Dicroaspis
| Dicroaspis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| D. cryptocera worker from the Central African Republic | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Dicroaspis Emery, 1908 |
| Type species | |
| Dicroaspis cryptocera Emery, 1908 | |
| Diversity[1] | |
| 2 species | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Geognomicus Menozzi, 1924 | |
Dicroaspis is an African genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.[2]
Distribution
Known from central Africa, the genus contains two species. However, due to the little material available, they may represent variations the same species.[3] A third hitherto undescribed species is known from Kakamega Forest, Kenya.[4]
Description
The genus was first described by Emery (1908), but was reclassified a few years later as a subgenus of Calyptomyrmex by Emery (1915). The taxon was finally raised to genus rank by Bolton (1981). Workers are about 2.5–3 mm long and have small eyes. Their antennae with 11 segments can be used to separate Dicroaspis from the related and similar genus Calyptomyrmex.[3] Little is known about their biology, but they appear to live in the leaf litter of rainforests.[4]
Species
- Dicroaspis cryptocera Emery, 1908
- Dicroaspis laevidens (Santschi, 1919)
References
- ↑ Bolton, B. (2014). "Dicroaspis". AntCat. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
- ↑ "Genus: Dicroaspis". antweb.org. AntWeb. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
- 1 2 Bolton, B. (1981). "A revision of the ant genera Meranoplus F. Smith, Dicroaspis Emery and Calyptomyrmex Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region.". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) (Entomology). 42: 4381.
- 1 2 Hita Garcia, F.; Wiesel, E.; Fischer, G. (2013). "The Ants of Kenya (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)—Faunal Overview, First Species Checklist, Bibliography, Accounts for All Genera, and Discussion on Taxonomy and Zoogeography". Journal of East African Natural History. 101 (2): 127. doi:10.2982/028.101.0201.
- Emery, C. (1908). "Descriptions d'une genre nouveau et de plusieurs formes nouvelles de fourmis du Congo". Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 52: 184-189.
- Emery, C. (1915). "Formiche raccolte nell'Eritrea dal Prof. F. Silvestri". Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 10: 3-26.
External links
Media related to Dicroaspis at Wikimedia Commons