| The Ants of
Africa Genus Tetramorium species-groups - Part 3 |
|
| Tetramorium Introduction |
DIV3
Species groups
Part 3 - former Tetramorium (species with long antennal scapes)
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DIV3 12-segmented antennae (Tetramorium)![]() |
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| SD1 Scape index 100 or more (scape longer
than head width; usually surpasses occiput) Otherwise |
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| Frontal carinae extended back beyond posterior of
eyes Otherwise |
|||
| setigerum-group - complex-A | Diameter
of eye usually > 0.25 X HW; petiole node high and narrow in dorsal
view Otherwise |
||
| . | With variable clavate hairs | Tetramorium parasiticum | queen only - South Africa |
| - | With exceptionally
long appendages; SI > 150 |
||
| 114 | Dorsum of head and alitrunk
rugulose with dense inter-rugal sculpture; TL 4.3-4.7 mm; uniform dark
brown![]() |
Tetramorium dolichosum | Zaïre |
| 114 | Dorsum
of head and alitrunk
weakly rugulose with little inter-rugal sculpture; TL 4.8-5.4 mm; dark
brown![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium perlongum | Angola |
| - | With relatively short appendages | ||
| - | Propodeum with short spines | ||
| 155 | Sides of head behind eyes without
projecting hairs; TL 3.0-3.3 mm; mid-brown![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium praetextum | Namibia |
| - | Propodeum with long spines and strongly developed frontal carinae | ||
| 138 | Smooth
mandibles; TL 4.0-4.1 mm;
medium to dark brown, gaster darker![]() |
Tetramorium agile | Zimbabwe |
| 144 | Promesonotal dorsum smooth &
shining; mandibles striated; TL 3.0-3.5 mm; mid- to dark brown![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium laevithorax | East & South Africa |
| - | Promesonotal dorsum distinctly rugulo-punctate; mandibles striated | ||
| 145 | Eye
diameter 0.28-0.31 X HW;
smaller specimens HW at least 0.68; with numerous strong standing hairs
on dorsum; TL 3.4-4.0 mm; mid- to dark brown, gaster darker![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium setigerum | East & South Africa |
| - | Eye diameter 0.25-0.28 X HW; HW 0.58-0.67 | ||
| 146 & 156 | Petiole node rounded as shown;
striated mandibles; 3.1-3.7 mm; mid-brown or darker![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium avium | South Africa |
| 146 | Petiole
node angular as shown; TL
2.9-3.4 mm; uniform dark brown![]() |
. | . |
| . |
![]() |
Tetramorium frenchi | South Africa & Zimbabwe |
| flabellum-group (part) | Diameter of eye no more than 0.24 X HW; petiole node long and low in profile | ||
| flabellum-complex | With long scapes (SI 90-100+) and strongly developed frontal carinae; clypeus with strong median carina and diagonal lateral carinae | ||
| 149 | Dorsal surfaces with bizarre
fan-shaped hairs; TL 2.9-3.2 mm; dark brown![]() |
Tetramorium flabellum | Ivory Coast & Ghana |
| - | Dorsal surfaces with simple, usually stout and blunt, erect hairs | ||
| 150 | Postpetiole
dorsum less strongly
sculptured than sides or petiole, with a median smooth strip; TL
2.8-3.0 mm; dark brown, gaster lighter![]() |
. | . |
| . |
![]() |
Tetramorium sigillum | Ivory Coast |
| - | Postpetiole dorsum sculptured as sides and petiole dorsum | ||
| 152 | Light coloured, yellowish-brown;
TL 3.0-3.1 mm![]() |
Tetramorium kestrum | Eastern & southern Africa |
| 153 | Dorsum
of head with erect hairs
no longer than diameter of eye; TL 3.0-3.5 mm; dark brown![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium ataxium | West Africa & Congo Basin |
| 153 | Dorsum of head with erect hairs
markedly longer than diameter of eye; TL 3.4 mm; reddish-brown dark and
glossy![]() |
Tetramorium geminatum | Cameroun & Gabon |
| Frontal carinae end at or forward of posterior of eyes | |||
| aculeatum-group former Macromischoides |
Petiole
node high and narrow in profile, in dorsal view broader than long Otherwise |
||
| 99 | Metapleural
lobes elongate
triangular; petiole with low node; TL 4.8 mm; dark brown![]() |
. | . |
![]() |
Tetramorium rimytyum | Ghana | |
| - | Metapleural lobes much reduced or absent; petiole node high and narrow in profile | ||
| . | Petiole with long peduncle; erect pilosity long | . | . |
| 60 & 100 | Petiole with long peduncle; TL
3.2-5.4 mm +; variable forms light brown to near black (propodeal spines may be much reduced) ![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium aculeatum | pan-African forests |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium aculeatum queen | . |
| new species | Overall
size smaller, wing
smaller; CuA cell proportionally smaller; mandibles completely smooth;
head frontal area with little sculpturation; eye longer than wide
(circular in aculeatum); head in profile with occiput shallowly
but distinctly convex (near flat in aculeatum); distance
between dorsal ocelli = 2.11 X length of ocelli (in aculeatum =
2.84); HW/width across eyes/HW = 123 (aculeatum = 118); CI = 84 (aculeatum
CI = 90); funiculus segment 3-4 together shorter than segment
1 (in aculeatum 3+4 = 1); scape proportionally longer and SL
greater, SI 131 (aculeatum SI = 110); pronotum dorsum with 9-10
strong parallel rugae; postpetiole in profile relatively narrow; longer
erect hairs on hind legs and scapes; overall much paler orange-brown (aculeatum
ranging from near black to brown![]() |
Tetramorium robini | Central
African Republic - new
species |
| . | Petiole with short peduncle; erect pilosity short | . | . |
| 60 &100 | TL 3.7-4.7 mm; uniform light to
medium brown; gaster with dense short pilosity![]() |
. | . |
| Queen | ![]() |
Tetramorium africanum | West Africa & Congo Basin |
| Queen only | With
erect hairs on gaster absent
or restricted to posterior border of segments![]() |
Tetramorium rotundatum | Congo Basin |
| sericeiventre-group | Petiole
node long and low in profile, in dorsal view usually longer than broad;
clypeus laterally with a prominent tooth or crest Otherwise |
||
| longicorne-complex | Mandibles unsculptured; no pilosity; large eyes | ||
| 41 | TL 4.4-5.1 mm; dull red, gaster
darker![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium longicorne | East Africa |
| bequaerti-complex | Striated mandibles; numerous short erect hairs on scapes and tibiae of middle and hind legs | ||
| 96 | All
over with very dense pile of
short soft hairs; TL 3.3 mm; uniform dark brown![]() |
Tetramorium xuthum | Ghana |
| - | Numerous short erect hairs all stout and scattered | ||
| 97 | Head with distinctive lug on
posterior ventral corner; TL 4.3-4.6 mm; dull red![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium bequaerti | eastern Zaïre & Tanzania |
| - | Head with rounded posterior ventral corner | ||
| 98 | Dorsum
of head behind eyes feebly
sculptured to smooth; TL 3.0-3.4 mm; reddish yellow to dull red![]() |
. | , |
| . |
![]() |
Tetramorium bulawayense | Zimbabwe |
| 98 | Dorsum of head behind eyes
strongly rugulose; TL 3.0-3.2 mm; reddish yellow to dull red![]() |
. | . |
| .8 | ![]() |
Tetramorium hortorum | Zimbabwe |
| sericeiventre-complex | Striated mandibles; no erect hairs on scapes and tibiae of middle and hind legs | ||
| - | Propodeal dorsum
with one or more pairs of erect hairs Otherwise |
||
| - | Short, stout, erect hairs projecting on sides of head behind the eyes | ||
| 121 | Densely
hairy; promesonotum
dorsum coarsely longitudinally rugose; TL 4.1 mm; uniform dark brown, with reddish tint ![]() |
. | . |
| . |
![]() |
Tetramorium asetyum | Nigeria |
| 121 | Densely hairy; promesonotum
dorsum smooth or nearly so: TL 3.6-3.7 mm; light brown, with reddish
tint, gaster darker![]() |
Tetramorium petersi | Namibia |
| - | Without erect hairs projecting behind the eyes | ||
| 122 | Propodeal
dorsum with only a
single pair of hairs; first gastral tergite with blunt hairs; TL
4.0-4.3 mm; dull red, gaster blackish-brown![]() |
Tetramorium khyarum | Nigeria round western savannah to Botswana |
| 122 | Propodeal dorsum with several
pairs of erect hairs; first gastral tergite with slender acute hairs TL
3.8-4.4 mm; dull red or reddish-brown, gaster darker![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium sepositum | Zimbabwe & South Africa |
| - | Without erect hairs on propodeum | ||
| 123 | Dorsal
alitrunk very coarsely
rugose, spaces shining; TL 3.8-4.5 mm; dark red, gaster blackish, glossy![]() |
Tetramorium gladstonei | Zimbabwe |
| 124 | Dorsal alitrunk and head with
fine rugulae and dense reticulate puncturation; base of gaster usually
completely finely sculptured, matt and dull; TL 3.3-4.4 mm; colour dull
red variable from yellowish through to dark, gaster usually darker![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium sericeiventre | Pan-african |
| 124 | Dorsal
alitrunk and head feebly
sculptured at most; base of gaster smooth and shiny; TL 3.6-4.0 mm;
colour dull red variable from yellowish through to dark, near black![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium quadrispinosum | southern Africa & Madagascar |
| Queen only | inquiline found in nests of sepositum and sericeiventre | Tetramorium microgyna | Southern Africa |
| setigerum-group - complex-B | Petiole
node high and narrow in profile, in dorsal view usually longer than
broad; clypeus laterally not strongly modified |
||
| - | Propodeum with no more than denticles; weak frontal carinae | ||
| 118 & 157 | Sides
of head behind eyes with
projecting hairs; pronotal dorsum sculptured: TL 3.2-3.8 mm;
yellowish-brown to mid-brown![]() |
Tetramorium doriae | Ethiopia also Arabian Peninsula |
| 118 & 157 | Sides of head behind eyes with
projecting hairs; pronotal dorsum mostly unsculptured; TL 3.4 mm;
uniform mid-brown![]() |
. | |
| . |
![]() |
Tetramorium gracile | Ethiopia |
| - | Propodeum with long spines but weak frontal carinae | ||
| 141 | Longitudinal
rugulae on head
without cross-meshes, almost smooth between rugae; TL 3.6-4.1 mm; dark
brown, appendages yellow![]() |
. | . |
| . | ![]() |
Tetramorium metatactum | Kenya |
| 141 | Longitudinal rugulae on head with
cross-meshes, distinct ground-sculpture between rugae; TL 3.4 mm;
glossy blackish-brown, appendages pale yellow![]() |
Tetramorium youngi | Angola |
|
© 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016 - Brian
Taylor
CBiol
FRSB
FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
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