Tetramorium guineense

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Tetramorium guineense
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Tetramorium
Species: T. guineense
Binomial name
Tetramorium guineense
(Bernard, 1953)

Tetramorium guineense casent0101479 profile 1.jpg

Tetramorium guineense casent0101479 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Very common and abundant species in the rain forests of West and Central Africa.

Identification

The distinctive cephalic reticulate-punctate ground sculpturation and the presence of standing hairs on the first gastral tergite make Tetramorium guineense easily distinguishable from other members of the species complex.

A member of the Afrotropical weitzeckeri species complex, which is part of the weitzeckeri species group.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 6.536944° to -10.0838°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Cameroun, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea (type locality), Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal.
Indo-Australian Region: Cook Islands, New Guinea, Pitcairn, Wallis and Futuna Islands.
Nearctic Region: Canada.
Neotropical Region: Cuba.
Palaearctic Region: China.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Biology

Castes

Tetramorium-guineenseH8.jpgTetramorium-guineenseL5.jpgTetramorium-guineenseD5.jpgTetramorium-guineenseLabel.jpg
. Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Nomenclature

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

  • guineense. Xiphomyrmex weitzeckeri r. guineensis Bernard, 1953b: 251, fig. 14 (w.) GUINEA. Combination in Tetramorium: Bolton, 1980: 227. Raised to species: Bolton, 1980: 227. See also: Hita Garcia, Fischer & Peters, 2010b: 70.

Type Material

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

Description

Worker

Hita Garcia et al. (2010) - HL 0.656 - 0.856 (0.765); HW 0.644 - 0.833 (0.747); SL 0.556 - 0.700 (0.626); EL 0.122 - 0.178 (0.147); PW 0.478 - 0.611 (0.548); WL 0.800 - 1.089 (0.934); PSL 0.189 - 0.367 (0.275); PTL 0.083 - 0.117 (0.103); PTH 0.267 - 0.400 (0.330); PTW 0.217 - 0.289 (0.247); PPL 0.200 - 0.244 (0.220); PPH 0.267 - 0.389 (0.324); PPW 0.289 - 0.372 (0.325); CI 94 - 100 (98); SI 80 - 89 (84); OI 16 - 23(20); PSLI 28 - 42 (36); PeNI 41 - 49 (45); LPeI 27 - 36 (32); DPeI 220 - 263 (240); PpNI 54 - 65 (59); LPpI 59 - 75 (68); DPpI 137 - 154(147); PPI 122 - 145 (131) (22 measured).

Head slightly longer than wide, sometimes as long as wide (CI 94 - 100). Anterior clypeal margin with distinct median impression, small in some individuals but always present. Frontal carinae strongly developed, becoming weaker behind eye level, but often reaching posterior margin of head. Antennal scrobe narrow, shallow, and without differentiated ventral margin, ending before posterior margin of head. Antennal scape moderate to relatively large, but never reaching posterior margin of head (SI 80 - 89). Eyes very variable in size, from small to moderate (OI 16 - 23), with 8 to 11 ommatidia in longest row. In lateral view metanotal groove weakly impressed. Propodeal spines usually very long and spinose (PSLI 28 - 42). Propodeal lobes small, elongate-triangular and acute. Node of petiole strongly squamiform, in dorsal view 2 to 3 times wider than long (DPeI 220 - 263), in lateral view around 2.7 to 3.6 times higher than long (LPeI 27 - 36). Postpetiole in dorsal view 1 to 1.5 times wider than long (DPpI 137 - 154), much more voluminous and around 1.2 to 1.4 times wider than petiolar node (PPI 121 - 145). In profile postpetiole antero-posteriorly compressed, and much thicker than petiolar node, around 1.3 to 1.6 times higher than long (LPpI 59 - 75). Mandibles distinctly longitudinally striate. Clypeus rugose, mostly longitudinally; median ruga strongly developed. Head longitudinally rugose with widely spaced rugae, dorsum of head with 8 to 11 longitudinal rugae between frontal carinae, almost all running unbroken to posterior margin of head. Spaces between dorsal rugae and scrobal area with very strong and dense reticulate-punctate ground sculpture. Mesosoma dorsally and laterally with distinct, mostly longitudinal, widely spaced rugae. Spaces between them and propodeal declivity unsculptured, smooth and shiny, contrasting strongly with reticulate-punctate ground sculpture on dorsum of head. Petiole, postpetiole and gaster completely unsculptured, smooth and shiny. All dorsal surfaces of head, mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole, and gaster with abundant, long, fine, and simple suberect to erect hairs. Fine pubescence on tibiae appressed, on antennal scapes appressed to decumbent. Body colour ranging from light, reddish brown to dark brown, gaster sometimes darker.

Karyotype

  • 2n = 22 (Japan) (Imai, 1969).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • André E. 1892. Voyage de M. Chaper à Bornéo. Catalogue des fourmis et description des espèces nouvelles. Mém. Soc. Zool. Fr. 5: 46-55.
  • Ashmead W. H. 1904. A list of the Hymenoptera of the Philippine Islands, with descriptions of new species. J. N. Y. Entomol. Soc. 12:1-22.
  • Belshaw R., and B. Bolton. 1994. A survey of the leaf litter ant fauna in Ghana, West Africa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 3: 5-16.
  • Bernard F. 1953. La réserve naturelle intégrale du Mt Nimba. XI. Hyménoptères Formicidae. Mémoires de l'Institut Français d'Afrique Noire 19: 165-270.
  • Bezdeckova K., P. Bedecka, and I. Machar. 2015. A checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Peru. Zootaxa 4020 (1): 101–133.
  • Bolton B. 1980. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 40: 193-384.
  • Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
  • Chavhan A., and S.S. Pawar. 2011. Distribution and diversity of ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in and around Amravati City of Maharashtra, India. World Journal of Zoology 6(4): 395-400.
  • Cheesman L. E., and W. C. Crawley. 1928. A contribution towards the insect fauna of French Oceania. - Part III. Formicidae. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 10(2): 514-525.
  • Chhotani O. B., and P. K. Maiti. 1977. Contribution to the knowledge of Formicidae of the Andaman Islands. Zoological Survey of India 3(1): 17-20.
  • Dahl F. 1901. Das Leben der Ameisen im Bismarck-Archipel, nach eigenen Beobachtungen vergleichend dargestellt. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berl. 2: 1-70.
  • Davis L. R., and L. E. Alonso. 2007. Ant species collected from the Atewa Range Forest Reserve during the 2006 RAP survey. Pp 171-172. McCullough, J., L.E. Alonso, P. Naskrecki, H.E. Wright and Y. Osei-Owusu (eds.). 2007. A Rapid Biological Assessment of the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, Eastern Ghana. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 47. Conservation International, Arlington, VA.
  • Dias R. K. S. 2002. Current knowledge on ants of Sri Lanka. ANeT Newsletter 4: 17- 21.
  • Donisthorpe H. 1948. A second instalment of the Ross Collection of ants from New Guinea. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (11)14: 297-317.
  • Donisthorpe H. 1949. A fifth instalment of the Ross Collection of ants from New Guinea. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (12)1: 487-506.
  • Donisthorpe H. 1949. A sixth instalment of the Ross Collection of ants from New Guinea. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (12)1: 744-759.
  • Emery C. 1887. Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia (continuazione e fine). [concl.]. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. 25(5): 427-473.
  • Emery C. 1889. Formiche di Birmania e del Tenasserim raccolte da Leonardo Fea (1885-87). Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale 27: 485-520.
  • Emery C. 1893. Formicides de l'Archipel Malais. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 1: 187-229.
  • Emery C. 1901. Formiciden von Celebes. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 14:565-580.
  • Emery C. 1915. Formiche raccolte nell'Eritrea dal Prof. F. Silvestri. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 10: 3-26.
  • Emery C. Formiche raccolte da Elio Modigliani in Sumatra, Engano e Mentawei. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale 40: 661-722.
  • Emery, C. "Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia (continuazione e fine)." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 5, no. 25 (1887): 427-473.
  • Emery, C. "Formiche raccolte da Elio Modigliani in Sumatra, Engano e Mentawei." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 20, no. 40 (1900): 661-722.
  • Emery, C. "Voyage de MM. Bedot et Pictet dans l'Archipel Malais. Formicides de l'Archipel Malais." Revue Suisse de Zoologie 1 (1893): 187-229.
  • Field Museum Collection, Chicago, Illinois (C. Moreau)
  • Forel A. 1901. Formiciden aus dem Bismarck-Archipel, auf Grundlage des von Prof. Dr. F. Dahl gesammelten Materials. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berl. 2: 4-37.
  • Forel A. 1903. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part X. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 14: 679-715.
  • Forel A. 1907. Formicides du Musée National Hongrois. Ann. Hist.-Nat. Mus. Natl. Hung. 5: 1-42.
  • Forel A. 1907. Fourmis d'Ethiopie récoltées par M. le baron Maurice de Rothschild en 1905. Revue d'Entomologie (Caen) 26: 129-144.
  • Forel A. 1910. Ameisen aus der Kolonie Erythräa. Gesammelt von Prof. Dr. K. Escherich (nebst einigen in West-Abessinien von Herrn A. Ilg gesammelten Ameisen). Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 29: 243-274.
  • Forel A. 1911. Ameisen aus Ceylon, gesammelt von Prof. K. Escherich (einige von Prof. E. Bugnion). Pp. 215-228 in: Escherich, K. Termitenleben auf Ceylon. Jena: Gustav Fischer, xxxii + 262 pp.
  • Forel A. 1911. Ameisen aus Java beobachtet und gesammelt von Herrn Edward Jacobson. II. Theil. Notes Leyden Mus. 33: 193-218.
  • Forel A. 1912. H. Sauter's Formosa-Ausbeute. Formicidae (Hym.) (Schluss). Entomol. Mitt. 1: 45-61.
  • Forel A. 1913. H. Sauter's Formosa-Ausbeute: Formicidae II. Arch. Naturgesch. (A)79(6): 183-202
  • Forel A. 1913k. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse einer Forschungsreise nach Ostindien ausgeführt im Auftrage der Kgl. Preuss. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin von H. v. Buttel-Reepen. II. Ameisen aus Sumatra, Java, Malacca und Ceylon. Gesammelt von Herrn Prof. Dr. v. Buttel-Reepen in den Jahren 1911-1912. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 36:1-148.
  • Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
  • Hannan M.A. 2003. Ants of Bangladesh. ANeT Newsletter 6: 10-14.
  • Hita Garcia F., G. Fischer, and M. K. Peters. 2010. Taxonomy of the Tetramorium weitzeckeri species group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Afrotropical zoogeographical region. Zootaxa 2704: 1-90.
  • Hita Garcia F., and G. Fischer. 2014. Additions to the taxonomy of the Afrotropical Tetramorium weitzeckeri species complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae), with the description of a new species from Kenya. European Journal of Taxonomy 90: 1–16.
  • Hua Li-zhong. 2006. List of Chinese insects Vol. IV. Pages 262-273. Sun Yat-sen university Press, Guangzhou. 539 pages.
  • IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
  • Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
  • Kempf W. W. 1975. Miscellaneous studies on neotropical ants. VI. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Studia Entomologica 18: 341-380.
  • Levieux J. 1972. Etude du peuplement en fourmis terricoles d'une savane preforestiere de Cote d'Ivoire. Revue d'Ecologie et de Biologie du Sol 10(3): 381-428.
  • Li Z.h. 2006. List of Chinese Insects. Volume 4. Sun Yat-sen University Press
  • Lévieux J. 1972. Les fourmis de la savane de Lamto (Côte d'Ivoire): éléments de taxonomie. Bulletin de l'Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire. Série A. Sciences Naturelles 34: 611-654.
  • Lévieux J. 1977. La nutrition des fourmis tropicales: V- Elements de synthèse. Les modes d'exploitation de la biocenose. Insectes Sociaux 24(3): 235-260.
  • Menozzi C. 1927. Raccolte mirmecologiche dell'Africa orientale conservate nel Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria di Genova. Parte I. Formiche raccolte dal Marchese Saverio Patrizi nella Somalia italiana ed in alcune località dell'Africa orientale inglese. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria. 52: 356-362.
  • Menozzi C. 1930. Formiche della Somalia italiana meridionale. Memorie della Società Entomologica Italiana. 9: 76-130.
  • Mukherji D., and S. Ribeiro. 1925. On a collection of ants (Formicidae) from the Andaman Islands. Records of the Indian Museum 27: 205-209.
  • Musthak Ali T. M. 1992. Ant Fauna of Karnataka-2. Newsletter of IUSSI Indian Chapter 6(1-2): 1-9.
  • Overbeck H. 1924. A List of Ants from Singapore and Neighbouring Places. Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 2 (1): 25-40.
  • Ramesh T., K. J. Hussain, K. K. Satpathy, M. Selvanayagam, and M. V. R. Prasad. 2010. Diversity, distribution and species composition of ants fauna at Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Campus Kalpakkam, South India. World Journal of Zoology 5 (1): 56-65.
  • Room P. M. 1975. Diversity and organization of the ground foraging ant faunas of forest, grassland and tree crops in Papua Nez Guinea. Aust. J. Zool. 23: 71-89.
  • Room, P.M. 1975. Relative Distributions of Ant Species in Cocoa Plantations in Papua New Guinea Relative Distributions of Ant Species in Cocoa Plantations in Papua New Guinea. Journal of Applied Ecology 12(1):47-61
  • Smithers C. N. 1998. A species list and bibliography of the insects recorded from Norfolk Island. Technical Reports of the Australian Museum 13: 1–55.
  • Tiwari R. N. 1999. Taxonomic studies on ants of southern India (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Memoirs of the Zoological Survey of India 18(4): 1-96.
  • Tiwari, R.N. 1999. Taxonomic studies on ants of southern India (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Memoirs of the Zoological Survey of India 18(4):1-96
  • Viehmeyer H. 1912. Ameisen aus Deutsch Neuguinea gesammelt von Dr. O. Schlaginhaufen. Nebst einem Verzeichnisse der papuanischen Arten. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Königlichen Zoologischen und Anthropologische-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden 14: 1-26.
  • Viehmeyer H. 1916. Ameisen von Singapore. Beobachtet und gesammelt von H. Overbeck. Archiv für Naturgeschichte (A)81(8):108-168.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1919. The ants of Borneo. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 63:43-147.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004
  • Wheeler W. M. 1927. Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in Indochina. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 20: 83-106.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1927. Chinese ants collected by Professor S. F. Light and Professor N. Gist Gee. American Museum Novitates 255: 1-12.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1928. Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in China. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 22: 3-38.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1929. Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in Formosa, the Malay Peninsula and the Philippines. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 24: 27-64.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1930. A list of the known Chinese ants. Peking Natural History Bulletin 5: 53-81.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1930. Formosan ants collected by Dr. R. Takahashi. Proceedings of the New England Zoological Club 11: 93-106.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1937. Additions to the ant-fauna of Krakatau and Verlaten Island. Treubia 16: 21-24.
  • Wheeler W.M. 1935. Check list of the ants of Oceania. Occasional Papers of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum 11(11):1-56.
  • Wheeler, William Morton. 1924. Ants of Krakatau and Other Islands in the Sunda Strait. Treubia. 5(1-3):1-20.
  • Wheeler, William Morton.1935.Checklist of the Ants of Oceania.Occasional Papers 11(11): 3-56