Tetramorium gegaimi

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Tetramorium gegaimi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Tetramorium
Species: T. gegaimi
Binomial name
Tetramorium gegaimi
Forel, 1916

Tetramorium gegaimi casent0217210 p 1 high.jpg

Tetramorium gegaimi casent0217210 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

A forest species that, based on specimen collection data (under tree bark, on low vegetation, canopy fogging, etc.), is an arboreal ant.

Identification

Bolton (1980) - A member of the Tetramorium camerunese species complex in the Tetramorium camerunense species group. Amongst the species of this group which have the gaster darker in colour than the head and alitrunk, as opposed to being of a uniform dark brown, T. gegaimi is most closely related to Tetramorium browni and Tetramorium miserabile, but in both these species the pronotal dorsum is quite regularly longitudinally rugulose whilst in T. gegaimi a weak rugoreticulum is present. Secondly, with the petiole in dorsal view T. gegaimi shows a flat anterior face bordered by a narrow ridge, whereas in T. browni and T. miserabile the anterior face of the petiole is rounded and without a bordering ridge.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Cameroun, Democratic Republic of Congo (type locality), Gabon, Kenya, Uganda.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Tetramorium gegaimi casent0280914 h 1 high.jpgTetramorium gegaimi casent0280914 p 1 high.jpgTetramorium gegaimi casent0280914 d 1 high.jpgTetramorium gegaimi casent0280914 l 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0280914. Photographer Estella Ortega, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • gegaimi. Tetramorium camerunense var. gegaimi Forel, 1916: 421 (w.q.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. Raised to species: Bolton, 1980: 338.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Bolton (1980) - TL 2.4-2.6, HL 0.60-0.64, HW 0.54-0.58, CI 90-91, SL 0.41-0.45, SI 76-77, PW 0.36-0.38, AL 0.68-0.72 (2 measured).

Mandibles smooth, with scattered pits. Anterior clypeal margin notched or impressed medially; the median clypeal carina running the length of the clypeus. Frontal carinae running back almost to occiput but much weaker in their posterior one-third than anteriorly. Eyes moderate in size, maximum diameter 0.12-0.14, about 0.22-0.24 x HW. With head in full-face view the occipital margin almost transverse, only extremely feebly concave, sides of head shallowly but evenly convex. Dorsum of alitrunk quite evenly convex in profile, showing only a very faint impression at the metanotal groove. Propodeal spines narrow and acute, the metapleural lobes triangular. Petiole in profile as in Fig. 115, in dorsal view the petiole with a narrow transverse crest or ridge bordering the anterior face. Postpetiole globular in dorsal view. Dorsum of head finely longitudinally rugulose, with 8-10 rugulae between the frontal carinae at the level of the eyes; posteriorly the rugulae with some anastomoses and a few feeble cross-meshes, but without a reticulum. Dorsal alitrunk irregularly rugulose, forming a weak reticulum or broken reticulum on the promesonotum. Petiole, postpetiole and gaster unsculptured or at most the petiole with vestigal marks which are almost effaced. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous blunt hairs, but the scapes and dorsal (outer) surfaces of the mid and hind tibiae only with short appressed pubesence. Head and alitrunk light brownish yellow, the gaster distinctly darker, mid to dark brown.

Type Material

Bolton (1980) - Syntype workers, female, ZAIRE: St Gabriel (Kohl) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève) [examined].

References