Messor collingwoodi

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Key to Afrotropical Messor species

Bolton (1982) - Among the species with hairless or near hairless first gastral tergite collingwoodi is distinguished by having propodeal hairs present, having an extensively sculptured head, and having persistent propodeal spines. Messor luebberti, which also has the head sculptured everywhere, is reddish in colour and lacks propodeal hairs and spines. Also, the rugular cephalic sculpture is more extensively developed than in collingwoodi. Messor angularis also lacks propodeal hairs and spines and has the head weakly or not sculptured. Messor galla, which frequently develops propodeal lobes or teeth and which also has propodeal hairs present, lacks the characteristic cephalic sculpture of collingwoodi. The closest relatives of collingwoodi are, however, not to be found among the other sub-Saharan African species but among the members of the aegyptiacus-group, of which collingwoodi seems to be the only Afrotropical species.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Mali, Niger.

Castes
Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 *  collingwoodi. Messor collingwoodi Bolton, 1982: 346, fig. 30 (w.) NIGER.

Worker
Holotype. HW 2.56

Anterior clypeal margin broadly but shallowly indented medially. With the head in full-face view the sides more or less straight, slightly convergent anteriorly and rounding broadly and evenly into the occipital margin behind. Occipital margin sharply indented medially. Maximum diameter of eye 0.52, about 0.20 x HW, and the CI 107. Propodeum armed with a pair of short but well-developed triangular spines which are somewhat downcurved along their length. Dorsum of head sculptured everywhere. Mid-dorsal strip of head longitudinally rugulose to level of posterior margins of eyes; behind this the rugulae rapidly weakening. Everywhere dorsum of head finely and very densely reticulate-punctate, with superimposed very feeble rugulae away from the more strongly sculptured median strip. Pronotum and mesonotum dorsally transversely rugulose, the propodeum more strongly transversely rugose. Sides of pronotum less strongly rugulose than the pleurae. First gastral tergite unsculptured except for the usual fine superficial reticular patterning. Dorsum of head sparsely hairy. Discounting the strong pilosity on the mouthparts and around the frontal lobes the dorsum with only a few pairs of hairs spanning the mid-dorsal strip. With the head in full-face view the sides both in front of and behind the eyes lacking projecting hairs. Projecting hairs also absent from occipital corners but a single hair projecting from the occipital margin on each side of the median indentation. Psammophore strongly developed, the J-shaped hairs conspicuous. Dorsal alitrunk without hairs on pronotum, with 4 pairs on mesonotum and one pair on the propodeum. Petiole with one pair, postpetiole and first gastral tergite hairless. Colour uniform very dark blackish brown.

MEDIUM TO LARGE PARATYPES, HW 2.16-2.72. As holotype but in some individuals the mid-dorsal rugulae of the head more sharply defined. Variation in pilosity throughout the type-series shows the dorsal head with 2-5 pairs, pronotum with 0-1 pair, occipital margin with 0-2 pairs, mesonotum with 4-6 pairs, propodeum with 1-3 pairs, petiole with 0-3 pairs, postpetiole with 0-3 pairs of hairs. First gastral tergite consistently hairless. Eyes fairly large, within the HW range given above the maximum eye diameter is 0.46-0.58, about 0.20-0.22 x HW. CI range is 103-110.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Niger: Azanyares, iii.1979 (l. Newby).

Paratypes. 12 workers with same data as holotype (BMNH; ; ; ).