Insect or Invertebrates Identification - DONE

[Klipspringer]

Pheidole from SANBI list


Pheidole akermani Arnold, 1920 South Africa KwaZulu-Natal
Pheidole areniphila Forel, 1910 Southern Africa (Botswana); East Africa (Tanzania)
Pheidole arnoldi Forel, 1913 Southern Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe); East Africa (Malawi, Zambia) Gauteng
Pheidole aspera Mayr, 1862 South Africa South Africa
Pheidole caffra Emery, 1895 Southern Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe); Central Africa (DRC) South Africa
Pheidole capensis Mayr, 1862 South Africa, Lesotho Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State
Pheidole crassinoda Emery, 1895 Southern Africa (Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe); East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya) KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng
Pheidole foreli Mayr, 1901 Lesotho, South Africa Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal
Pheidole hewitti Santschi, 1932 South Africa Eastern Cape
Pheidole irritans (Smith, F, 1858) South Africa South Africa
Pheidole kitschneri Forel, 1910 South Africa KwaZulu-Natal
Pheidole liengmei Forel, 1894 Southern Africa (Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe); East Africa (Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia) KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga
Pheidole maufei Arnold, 1920 Zimbabwe
Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius, 1793) Southern Africa (Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe); East Africa (Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia); Central Africa (Congo, DRC) Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng
Pheidole prelli Forel, 1911 Southern Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe); East Africa (Kenya) Limpopo
Pheidole punctulata Mayr, 1866 Southern Africa (Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe); East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia); Central Africa (Congo, DRC); West Africa (Sierra Leone); Sahel (Sudan) Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng
Pheidole schultzei Forel, 1910 Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe
Pheidole sculpturata Mayr, 1866 Southern Africa (South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe); East Africa (Uganda); Central Africa (Congo, DRC) South Africa
Pheidole speculifera Emery, 1877 Southern Africa (Zimbabwe); East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda); Central Africa (Cameroun, Congo, DRC)
Pheidole spinulosa Forel, 1910 Lesotho, South Africa Northern Cape
Pheidole strator Forel, 1910 Southern Africa (Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe); East Africa (Ethiopia, Uganda) Mpumalanga
Pheidole teneriffana Forel, 1893 Southern Africa (South Africa); East Africa (Kenya); elsewhere (Spain) KwaZulu-Natal
Pheidole tenuinodis Mayr, 1901 Southern Africa (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe); East Africa (Malawi) Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng, Free State
Pheidole victoris Forel, 1913 Zimbabwe
Pheidole xocensis Forel, 1913 Zimbabwe


This one has the right coloration and sculpturation
https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Pheidole_liengmei

KNP records:
http://antbase.org/ants/publications/4199/4199.pdf

[ExFmem]

Re: Pheidole spinulosa vs. P. tenuinodis

P. spinulosa - sparsely hairy, mainly gaster; post-petiole dentate at widest point
P. tenuinodis - coarsely hairy all over; post-petiole about 75% wider than petiole and as long as wide

To be honest, I can’t discern the “post-petiole (being) dentate” from the pic, nor can I tell if the “post-petiole (is) about 75% wider than petiole and as long as wide” …
As to hairiness - mine seems to be relatively hairy throughout its body, but not as hairy as the pics of P. tenuiodis in the references, especially the antennae do not seem hairy in mine like they are in the ref. specimens, but that may just be natural variation from Individual to individual.

So-o-o-o, as per my usual “I dunno” , I would probably guess P. tenuinodis due to lack of a dentate post-petiole and and being more hairy.

[ExFmem]

Just checked my email and here's the reply I received regarding the leaf beetle you asked about:

To divide Macrocoma from Pseudocolaspis is not always easy and maybe a real difference does not exist, as already assumed by a few authors in the past; moreover a revision of all described taxa does not exist and I am nearly sure that several “Macrocoma" are still ranged in “Pseudocolaspis" and vice versa. That said, I can say nothing from this photo, it could be either one of the small Macrocoma or Pseudocolaspis taxa or even a new taxon, who knows; the only frontal view does not help.
Maybe I will afford this taxonomic problem in a future life.
Sorry.
All the best
Stefano

Why ?

I think it's great to have confirmed that it is one of these two. It can go to our books now

well done!

The is due to this line: " it could be either one of the small Macrocoma or Pseudocolaspis taxa or even a new taxon"

How do you wish me to write up the corrected entry please regarding genus? Include both, all three possibilities?

[ExFmem]

Will look for more pics of the Kruger ants...

[Klipspringer]

Just checked my email and here's the reply I received regarding the leaf beetle you asked about:

To divide Macrocoma from Pseudocolaspis is not always easy and maybe a real difference does not exist, as already assumed by a few authors in the past; moreover a revision of all described taxa does not exist and I am nearly sure that several “Macrocoma" are still ranged in “Pseudocolaspis" and vice versa. That said, I can say nothing from this photo, it could be either one of the small Macrocoma or Pseudocolaspis taxa or even a new taxon, who knows; the only frontal view does not help.
Maybe I will afford this taxonomic problem in a future life.
Sorry.
All the best
Stefano

Why ?

I think it's great to have confirmed that it is one of these two. It can go to our books now

well done!

The is due to this line: " it could be either one of the small Macrocoma or Pseudocolaspis taxa or even a new taxon"

How do you wish me to write up the corrected entry please regarding genus? Include both, all three possibilities?

I think include both

[Klipspringer]

Re: Pheidole spinulosa vs. P. tenuinodis

P. spinulosa - sparsely hairy, mainly gaster; post-petiole dentate at widest point
P. tenuinodis - coarsely hairy all over; post-petiole about 75% wider than petiole and as long as wide

To be honest, I can’t discern the “post-petiole (being) dentate” from the pic, nor can I tell if the “post-petiole (is) about 75% wider than petiole and as long as wide” …
As to hairiness - mine seems to be relatively hairy throughout its body, but not as hairy as the pics of P. tenuiodis in the references, especially the antennae do not seem hairy in mine like they are in the ref. specimens, but that may just be natural variation from Individual to individual.

So-o-o-o, as per my usual “I dunno” , I would probably guess P. tenuinodis due to lack of a dentate post-petiole and and being more hairy.

it is P. tenuiodis major worker

colour, grooves on the head, head shape are distinctive

[ExFmem]

Re: Kruger 2017 ants - looks like I only saved 2 pics of each ant, except the black one and that is the only pic I saved. I cropped them more JIC it helps, but not too much different to my eye.

[ExFmem]

[ExFmem]

I also found some spiders while searching for the ants, so will post them later after I get the beetle entry re-done. Do you want to do the P. tenuinodis ant, or shall I? You have so much better knowledge than I do, but are WAY busier with all that's on your plate. I can certainly cut and paste all your great references

[ExFmem]

I deleted the erroneous Darkling Beetle entry (it now says "deleted" ) and entered the new one. Really didn't have too much info, so feel free to add to it.
****************************
Here are some pics I found from Kruger 2017 of the Anteater spider Oecobius navus showing more of its biology :

Biology
Makes a small web, which has a diameter of only about 3 cm, and is often made against an edge of something, e.g. from the floor against a baseboard, but it can also be found on walls over small recesses. It lives this tent-like web but does not use the web for prey capture. Instead, it only uses bands of silk to restrain prey.
Movement is rather fast and in a very convoluted pathway. Often feed on ants. If it runs into an ant, the spider switches from convoluted running to running tight circles around their prey, tying it down with silk as it encircles it.
Oecobius navus is considered a facultative myrmecophage (ant-eater).

(Don’t need all of them, but can add as you see fit.)

(Under web)


(With ant prey)