''Anoplolepis steingroeveri'' is a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
ant
Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cre ...
. It is commonly known as the black pugnacious ant. It is native to southern Africa, and occurs in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana and Namibia.
The worker is similar in appearance to darker morphs of the
common pugnacious ant (''Anoplolepis custodiens''), but that species has a chequer-board-like dark pattern on the
gaster, which is caused by reflection of light by pubescent hairs which lie in different directions on the two sides.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anoplolepis steingroeveri
Formicinae
Hymenoptera of Africa
Insects described in 1894
Taxa named by Auguste Forel