Tanipone pilosa

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Tanipone pilosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dorylinae
Genus: Tanipone
Species: V. pilosa
Binomial name
Tanipone pilosa
Bolton & Fisher, 2012

Tanipone pilosa casent0110420 p 1 high.jpg

Tanipone pilosa casent0110420 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

All specimens have been found in tropical dry forest, either as ground foragers, on low vegetation, or in rot pockets on tree trunks.

Identification

A member of the hirsuta species group. Superficially as Tanipone hirsuta, with similar dense pilosity and AIII glandular patches. However, pilosa is distinctly less strongly sculptured and has eyes that are situated more anteriorly than in hirsuta. (Bolton and Fisher 2012)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -14.75555556° to -14.75555556°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar (type locality).

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

Explore-icon.png Explore Overview of Tanipone biology 
Little is known about the biology of Tanipone. They are predominantly terrestrial to subarboreal, being found as ground foragers in leaf litter, under stones, in rotten stumps and in rotten logs. Just as commonly workers have been captured on low vegetation, in living and dead stems above the ground and in rot pockets in tree trunks. No prey records exist for Tanipone. (Bolton and Fisher 2012)

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Tanipone pilosa casent0410479 h 1 high.jpgTanipone pilosa casent0410479 p 1 high.jpgTanipone pilosa casent0410479 d 1 high.jpgTanipone pilosa casent0410479 l 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0410479. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Tanipone pilosa casent0110420 h 2 high.jpg
Holotype of Tanipone pilosaWorker. Specimen code casent0110420. Photographer Shannon Hartman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

  • pilosa. Tanipone pilosa Bolton & Fisher, 2012: 91, figs. 101-103 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 8 paratype workers.
    • Type-locality: holotype Madagascar: Prov. Antsiranana, Rés. Analamerana, 28.4 km. 99° Anivorano-Nord, 12°44.80’S, 49°29.69’E, 60 m., 5-7.xii.2004, BLF11424, CASENT0110420, tropical dry forest (B.L. Fisher); paratype with same data but BLF11412, CASENT0110579.
    • Type-depository: CASC.
    • Distribution: Madagascar.

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

Description

Worker

(holotype in parentheses). HL 1.12–1.18 (1.12), HW 0.89–0.97 (0.90), SL 0.52–0.58 (0.52), EL 0.35–0.40 (0.36), PW 0.69–0.77 (0.70), AIIW 0.62–0.74 (0.67), AIIL 0.62–0.70 (0.62), AIIIW 0.76–0.88 (0.77), AIIIL 0.68–0.80 (0.73), WL 1.42–1.54 (1.48), MFL 0.90–1.00 (0.92), CI 78–82 (80), SI 58–61 (58), EL/HW 0.37–0.42 (0.40), AIIW/AIIL 0.96–1.08 (1.08), AIIIW/AIIIL 1.05–1.16 (1.05) (10 measured).

With head in full-face view the side from the posterior clypeal margin to the anterior margin of the eye with more than one laterally projecting seta present. Side of head below outline of eye usually with 2 long setae that project laterally; sometimes with a third close to the anterior margin of the eye. Side of head behind level of eye with numerous projecting, curved setae of varying length. In profile the entire cephalic dorsum with a number of long, fine, standing setae, and also with abundant short, suberect to subdecumbent setae; too many setae in all to count easily. The short setae on the dorsum to the level of the eye are curved posteromedially; those near the posterior margin are curved anteriorly. Posterior margin of head with 6–8 longer setae and a greater number of short setae. Entire dorsum of mesosoma with an abundance of short, suberect to subdecumbent, curved setae. Dorsum of each sclerite also with a variable number of longer, fine setae: pronotum, mesonotum and propodeum each usually with 2–3 such long pairs. Mesofemur and metafemur in dorsal view with a number of standing setae, of variable length, on both the anterior and posterior surfaces. Generally with two longer setae near the apex on the anterior surface of each femur, and usually with one long pair near the apex on the posterior surface. Dorsal and ventral surfaces of both mesofemur and metafemur with setae present; on the ventral surfaces usually with 2–3 that are relatively long, at least near the trochanter. Dorsum of AII (petiole) with 2–3 pairs of long setae and numerous shorter setae, and with a transverse row of about 4–6 long setae along the posterior margin. Dorsa of AIII and AIV each with standing long setae present all over their surfaces, and with abundant, short subdecumbent setae everywhere that are directed posteriorly. Sternites of AIII and AIV with numerous setae of varying length present. Cephalic dorsum with shallow foveolate punctures; distances between punctures, at least above the eyes and between the eyes and antennal fossae, less than the diameters of the punctures. Narrow spaces between the punctures with very fine microsculpture between eye and antennal fossa, smooth elsewhere. Side of pronotum as smooth as anepisternum. Dorsum of mesosoma with small foveolate punctures, the spaces between which are generally equal to or slightly greater than the puncture diameters. AII (petiole) in dorsal view appears as broad as long to slightly broader than long; in profile its tergite appears longer than high. Structure of AIII glandular patches as described in definition of hirsuta group, above. Tergite of AIII, in front of and between the glandular patches, with spaced foveolate punctures; cuticle between punctures smooth. Posterior margin of AIII tergite with a pair of elongate off-white to yellowish spots. Tergite of AIV with small foveolate punctures whose diameters average equal to or less than the distances between them. Full adult colour uniformly black, except for the pale spots on AIII; appendages usually lighter than mesosoma, brown to dark brown, and usually with tarsi lighter than tibiae and femora.

Holotype Specimen Labels

Type Material

Holotype worker, Madagascar: Prov. Antsiranana, Rés. Analamerana, 28.4 km 99° Anivorano-Nord, 12°44.80’S, 49°29.69’E, 60 m, 5-7.xii.2004, tropical dry forest, BLF11424, CASENT0110420 (B.L. Fisher) (California Academy of Sciences). Paratype. 1 worker with same data as holotype but coded BLF11412, CASENT0110579 (CASC).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton B., and B. L. Fisher. 2012. Taxonomy of the cerapachyine ant genera Simopone Forel, Vicinopone gen. n. and Tanipone gen. n. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3283: 1-101.