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Tetramorium legone
| 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
| |
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
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
- 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(3):193-384.
- Taylor, B., Agoinon, N., Sinzogan, A., Adandonon, A., Kouaguou, Y. N., Bello, S., Wargui, R., Anato, F., Ouagoussounon, I., Houngbo, H., Tchibozo, S., Todjihounde, R., Vayssieres, J.F. 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): 6-29 (doi:10.12976/jib/2018.08.1.2).
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.