Dicroaspis

Dicroaspis is an African genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.[2]

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

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)
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References
  1. Bolton, B. (2014). "Dicroaspis". AntCat. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  2. "Genus: Dicroaspis". antweb.org. AntWeb. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.


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