Tetramorium legone

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Tetramorium legone
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Tetramorium
Species: T. legone
Binomial name
Tetramorium legone
Bolton, 1980

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Specimen Labels

In Benin, Taylor et al. (2018) report this species from mango (Mangifera indica) orchards. It is ground nesting.

Identification

A member of the Tetramorium angulinode species group.

Bolton (1980) - Amongst all African Tetramorium with 11-merous antennae T. legone is unique in having the base of the first gastral tergite densely sculptured. Like the closely related Tetramorium calinum this species inhabits open, sandy soils. The relationship of T. legone to calinum may be closer than is indicated by the material presently available. As can be seen in the type-series of legone the area of the first tergite covered by sculpture is variable, and if some specimens were found in which this sculpture was very reduced they would be difficult to separate from T. calinum. It is quite possible that T. legone and T. calinum may represent two extremes of a single variable species.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Benin, Ghana (type locality), Nigeria.

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

Nomenclature

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

  • legone. Tetramorium legone Bolton, 1980: 240 (w.) GHANA.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype. TL 3-3, HL 0-76, HW 0-72, CI 95, SL 0-54, SI 75, PW 0-54, AL 0-86.

Mandibles smooth and shining with scattered small pits. Anterior clypeal margin with a median impression. Antennal scrobes broad and conspicuous, bounded above by the strong frontal carinae and ventrally by longitudinal rugular sculpture running above the eye. Scrobe with a median longitudinal carina anteriorly which runs back at least to the level of the posterior margin of the eye and divides the scrobe into upper and lower sections. Pronotal corners in dorsal view sharply angular. Propodeal spines stout and acute, slightly downcurved along their length; metapleural lobes broadly triangular. Petiole in profile with the node roughly square, as high as long, the anterior and posterior faces parallel and the dorsum feebly convex. Postpetiole only slightly lower than petiole, rounded above. In dorsal view the petiole node slightly longer than broad, the postpetiole distinctly broader than long. Dorsum of head and alitrunk finely longitudinally rugulose, the spaces between rugulae everywhere blanketed by a dense, strong reticulatepuncturation. Pedicel segments more weakly rugulose, reticulate in places and having the strong, dense puncturation everywhere. Basal one-quarter of first gastral tergite extremely densely, finely punctulate; in places with the appearance of minute striation due to the alignment of adjacent punctures. Remainder of gaster smooth and shining. Fine, simple, acute short hairs dense on all dorsal surfaces of head and body; on the first gastral tergite they are subdecumbent to decumbent and on the posterior two-thirds of the segment are directed towards the midline. Colour dark brown, the gaster darker, blackish brown.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Ghana: Legon A.D., 22.iii.72 (D. Leston) (The Natural History Museum). Paratypes. Ghana: 5 workers with same data as holotype. Nigeria: 1 worker, 18 km N. of Mokwa,28.iv.77 (C. Longhurst). (BMNH; Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève; Museum of Comparative Zoology)

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Taylor B., N. Agoinon, A. Sinzogan, A. Adandonon, Y. N'Da Kouagou, S. Bello, R. Wargui, F. Anato, I. Ouagoussounon, H. Houngbo, S. Tchibozo, R. Todjhounde, and J. F. Vayssieres. 2018. Records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Republic of Benin, with particular reference to the mango farm ecosystem. Journal of Insect Biodiversity 8(1): 006–029.