m_d's Favourites

On the key it appears this species is the largest of the Malagasy small Bothroponera species, overlapping in size with the smallest of the large, which is a bit of a contradiction. They are quite large ants, so I was surprised to learn there are larger species.

Dug up from a ground nest by myself and Malalatiana Andrianantenaina. They sting hard!

I'm somewhat sure this is mysticum since queens were flying, but I'm having trouble distinguishing from M. rogeri. The clypeus looks round enough for mysticum...

Extracted from under the bark of a dead log. Log had been pointed out to me by Fielisy "Fidel" Bemaheva, who is an extremely knowledgeable old hand at Madagascar ants.

This small, very striated black Polyrhachis (a very groovy ant... ) was found in Eastern coastal belt forest. Measures 6.8 - 7mm. Appears to be arboreal. I found 2 nests on the trunks (large branch in one case) of 2 different large, established trees. Both nests had a short, tubular nest entrance fashioned from grass/fibers somehow meshed together (see photos). The one nest was under bark and moss and the other extended into a superficial envelope - like pouch made against the side of the tree which was smooth without a thick bark. I have correlated with Antwiki and Antweb and it is an excellent match. Ants of SA p95.

The minors of C braunsi (see other post for Majors). The description in ants of SA p54 for this species is perfect. I found these minors slowly meandering up and down a tree trunk at the edge of Eastern coastal belt forest. Not only did they look like Cataulacus as suggested in Ants of SA but they occurred with Cataulcus on the same trunk. These minors were about the same size as the Cataulacus measuring in the 4-5mm range. The minors have slightly narrower heads than the majors that are not as heavily pitted and the anterior edge of the pronotum is very acute. The block-like propodeal hump / saddle is quite something!

See her swinging her bolas: https://youtu.be/DKMrKwTNV5k

Some more wonderful photos of this lady by photographers much better then moi. She is quite a celebrity!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/101951926508391/permalink/4394361263934081/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/101951926508391/permalink/4397220953648112/