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