Bioacoustics of Psalidomyrmex

Rather large, dark reddish brown or black ants with the surface of the body covered with scattered umbilicate foveolae, the spaces between which are in part at least, densely atriolate. In the worker and female the clypeus is short and broad, its anterior border arcuate and entire. The frontal carinae are approximated, dilated and lobular and concealing the antennal insertions. The mandibles have a very peculiar shape, being long, faleate, and toothless, ending in a long acute point and broadest just beyond their basal third where the basal and apical borders meet without forming a sharp angle as in most other ants. The antennal funiculi are slightly thickened apically, with the second joint conspicuously longer than the first. Eyes small and flat, placed near the anterior quarter or third of the sides of the head. Base of epinotum with a narrow longitudinal sulcus in the middle. Premesonotal suture very distinct impressed. Mesoepinotal suture indistinct or obsolete. Petiole with high rounded node, subtruncate in front and behind. Constriction between postpetiole and gaster pronounced and provided with well-developed stridulatory surfaces. Gaster small. Middle and hind tibiae without lateral spurs, with a large pectinated median spur. The female is winged but in other respects closely resembles the worker. The male resembles the male of Plectroctena but has smaller eyes and the mesonotum is without Mayrian furrows, the scutellum with a deep longitudinal sulcus. Only four species of this interesting genus have been described. The Lang-Chapin collection contains a fifth, which is described below. They are all rare ants, inhabiting the virgin forest and apparently restricted to Western Equatorial Africa, from French Guinea to the Northeastern Congo (Map 14). The workers of four species of Psalidomyrmex 1 can be readily identified by means of the following table.