Dorylus burmeisteri
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Dorylus burmeisteri (Shuckard, 1840) Figs 6 D – F, 7 B, 19–22 Anomma burmeisteri Shuckard, 1840: 326. Holotype worker, Sierra Leone (D. F. Morgan) [not examined, lost]. Neotype worker, here designated, Sierra Leone, Outamba Kilimi National Park, March 4 th, 2018, Bradley Larson OKNP_346_b, SMNG -SIE-2018-192-01, SMNG. Dorylus (Anomma) nigricans st. burmeisteri var. hybrida Santschi, 1912: 161. Four workers, Senegal: Casamance, collected by M. Claveau, NHMB. Infrasubspecific name unavailable according to Bolton (2026). Annotation. A comprehensive taxonomic history of this species can be found in AntCat. Other material examined. Ghana: • Bobiri (Lat. 6.68, Long. - 1.35, 4 worker samples, L. Fisch & W. H. Gotwald Jr., CSAC), • Efufu (Lat. 5.20, Long. - 1.32, 2 worker samples, L. Fisch & W. H. Gotwald Jr., CSAC), • New Tafo (Lat. 6.22, Long. - 0.37, 1 worker sample, L. Fisch & W. H. Gotwald Jr., CSAC). Guinea: • Bakoun (Lat. 11.67, Long. - 11.8, 12 worker samples, A. Agbor, SMNG), • Bossou (Lat. 8.65, Long. - 11.8,> 30 worker samples, T. Humle, K. Koops, Y. Sugiyama, CSAC), • Sangaredi (Lat. 11.1, Long. - 14.05, 10 worker samples, A. Keita, B. A. Sefou, C. Kabinet, SMNG), • Seringbara (Lat. 7.64, Long. - 8.41, several hundred worker samples, K. Koops, CSAC), • Sobeya (Lat. 11.0, Long. - 11.43, 64 worker samples, B. A. Sefou, G. Brazzola, SMNG), • Sobory (Lat. 11.82, Long. - 11.21, 28 worker samples, A. Toure, A. Agbor, SMNG), Guinea-Bissau: • Boe (Lat. 11.93, Long. - 13.90, 46 worker samples, E. Ton & J. van Schijndel, SMNG), Ivory Coast: • Comoé (Lat. 8.76, Long. - 3.85, 26 worker samples, J. Beck, C. Kost, P. Kouamé & J. Lapuente, CSAC, SMNG; Kronauer et al. 2007 / 5, NHMD), • Gestion Participative des Ressources Naturelles et de la Faune (Lat. 8.71, Long. - 4.05, 20 worker samples, A. Tickle, SMNG), • Lamto (Lat. 6.22, Long. - 5.03, 8 worker samples, 1 worker sample with queen, Y. Kolo, J. M. Leroux, J. Levieux, J. K. A. van Boven, CASC, MCZC, RMCA), • Mont Sângbé, (Lat. 8.00, Long. - 7.31, 22 worker samples, H. Cohen & J. Preece, SMNG), • Taï National Park (Lat. 5.84, Long. - 7.32,> 20 worker samples, T. Deschner, J. Lapuente, L. Luncz, A. Meier, Y. Möbius, C. Schöning, CASC, SMNG). Liberia: • East Nimba (Lat. 7.43, Long. - 8.57, 14 worker samples, S. Jones & S. Maroccoli, SMNG), • Grebo (Lat. 5.48, Long. - 7.56, 2 worker samples, S. Marrocoli, SMNG), eight other sites in Liberia (from nationwide survey, see Tweh et al. 2014). Senegal: • Dindefelo (Lat. 12.37, Long. - 12.31, 21 worker samples, P. Álvarez, A. Aviles, A. Barciela, G. Coppola, J. M. Garcia, M. Llana, V. Moreno, SMNG), • Fongoli (12.65, Long. - 12.20, 11 worker samples, S. Bogart, W. C. McGrew, J. Pruetz, CSAC), Sierra Leone: • Outamba Kilimi National Park (Lat. 9.68, Long. - 12.16, 27 worker samples, B. Larson, SMNG). Notes. The species was originally described based on a single worker collected in Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, the type specimen has been lost. In the species description, Shuckard (1840) emphasised features of the worker that distinguish the newly erected genus Anomma from the genus Typhlopone described by Westwood (1839). The general description is therefore applicable to almost all driver ant species and lacks details that would be helpful in separating this species from other driver ant species. However, Shuckard additionally wrote “ Brightly shining, perfectly smooth, pitchy black, with the antennae, legs and thorax, ventral incisures and sides of the abdomen pitchy red ”. In the workers collected in the present study, the head surface is indeed shiny and lacks the fine reticulation found in D. nigricans workers. Interestingly, Smith (1858) examined the type specimens of both Anomma burmeisteri Shuckard, 1840 and Anomma arcens Westwood, 1847. His account is somewhat confusing because, when he uses the words “ former ” and “ latter ”, it is unclear whether he refers to the sequence of the two species names in his species list or in his introductory sentence in which the sequence is reversed compared to the list. However, when comparing the worker morphology of the two species he likewise stressed the head surface sculpture as a diagnostic feature: “ highly polished, perfectly smooth, entirely destitute of punctures or sculpture ” (A. burmeisteri) vs “ subopake [sic!] and covered with a very delicate reticulation ” (A. arcens). Moreover, he mentions the lateral angles of the head being more rounded in Anomma burmeisteri. While such features vary with size in driver ants, we assume that Smith was referring to large individuals with only one subapical tooth as they are depicted in his head shape drawings (Smith 1858: pl. VIII, figs 2, 3). In such larger workers the differences clearly exist. Finally, in these drawings the Anomma burmeisteri worker has a shorter scape relative to its head width (1.5 units / 3.2 units ≈ 0.47) than the Anomma arcens worker (1.5 units / 2.85 units ≈ 0.53), as we also find in our present morphometric analyses (Fig. 9). Together, this leads us to the conclusion that the workers are conspecific with the worker specimen described as Anomma burmeisteri by Shuckard. During a visit of the Hymenoptera collection of the Natural History Museum in London by one of us (CS) in 2005 the type specimen could not be located. An additional inquiry confirmed that the specimen is lost (Suzanne Ryder, pers. comm. 11 February 2026). The loss of the type specimen necessitates the designation of a neotype in order to clarify the taxonomic status. We chose a specimen collected from Sierra Leone, the same country where the original type specimen had been collected. Description of the neotype (by current designation). Worker specimen SMNG -SIE-2018-192-01 chosen from sample OKNP _ 346 _ b (collected by Bradley Larson on 4 March 2018 at Outamba Kilimi National Park in Sierra Leone). HW 2.620 mm, SL 1.364 mm, PW 1.179 mm, HFL 2.830 mm, HTL 2.773 mm, PeW 0.607 mm, PeL 0.812 mm. Head surface shiny and lacking the fine reticulation found in D. nigricans, typical trapezoidal head shape of large driver ant workers (anteriorly wider than posteriorly). Head: Fig. 20 C, dark brown with black patches in median line and at the anterior as well as posterior rim. Antenna with eleven antennomeres. Scape dark brown, but lighter at distal end; surface shinier and with weaker microsculpture than in similarly-sized workers of D. nigricans. Head trapezoidal, anteriorly wider than posteriorly. Mandible with one subapical tooth only, claw-like shaped, with strongest curvature at distal fourth. Mesosoma: Fig. 20 A, B. Pronotum dark brown to red brown with lighter areas in vicinity of sutures. Black line runs parallel to posterior rim of pronotum. Propodeum dark brown and with similar appearance as pronotum. Propodeal spiracle surrounded by a pale brown, yellowish ring, separated from the dark brown surroundings by a slim black ring. Coxae red brown, and mesocoxae and metacoxae with paler brown pigmentation distally and in lateral groove. Femora brown, yellow brown at joints. Tibiae appear paler than femur, with only slightly darkened mid-section. Tarsi similar in colour to tibiae. Two claws on each tarsus yellow proximally, black distally. Prothoracic leg darker than the other two legs. Petiole: Fig. 20 D. In dorsal view, posterior “ tubercles ” visible and producing widest part of petiole; colouration similar to mesonotum with dorsal surface darker than ventral one. Gaster: Fig. 20 A, B. First tergite dark brown with pale transverse band posteriorly. Gaster tergites one to four with lighter area close to the lateral margins, widening posteriorly and partly following their posterior end. Labels: Fig. 21. Description of the queen. This description is based on one queen associated with workers collected from a single nest at Lamto in Ivory Coast (Van Boven and Levieux 1970) and obtained from the Van Boven collection in the RMCA (collection number Van Boven 2767). Habitus: Fig. 22, smaller and brighter in appearance than D. nigricans (see Fig. 25). Total length: 3.700 cm. Head: Fig. 22 C, H W = 5.384 mm, HL = 3.701 mm, SL = 1.734 mm, lateral sides red, dark brown on dorsal and ventral side, surface appears slightly dull due to microreticulation but weaker than in D. nigricans, foveola evenly distributed over whole surface of head and at least as deep as wide (diameter 27 µm), foveola occasionally with small hair-like sensillae (7 µm length), hairs usually pointing inwards to the centre of the foveola, no pilosity present; Antenna: 11 antennomeres, funicular segments dark orange and scape slightly darker, antennal fossae pronounced, deeply impressed and rounded, median line V-shaped impressed in the lower half, clypeus with some setae of two different lengths, labrum hardly visible; Mandible: some setae at inner side; no subapical teeth, apical tooth is slightly pointing medially; posterior angles of head drawn out backwards and ventrally. Mesosoma: Fig. 22 A, B, P W = 3.309 mm, PropW = 3.485 mm, HFL = 3.435 mm, colour dark brown like dorsal areas on head, paler close to sutures between segments, promesonotal suture slightly impressed, ventral margin of pronotum with small setose ridge. Propodeum: wider than pronotum, not rectilinear, lateral margins curved, left posterior margin with small pronounced spine, propodeal spiracles visible in dorsal view, at metanotal groove with medial spine projecting backwards, surface morphology similar to head, with microreticulation and foveolae, coxae with yellowish pilosity at junctions, terminal tarsal segments missing from specimen. Petiole: Fig. 22 A, B, PeW = 5.855 mm, colour similar to the darker areas of the mesosoma, surface sculpture similar to head and mesosoma but microreticulation not as strong in medial areas, no seta and without pilosity, posterior lateral lobes very conspicuous in dorsal view. Gaster: Fig. 22 A, B blackish brown, shinier than head and mesosoma but otherwise similar, numerous scratches o
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204161231