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Tetramorium mahafaly
| Tetramorium mahafaly | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Tetramorium |
| Species: | T. mahafaly |
| Binomial name | |
| Tetramorium mahafaly Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011
| |
Tetramorium mahafaly is only known from a few localities around the Mahafaly Plateau, and seems to be restricted to this area in South-Western Madagascar. At present, it is the only member of the T. sericeiventre group endemic to Madagascar, and seems to prefer relatively arid spiny forest or thicket habitats. (Hita Garcia and Fisher 2011)
Identification
Tetramorium mahafaly can be clearly differentiated from the other species of the group by the following combination of characters: petiolar node rectangular nodiform, relatively square (LPeI 95 - 103; DPeI 89 - 98), in profile roughly as long as high and in dorsal view mostly only weakly longer than wide; antennal scapes and tibiae with moderately sized, appressed pilosity; generally hairy species, propodeum always with standing hairs. (Hita Garcia and Fisher 2011)
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -19.006727° to -24.39°.
| 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. |
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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
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0449159. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
   
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| Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0455198. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
     
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| Male (alate). Specimen code casent0455549. Photographer Erin Prado, 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.
- mahafaly. Tetramorium mahafaly Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011: 31, fig. 19 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
The new species can be separated from the only other species in the T. sericeiventre group present in the Malagasy region without any difficulty. The two differ significantly in terms of pilosity, size, and morphometry. The most obvious difference is pilosity, since T. mahafaly is much hairier than Tetramorium sericeiventre. The latter possesses only very short, appressed pubescence on the antennal scapes and tibiae whereas the first shows distinct, longer pilosity which is also appressed. In T. sericeiventre pilosity on all dorsal surfaces is sparse and absent on the propodeal dorsum while the pilosity of T. mahafaly is relatively more abundant and standing hairs are present on the propodeal dorsum. Furthermore, T. mahafaly (HL 0.610 - 0.680; PW 0.400 - 0.475; WL 0.760 - 0.875) is distinctly much smaller in size than T. sericeiventre (HL 0.770 - 0.990; PW 0.460 - 0.630; WL 0.950 - 1.30). Generally, body size must be treated with caution as there is a substantial intraspecific size variation observable within the genus Tetramorium (Bolton, 1977, 1979, 1980; Hita Garcia et al., 2010b). Even though T. sericeiventre shows impressive size variation, it is always much larger than T. mahafaly. In addition, the shape of the petiolar node is more square in T. mahafaly than in T. sericeiventre since the node of the latter is always much longer than high and also longer than wide (LPeI 104 - 120; DPeI 68 - 81), whereas the node of T. mahafaly (LPeI 95 - 103; DPeI 89 - 98) is generally roughly as long as high and sometimes only weakly longer than wide. The proportions of the widths of both waist segments also are fairly different. The postpetiole of T. sericeiventre (PPI 128 - 143) is usually between 1.3 to 1.4 times wider than the petiole whereas the postpetiole of T. mahafaly is generally around 1.2 times wider than the petiole (PPI 115 - 124).
Description
Worker
HL 0.610 - 0.680 (0.641); HW 0.545 - 0.610 (0.578); SL 0.580 - 0.655 (0.614); EL 0.110 - 0.135 (0.126); PW 0.400 - 0.475 (0.438); WL 0.760 - 0.875 (0.808); PSL 0.090 - 0.120 (0.110); PTL 0.190 - 0.220 (0.202); PTH 0.190 - 0.220 (0.206); PTW 0.170 - 0.205 (0.191); PPL 0.155 - 0.175 (0.165); PPH 0.200 - 0.225 (0.213); PPW 0.210 - 0.245 (0.229); CI 89 - 92 (90); SI 103 - 109 (106); OI 20 - 23 (22); PSLI 14 - 19 (17); PeNI 41 - 47 (44); LPeI 95 - 103 (98); DPeI 89 - 98 (94); PpNI 50 - 55 (52); LPpI 75 - 80 (78); DPpI 133 - 144 (139); PPI 115 - 124 (120) (20 measured).
Head distinctly longer than wide (CI 89 - 92). Anterior clypeal margin entire and convex, lateral clypeus characteristically modified, in full-face view distinctly raised in front of antennal condyle and projecting forward as a tooth or denticle. Frontal carinae absent. Antennal scrobes absent. Antennal scapes relatively long, distinctly surpassing posterior head margin (SI 103 - 109). Eyes relatively small (OI 20 - 23), with 11 to 13 ommatidia in longest row. Mesosomal profile weakly convex, metanotal groove absent. Propodeal spines elongate-triangular, relatively narrow and short (PSLI 14 - 19). Propodeal lobes elongate-triangular to triangular, usually blunt, and about equal in length to propodeal spines but generally more voluminous. Petiolar node rectangular nodiform, in profile anterior and posterior faces roughly parallel, dorsum weakly convex, antero- and posterodorsal angle at about same height, node roughly as long as high, more often weakly longer than high, rarely higher than long (LPeI 95 - 103), in dorsal view always weakly to distinctly longer than high (DPeI 89 - 98). Postpetiole in profile rounded, noticeably higher than long (LPpI 75 - 80), in dorsal view much wider than long (DPpI 133 - 144), and distinctly wider than petiolar node (PPI 115 - 124). Mandibles always sculptured, striate to longitudinally rugose. Clypeus with one well-developed longitudinal ruga and some weaker and more irregular rugae or rugulae laterally. Head laterally, ventrally, and posteriorly reticulate-rugose to rugose, cephalic dorsum more rugose; ground sculpture moderately reticulate-punctulate. Mesosoma and waist segments reticulate-rugose with reticulate-punctulate ground sculpturation. Head, mesosoma, and waist segments with granular appearance. First gastral tergite densely reticulate-punctulate at base, rarely extending more than half the length of tergite, rest of gaster completely unsculptured, smooth, and shiny. All dorsal surfaces of head, mesosoma, waist segments, and gaster with numerous long, standing hairs; antennal scapes and tibiae with appressed pilosity. Head, mesosoma, waist segments, and legs of reddish brown to brown colour contrasting with gaster of dark brown to black colour, postpetiole often darker as well, and almost of same dark colour as gaster.
Type Material
Holotype worker, MADAGASCAR, Prov. Toliara, Mahafaly Plateau, 6.2 km 74° ENE Tampolo, 24° 39' S, 43° 69' E, 80 m, BLF05780, 21.-25.II.2002 (B.L. Fisher et al.) (California Academy of Sciences: CASENT0448984). Paratypes, 59 workers with same data as holotype (The Natural History Museum: CASENT0448977; CASC: CASENT0448972, CASENT0448973, CASENT0448974, CASENT0448976, CASENT0448978, CASENT0448979, CASENT0448980, CASENT0448981, CASENT0448982, CASENT0448985, CASENT0448986, CASENT0448989, CASENT0448990, CASENT0448991, CASENT0448992, CASENT0448993, CASENT0448994, CASENT0448995, CASENT0448996, CASENT0448997, CASENT0448998, CASENT0449000; MNHG: CASENT0448983).
References
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Hita Garcia F., and B. L. Fisher. 2011. The ant genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Malagasy regionintroduction, definition of species groups, and revision of the T. bicarinatum, T. obesum, T. sericeiventre and T. tosii species groups. Zootaxa 3039: 1-72.
- Hita García, F., and B. L. Fisher. "The ant genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Malagasy regiontaxonomy of the T. bessonii, T. bonibony, T. dysalum, T. marginatum, T. tsingy, and T. weitzeckeri species groups." Zootaxa 3365 (2012): 1-123.