Tetraponera natalensis (F Smith)

Type location South Africa (29. Pseudomyrma natalensis, F Smith, 1858b: 160, in Tetraponera, F. Smith, 1877b: 69; queen; Emery, 1895h: 22, worker) - see queen below
subspecies
cuitensis (Sima natalensis Sm. var. cuitensis n. subsp., Forel, 1911d: 368, worker) from Angola, between the rivers Cubango and Cuito, Baum & Van den Kellen
obscurata (Sima natalensis F. Sm. var. obscurata n. var., Emery, 1895h: 22, worker; Arnold, 1916: 177, queen & male) from South Africa
unavailable names
bulawayana (Sima natalensis Sm. r. cuitensis v. bulawayana n. v., Forel, 1913a: 112, worker) from Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, collector Arnold;
all forms described (see Bolton, 1995) .

With the availability of type images, I have raised Tetraponera caffra to full species status, with quaniama as a junior synonym.

Forel also defined a new variety usambarensis from Tanzania (Forel, 1911d: 367, worker; Santschi, 1914b: 70, queen) but this differs so much from the type; comes from a location 1000s of kilometres to the north; and, seems so nearly identical to Forel's description, two pages earlier, of Tetraponera prelli; that I have removed usambarensis to a junior synonym of prelli.

F Smith's (1858b) description of the queen, is at . Emery's (1895h) description of the worker, with that of obscurata, is at . Forel's (1911d) description of cuitensis is at and his (1913a) description of cuitensis var. bulawayana is at . Santschi's (1914e) description of caffra is at . Arnold (1916: 176) gave a straight translation of natalensis, this is at , his translation (1916: 177) of obscurata and caffra is at , and his translation (1916: 177) of cuitensis var. bulawayana is at .

Smith (1876d) reported observations by J.M. Hutchison, at Weenen in South Africa, of the species making formicaria in the thorns of a species of acacia.

Comparison of forms

	bulawayensis
	cuitensis
	obscurata
Separate species note difference in head shape - more elongated
	caffra
	quaniama

The photomontage of the type queen is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0902819.

The photomontage of the obscurata worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0904031.

The photomontage of the bulawayensis worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0907454.

The photomontage of the cuitensis worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0907453.

David King sent me these photographs, taken in Botswana, of what appear to workers of natalensis.

The photomontage of what appears to be the queen of natalensis is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0217594.

The photomontage of an apparent fresh male of natalensis is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent07782904.