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The Ants of
Africa SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Terataner |
Contents - Myrmicinae - MYRMICINAE Introduction |
In Tribe FORMICOXENINI.
Diagnostic Features - Antennae 12-segmented, with a 3-segmented club. Pronotum anteriorly and promesonotum laterally marginate. Promesonotal suture absent but the lateral margination is broken at the pro-mesonotal margin. Metanotal grove weakly impressed. propodeum unarmed, metapleural lobes present. Petiole with paired dorsal teeth.
Emery's (1912b) genus description is at .
Bolton (1973a) described this as a totally arboreal genus, adding (1981b) that nesting is in rotten parts of standing timber, often some considerable distance above the ground. In his later review four species were described from West and Central African forests (Bolton, 1981b). These he described as forming a single complex, the luteus-complex, separated in two groups on the basis of the postpetiole in dorsal view having a very broad and broadly rounded posterior arch (elegans and luteus), or having a narrow and narrowly rounded posterior arch (piceus and velatus). Carroll (1979) observed genus members in Liberia but did not differentiate the species; all were collected only from hard, dry, dead stems on trees and never from wet wood; burrows were some 3 mm in width.
Key to African species (adapted from Bolton, 1981b):
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East Africa - bottegoi |
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East & Southern Africa - transvaalensis |
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West Africa & Congo Basin - luteus |
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West Africa - elegans |
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West Africa & Congo Basin - piceus |
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West Africa - velatus |
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MYRMICINAE Introduction |
© 2007, 2012, 2013 - Brian Taylor CBiol FSB FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
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