Tetramorium ala

Tetramorium ala
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Tetramorium
Species:	T. ala
Binomial name
	Tetramorium ala; Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012 Specimen Labels

This species is currently only known to occur in the type locality Montagne d'Anjanaharibe (Madagascar) where it was sampled in montane rainforest at 1100 m elevation. Most specimens were found in leaf litter. (Hita Garcia and Fisher 2012)

Identification

A member of the Tetramorium andrei species complex of the Tetramorium tortuosum-species group.

Tetramorium ala can be distinguished from the other Tetramorium andrei species complex members by the following combination of characters: eyes usually moderately sized (OI 20 - 21); propodeal spines long to very long (PSLI 38 - 42); petiolar node in dorsal view relatively slender and long, around 1.3 to 1.4 times longer than wide (DPeI 72 - 76); posterodorsal corner of petiolar node not strongly protruding posteriorly; body bright orange to light brown in colour. (Hita Garcia and Fisher 2012)

Keys including this Species

Key to Tetramorium tortuosum-group species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 15.17833° to 15.17833°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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.

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.

Biology

Castes

Images from AntWeb


Holotype of Tetramorium ala. Worker. Specimen code casent0038473. Photographer Estella Ortega, 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.

ala. Tetramorium ala Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012: 21, figs. 51, 57, 66, 75-77, 141 (w.) MADAGASCAR.

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

Description

Worker

HL 0.88 - 1.01 (0.94); HW 0.83 - 0.96 (0.88); SL 0.69 - 0.76 (0.72); EL 0.17 - 0.19 (0.18); PH 0.43 - 0.49 (0.46); PW 0.63 - 0.74 (0.69); WL 1.16 - 1.29 (1.22); PSL 0.34 - 0.41 (0.37); PTL 0.29 - 0.34 (0.31); PTH 0.30 - 0.35 (0.32); PTW 0.21 - 0.26 (0.23); PPL 0.27 - 0.33 (0.30); PPH 0.30 - 0.36 (0.32); PPW 0.30 - 0.36 (0.32); CI 93 - 95 (94); SI 79 - 85 (81); OI 20 - 21 (20); DMI 54 - 58 (57); LMI 37 - 39 (38); PSLI 38 - 42 (40); PeNI 31 - 34 (33); LPeI 93 - 98 (95); DPeI 72 - 76 (75); PpNI 44 - 48 (46); LPpI 87 - 95 (92); DPpI 102 - 112 (107); PPI 135 - 143 (139) (12 measured).

Head distinctly longer than wide (CI 93 - 95). Posterior head margin concave. Anterior clypeal margin medially impressed. Frontal carinae strongly developed, strongly diverging posteriorly, and ending at corners of posterior head margin. Antennal scrobes developed, but shallow, narrow, and without defined posterior and ventral margins. Antennal scapes comparatively short to moderately long, not reaching posterior head margin (SI 79 - 85). Eyes short to moderately sized (OI 20 - 21). Mesosomal outline in profile flat to weakly convex, moderately marginate from lateral to dorsal mesosoma; promesonotal suture and metanotal groove absent; mesosoma comparatively stout and high (LMI 37 - 39). Propodeal spines long to very long, spinose, and acute (PSLI 38 - 42); propodeal lobes well-developed and comparatively long, elongate-triangular, and acute. Petiolar node in profile rectangular nodiform with sharply defined angles, between 1.0 to 1.1 times higher than long (LPeI 93 - 98), anterior and posterior faces approximately parallel, anterodorsal and posterodorsal margins approximately at same height, dorsum straight; node in dorsal view around 1.3 to 1.4 times longer than wide (DPeI 72 - 76). Postpetiole in profile globular to subglobular, approximately 1.1 times higher than long (LPpI 87 - 95); in dorsal view 1.0 to 1.1 times wider than long (DPpI 102 - 112). Postpetiole in profile appearing less voluminous than petiolar node, in dorsal view approximately 1.3 to 1.4 times wider than petiolar node (PPI 135 - 143). Mandibles distinctly longitudinally rugose; clypeus always with a very well-developed and pronounced longitudinal median ruga and few much weaker, and often broken lateral rugae/rugulae; cephalic dorsum between frontal carinae with seven to ten longitudinal rugae, most rugae running unbroken from posterior head margin to posterior clypeus, rugae only very rarely with cross-meshes; lateral and ventral head usually longitudinally rugose, sometimes partly reticulate-rugose. Mesosoma laterally and dorsally distinctly longitudinally rugose. Forecoxae usually completely unsculptured, smooth, and shiny, sometimes with partial superficial sculpture. Waist segments longitudinally rugose. Ground sculpture generally faint to absent everywhere on body. First gastral tergite unsculptured, smooth, and shining. All dorsal surfaces of head, mesosoma, waist segments, and gaster with abundant, long, and fine standing hairs. Anterior edges of antennal scapes with suberect to erect standing hairs. Body colour uniformly bright orange to orange-brown.

Type Material

Holotype worker, MADAGASCAR, Toamasina, Montagne d'Anjanaharibe, 19.5 km 27° NNE Ambinanitelo, 15.17833 S, 49.635 E, 1100 m, montane rainforest, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), collection code BLF08150, 12.-16.III.2003 (B.L. Fisher, C. Griswold et al.) (California Academy of Sciences: CASENT0038473). Paratypes, 13 workers with same data as holotype (The Natural History Museum: CASENT0038387; CASC: CASENT0038371; CASENT0038374; CASENT0038389; CASENT0038410; CASENT0038414; CASENT0038453; CASENT0038459; CASENT0038464; CASENT0038467; Museum of Comparative Zoology: CASENT0038404; Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève: CASENT0038423; Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel: CASENT0038373); 1 worker with same data as holotype except sampled from ground and collection code BLF08230 (CASC: CASENT0497817); 9 workers with same data as holotype except sampled from root mat at ground layer and collection code BLF08185 (CASC: CASENT0498013; CASENT0498014; CASENT0498015).

Etymology

The species epithet is an arbitrary combination of letters.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Hita Garcia F., and B. L. Fisher. 2012. The ant genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Malagasy regiontaxonomic revision of the T. kelleri and T. tortuosum species groups. Zootaxa 3592: 1-85.