Terataner velatus

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Terataner velatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Terataner
Species: T. velatus
Binomial name
Terataner velatus
Bolton, 1981

Terataner velatus casent0172828 profile 1.jpg

Terataner velatus casent0172828 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen Label

Identification

The four known species of the luteus-complex are confined to the forests of West and Central Africa. The complex is diagnosed by the short straight frontal carinae which fade out on the head behind the level of the eyes, fine sculpture, and sparse pilosity on the body; the tibiae lack standing hairs. Of the species thus defined two, Terataner elegans and Terataner luteus, have a broad flattened postpetiole, the posterior dorsal margin of which is broad and very broadly, evenly rounded. The other two species, Terataner piceus and Terataner velatus, have the posterior arch of the postpetiole narrow and narrowly rounded in dorsal view. T. piceus is separated from velatus by its lack of rugular sculpture on the promesonotum and lack of hairs on the first gastral tergite. (Bolton 1981)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 6.5° to 6.5°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Ghana (type locality), Ivory Coast.

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

Terataner velatus casent0172828 head 1.jpgTerataner velatus casent0172828 profile 1.jpgTerataner velatus casent0172828 dorsal 1.jpgTerataner velatus casent0172828 label 1.jpg
Paratype of Terataner velatusWorker. Specimen code casent0172828. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MCZ, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Terataner velatus casent0102229 head 1.jpgTerataner velatus casent0102229 profile 1.jpgTerataner velatus casent0102229 dorsal 1.jpgTerataner velatus casent0102229 label 1.jpg
Holotype of Terataner velatusWorker. Specimen code casent0102229. Photographer April Nobile, 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.

  • velatus. Terataner velatus Bolton, 1981b: 295 (w.) GHANA, IVORY COAST.
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 5 paratype workers.
    • Type-locality: Ghana: Okumaning, 12.viii.1969, ant ecology sample K12 (D. Leston), 1 paratype same data but sample K11; non-type-locality paratypes: 1 paratype Ghana: Kade, ant ecology sample K96 (D. Leston), 2 paratypes Ghana: Enchi, 17.v.1969, ant ecology sample E5-8 (D. Leston), 1 paratype Ivory Coast: Banco Forest near Abidjan, 10.i.1963, no. A30 (W.L. Brown).
    • Type-depositories BMNH (holotype); BMNH, MCZC (paratypes).
    • Status as species: Bolton, 1995b: 403.
    • Distribution: Ghana, Ivory Coast.

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 4.5, HL 1.14, HW 1.07, CI 94, SL 0.64, SI 60, PW 0.76, AL 1.40.

Mandibles smooth basally but in the apical halves with a number of large elongate pits which, where aligned, give the appearance of short impressions. Frontal carinae fine, close together, parallel, more or less straight, fading out on the dorsum between the level of the posterior margins of the eyes and the occiput. Maximum diameter of eyes 0.27, about 0.25 x HW. Pronotum marginate laterally and more weakly so anteriorly, the pronotal corners bluntly dentate and prominent. Sides of pronotum shallowly convex and somewhat convergent posteriorly. Mesonotum marginate laterally, the propodeal dorsum separated from the sides by a blunt angle, not at all as sharply marginate as the pronotum. Promesonotal suture absent on dorsum except laterally where it forms a break in the margination. Metanotal groove only very shallowly impressed in profile. Propodeum unarmed. Metapleural lobes large and rounded. Petiole node in profile appearing as a triangular tooth, broad-based but short, tapering to an acute point apically and very slightly curved backwards. In anterior view the dorsal surface of the node strongly emarginate in the middle, the portions on each side of the emargination projecting slightly outwards as a pair of blunt teeth. Postpetiole in dorsal view narrow and narrowly rounded posteriorly. Dorsum of head and sides of head above the eyes with a fine dense reticulate-punctulate ground-sculpture which is fainter between the frontal carinae than outside them. Overlying the ground-sculpture are a few fine longitudinal rugulae between the frontal carinae and a series of somewhat stronger longitudinal rugulae running above the eye. Dorsal alitrunk finely and densely reticulate-punctate everywhere. On the propodeal dorsum this is the only sculpture but the pronotum, and to a lesser extent the mesonotum, has fine but conspicuous fairly dense longitudinal rugulation. Petiole, postpetiole and first gastral tergite finely and densely reticulate-punctate everywhere. Basigastral costulae very reduced, the individual components short, fine and restricted to the area immediately behind the postpetiolar-gastral junction. Standing hairs sparse on dorsal surfaces of the body, consisting only of 4 pairs on the head following the lines of the frontal carinae, one pair each on the pronotum (at the corners), mesonotum and propodeum, 3 pairs each on the petiole and postpetiole, and 3 pairs on the first gastral tergite situated in the basal half towards the sides of the sclerite. Other than this hairs are present only on the mouthparts and gastral apex; standing hairs are absent on the scapes and tibiae. Colour uniform dark brown.

Paratypes. TL 4.1-4.4, HL 1.04-1.10, HW 0.98-1.06, CI 94-96, SL 0.60-0.64, SI 60-64, PW 0.70-0.74, AL 1.24-1.36 (5 measured). Maximum diameter of eye 0.24-0.26, about 0.24-0.25 x HW. As holotype but several para types with hairs variously lost by abrasion from the dorsal body surfaces. Colour varying from mid-brown to blackish brown.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Ghana: Okumaning, 12.viii.1969, ant ecology sample K12 (D. Leston) (The Natural History Museum). Paratypes. Ghana: 1 worker with same data as holotype but sample K11; 1 worker, Kade, ant ecology sample K96 (D. Leston); 2 workers, Enchi, 17.v.1969, ant ecology sample E 5-8 (D. Leston). Ivory Coast: 1 worker, Banco Forest near Abidjan, 10.i.l963, no. A30 (w. L. Brown). (BMNH, Museum of Comparative Zoology)

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton B. 1981. A revision of six minor genera of Myrmicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 43: 245-307.