Carebara silvestrii Santschi 1914

Aneleus silvestrii Santschi, 1914d PDF: 357, fig. 20 (s.w.) GHANA. Afrotropic. AntCat AntWiki

Taxonomic history

Bernard, 1953b PDF: 239 (m.); Fischer et al., 2014 PDF: 94 (s.w.).Combination in Aneleus (Aneleus): Emery, 1924f PDF: 215.Combination in Oligomyrmex: Ettershank, 1966 PDF: 124.Combination in Carebara: Fischer et al., 2014 PDF: 94.Status as species: Wheeler, 1922: 881; Emery, 1924f PDF: 214; Bernard, 1953b PDF: 239; Ettershank, 1966 PDF: 124; Bolton, 1995b: 300; Fischer et al., 2014 PDF: 94 (redescription).Senior synonym of Carebara punctata: Fischer et al., 2014 PDF: 94.

Measurements (n=6): HW 0.64–0.99 (0.85), HL 0.79–1.15 (1.02), SL 0.34–0.45 (0.41), MDL 0.38–0.57 (0.49), EL 0.04–0.07 (0.05), WL 0.58–0.87 (0.75), PNH 0.24–0.46 (0.37), PNW 0.32–0.48 (0.42), MNH 0.39–0.62 (0.53), PDH 0.24–0.38 (0.31), PTL 0.20–0.36 (0.28), PPL 0.15–0.21 (0.18), PTH 0.17–0.27 (0.22), PPH 0.14–0.23 (0.18), PTW 0.13–0.18 (0.15), PPW 0.15–0.23 (0.20), PSL 0.09–0.15 (0.12), MFL 0.37–0.60 (0.50), MTL 0.31–0.52 (0.43), CI 76–87 (83), SI 45–53 (49), MDI 56–61 (58), EI 6–7 (6), FI 57–65 (59), PSLI 13–16 (14), LPpI 92–107 (99), DPpI 100–128 (112), PpWI 122–144 (133), PpLI 56–81 (66), PpHI 76–88 (83). Head longer than wide (CI 76–87), in full-face view nearly rectangular to subquadrate. Posterior margin of head weakly concave to V-shaped medially, posterolateral corners roundly convex, sides of the head nearly straight to slightly convex. Mandibles triangular and masticatory margin with five teeth including the basal tooth. Frontal carinae short or inconspicuous. Anterior margin of clypeus concave medially, sides angulate. Antennae with eleven segments, scapes short and not surpassing cephalic midlength (SI 45–53). Eyes small and consisting of one ommatidium (EI 6-7). In profile, promesonotum roundly convex and higher than propodeum. Promesonotal suture present or absent on dorsum, metanotal groove present and impressed. Dorsal face of propodeum straight in profile, or slightly concave and declining posteriorly, anterodorsal corner weakly angulate, propodeal spines stout and subtriangular, posterior declivity concave. Propodeal spiracle rounded, situated slightly above center of lateral propodeum. Petiole with relatively long peduncle, ventrally weakly concave anteriorly and slightly convex posteriorly, sometimes nearly straight over the whole length, subpetiolar process present as a small, angulate, forward-directed tooth, petiole node relatively high, anteroposteriorly somewhat compressed, dorsally subangulate anteriorly and posteriorly in smaller major workers, rounded in larger majors. Postpetiole in profile roundly convex dorsally, about as high as long (LPpI 92–107), and lower than petiole (PpHI 76–88). In dorsal view petiole node small, wider than long, anteriorly and posteriorly flattened and nearly straight to weakly convex, sides subangulate, postpetiole slightly wider than long (DpPI 100–128), about 1.3 times wider than petiole (PpWI 122–144), anteriorly and posteriorly weakly convex, laterally roundly convex. Mandibles, clypeus and frons medially, and in large majors most of face, smooth and shiny with scattered punctures. In small majors sides of face with irregular longitudinal reticulations, grading to transverse reticulations towards posterior head margin, and with a transverse carina near posterior margin. In large majors, posterior head margin with transverse carina and with short transverse reticulations anterior and posterior of transverse carina. In all majors gena and frontal lobes with well-defined longitudinal striations. Dorsum of promesonotum centrally smooth and shiny, weakly reticulate near its margins, remainder of mesosoma areolate to weakly areolate, sometimes locally effaced on lateropronotum and katepisternum. Petiole node and postpetiole dorsally smooth and shiny, lateroventrally finely areolate. Gaster smooth and shiny with scattered punctures. Head and body with moderately long suberect to subdecumbent hairs and short decumbent pilosity, scapes and tibiae with mostly decumbent pilosity. Color reddish brown, legs and antennae yellowish.

Carebara silvestrii is a widespread species found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana (type-locality), Ivory Coast, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe, mainly in rainforest. Carebara silvestrii has been collected at elevations ranging from 10–2250 m. Individuals and nest series were collected from the leaf-litter and the soil with Winkler sifting, pitfall traps, and hand collections.