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Species: Plectroctena mandibularis   Smith, 1858 

Classification:
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Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2021)

Plectroctena mandibularis Smith, 1858a PDF: 101, pl. 7, figs. 1-5 (m., ergatoid q., not w.) SOUTH AFRICA. Afrotropic. Primary type information: Type-material: 1 syntype ergatoid queen (not worker as in original description (Emery, 1899d PDF: 469 (footnote), Bolton, 1974c PDF: 330), 1 syntype male. Type-locality: South Africa: Durban (= Port Natal) (Gueinzius). Type-depository: BMNH. AntCat AntWiki HOL

Taxonomic history

Forel, 1913a PDF: 108 (w.); Arnold, 1915: 86 (w.)
Material of the nomen nudum Plectroctena caffra referred here by Roger, 1861a PDF: 41; Mayr, 1863a PDF: 442; Roger, 1863b PDF: 19; Emery, 1893j PDF: 2; Emery, 1911e PDF: 95; Wheeler, 1922: 784; Santschi, 1924a PDF: 160; Bolton, 1974c PDF: 330; Bolton & Brown, 2002 PDF: 13.

Taxon Page Images:

Photos © Philip Herbst; Fort Beaufort, Eastern Cape

// Distribution

Distribution:

  Geographic regions (According to curated Geolocale/Taxon lists):
    Africa: Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  Biogeographic regions (According to curated Bioregion/Taxon lists):
    Afrotropical

Distribution Notes:

Reference for Kenya if not type: Bolton 1974h

Notes:

Caste of types: (m, q)

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

Scientific Name Status Publication Pages ModsID GoogleMaps
Plectroctena mandibularis   Emery, C., 1895, Voyage de M. E. Simon dans l'Afrique australe (janvier-avril 1893). 3 e mémoire. Formicides., Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 64, pp. 15-56: 5, (download) 5 3788
Plectroctena mandibularis   Mayr, G., 1895, Afrikanische Formiciden., Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien 10, pp. 124-154: 124, (download) 124 4387
Plectroctena mandibularis   Santschi, F., 1914, Formicidae., Voyage de Ch. Alluaud et R. Jeannel en Afrique Orientale (1911 - 1912). Résultats scientifiques. Hyménoptères 2, pp. 41-148: 54, (download) 54 8111
Plectroctena mandibularis   Smith, F., 1858, Catalogue of the hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part VI. Formicidae., London: British Museum: 101-102, (download) 101-102 8127

Specimen Habitat Summary

Found most commonly in these habitats: 24 times found in Grassland, 7 times found in dry forest, 5 times found in Savanna, 4 times found in Acacia nigrescens savanna, 2 times found in montane forest, 3 times found in miombo at base of inselberg, 3 times found in Woodland, 3 times found in miombo woodland, 2 times found in Drakensberg Foothill Moist Grassland, 3 times found in Forest, ...

Found most commonly in these microhabitats: 9 times ground forager(s), 5 times under stone, 2 times ex soil, 1 times under rotten log, 2 times pitfall trap, 1 times ex root mat, ground layer, 1 times under stone; clay soils; c30 workers, 2 times Malaise trap, 1 times Soil surface, 1 times sandy ground [path], 1 times grassy grove, ...

Collected most commonly using these methods: 41 times Pitfall trap, 10 times Hand collected, 6 times By Hand, 5 times Yellow Pan Trap, 4 times Turning over rocks, 2 times pitfall trap, PF 25 cup sample transect, 10m, 3 times Nest, 2 times Pitfall trap, 5 days, 1 times Hand collected, under rock, 2 times Malaise trap, 4 Malaise traps, 1 times pooter, ...

Elevations: collected from 10 - 2250 meters, 884 meters average

Collect Date Range: collected between 1884-10-01 and 2021-02-16

Type specimens: Holotype of Plectroctena caffra major: casent0907335; syntype of Plectroctena mandibularis integra: casent0915290; syntype of Plectroctena minor conjugata: casent0915284, rmcaent000017734; syntype of Simopelta jeckylli: casent0902467; type of Plectroctena mandibularis striativentris: focol1014, focol1015



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