 1912: 411-414.
 * Santschi, F.. "Résultats de la Mission scientifique suisse en Angola, 1928-1929. Formicides de l'Angola." Revue Suisse de Zoologie 37 (1930): 53-81.
 * Soulié J., and L. D. Dicko. 1965. La répartition des genres de fourmis de la tribu des "Cremastogastrini" dans la faune éthiopienne et malgache. Hymenoptera - Formicoidea - Myrmicidae. Ann. Univ. Abidjan Sér. Sci. 1: 85-106.
 * Weber N. A. 1943. The ants of the Imatong Mountains, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 93: 263-389.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. II. The ants collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 39-269.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004