Tetramorium trafo

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Tetramorium trafo
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Tetramorium
Species: T. trafo
Binomial name
Tetramorium trafo
Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012

Tetramorium trafo casent0041076 p 1 high.jpg

Tetramorium trafo casent0041076 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

This species seems to prefer littoral rainforests or tropical dry forests in close proximity to the coast, located at low elevations of 10 to 180 m. In addition, T. trafo appears to be a leaf litter inhabitant.

Identification

A member of the Tetramorium bonibony-species group

Tetramorium trafo is recognisable within the species group due to the character combination of: mesosoma with well-developed anterior face and distinct anterodorsal protuberance or bump on pronotum; petiolar node cuneiform and only weakly anteroposteriorly compressed dorsally (LPeI 48 - 54; DPeI 161 - 188); body of uniformly yellowish to brownish colour.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Tetramorium trafo is only found at a coastal strip at the eastern side of the northern tip of Madagascar. It ranges from the southernmost locality of Analabe to the northernmost, Ampombofofo.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -12.25889° to -13.8333°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar (type locality).

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

Images from AntWeb

Tetramorium trafo casent0041077 p 1 high.jpgTetramorium trafo casent0041077 d 1 high.jpgTetramorium trafo casent0041077 h 1 high.jpgTetramorium trafo casent0041077 l 1 high.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0041077. Photographer Estella Ortega, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Tetramorium trafo casent0404104 d 1 high.jpgTetramorium trafo casent0404104 p 1 high.jpgTetramorium trafo casent0404104 h 1 high.jpgTetramorium trafo casent0404104 l 1 high.jpg
Paratype of unpublished name: Tetramorium tuberculatumWorker. Specimen code casent0404104. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.
Tetramorium trafo casent0404115 h 1 high.jpgTetramorium trafo casent0404115 d 1 high.jpgTetramorium trafo casent0404115 p 1 high.jpgTetramorium trafo casent0404115 l 1 high.jpg
Holotype of Tetramorium trafoWorker. Specimen code casent0404115. Photographer Will Ericson, 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.

  • trafo. Tetramorium trafo Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012: 50, figs. 33, 35, 63-65 (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 0.57 - 0.64 (0.61); HW 0.54 - 0.62 (0.58); SL 0.36 - 0.41 (0.39); EL 0.13 - 0.15 (0.14); PH 0.35 - 0.40 (0.37); PW 0.41 - 0.45 (0.43); WL 0.68 - 0.79 (0.74); PSL 0.15 - 0.18 (0.17); PTL 0.11 - 0.14 (0.13); PTH 0.23 - 0.28 (0.26); PTW 0.19 - 0.25 (0.23); PPL 0.16 - 0.20 (0.18); PPH 0.23 - 0.28 (0.25); PPW 0.24 - 0.29 (0.27); CI 94 - 97 (95); SI 65 - 67 (66); OI 24 - 25 (24); DMI 56 - 60 (58); LMI 49 - 51 (50); PSLI 26 - 29 (27); PeNI 46 - 57 (53); LPeI 48 - 54 (51); DPeI 161 - 188 (175); PpNI 59 - 66 (63); LPpI 70 - 75 (73); DPpI 145 - 156 (149); PPI 116 - 126 (119) (11 measured).

Head longer than wide (CI 94 - 97). Anterior clypeal margin medially impressed. Frontal carinae moderately developed, ending between posterior eye margin and posterior head margin. Antennal scrobes absent. Antennal scapes short, not reaching posterior head margin (SI 65 - 67). Eyes medium-sized to comparatively large (OI 24 - 25). Mesosoma with very well developed anterior face and distinct anterodorsal protuberance or bump on pronotum, mesosoma moderately marginate from lateral to dorsal mesosoma; promesonotal suture and metanotal groove absent; mesosoma very high, compact, and stout (LMI 49 - 51). Propodeal spines medium-sized to long, elongate-triangular to spinose, and acute (PSLI 26 - 29); propodeal lobes small and triangular. Petiolar node in profile cuneiform, weakly anteroposteriorly compressed dorsally, approximately 1.8 to 2.1 times higher than long (LPeI 48 - 54), anterior and posterior faces not parallel, anterodorsal margin situated weakly higher than posterodorsal, dorsum moderately tapering backwards posteriorly; node in dorsal view between 1.6 to 1.9 times wider than long (DPeI 161 - 188). Postpetiole in profile approximately rounded, approximately 1.3 to 1.4 times higher than long (LPpI 70 - 75), in dorsal view approximately 1.4 to 1.6 times wider than long (DPpI 145 - 156). Postpetiole in profile approximately as voluminous as petiolar node, in dorsal view approximately 1.1 to 1.3 times wider than petiolar node (PPI 116 - 126). Mandibles striate; clypeus with one distinct median ruga and one or two weaker and often shorter rugae or rugulae laterally; cephalic dorsum between frontal carinae with five to nine longitudinal rugae anteriorly and dorsally, posteriorly distinctly reticulate-rugose, rugae ending at posterior head margin but often broken or with cross-meshes, always with one well-developed longitudinal median ruga, median ruga running from posterior head margin to posterior clypeal margin, approximately at eye level diverging into two rugae leading to posterior clypeal margin; lateral and ventral head mainly reticulate-rugose to longitudinally rugose. Ground sculpture on head faint to absent. Mesosoma laterally mostly irregularly longitudinally rugose, with unsculptured areas; dorsal mesosoma anteriorly strongly reticulate-rugose, posteriorly reticulate-rugose to longitudinally rugose. Waist segments usually weakly, superficially sculptured, appearing rough, sometimes almost unsculptured. Gaster unsculptured, smooth, and shiny. All dorsal surfaces of body with very abundant, moderately long, fine, and erect pilosity. Body of uniform yellow to light brown colour.

Type Material

Holotype worker, MADAGASCAR, Antsiranana, Forêt d'Orangea, 3.6 km 128° SE Remena, 12.25889 S, 49.37467 E, 90 m, littoral rainforest, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), collection code BLF3200, 22.-28.II.2001 (B.L. Fisher, C. Griswold et al.) (California Academy of Sciences: CASENT0404115). Paratypes, 32 workers with same data as holotype (The Natural History Museum: CASENT0404104; CASENT0404114; CASC:CASENT0404103; CASENT0404107; CASENT0404108; CASENT0404109; CASENT0404111; CASENT0404112; CASENT0404113; CASENT0404116; CASENT0404117; CASENT0404118; CASENT0404122; CASENT0404124; CASENT0404125; CASENT0404126; CASENT0404127; CASENT0404128; CASENT0404129; CASENT0404130; CASENT0404131; CASENT0404132; CASENT0404133; CASENT0404137; CASENT0404138; CASENT0404139; CASENT0404140; CASENT0404141; CASENT0404146; Museum of Comparative Zoology: CASENT0404102; Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève: CASENT0404134; Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel: CASENT0404136).

Etymology

The species epithet is Malagasy and means "the hump of cattle" in reference to the anterodorsal protuberance or hump on the anterior mesosoma of the new species. The species name is a noun in apposition, and thus invariant.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Garcia H. F. and B. L. Fisher. 2012. The ant genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Malagasy region—taxonomy of the T. bessonii, T. bonibony, T. dysalum, T. marginatum, T. tsingy, and T. weitzeckeri species groups. Zootaxa 3365: 1-123
  • Goodman S., Y. Anbdou, Y. Andriamiarantsoa, B. L. Fisher, O. Griffiths, B. Keitt, J. J. Rafanomezantsoa, E. Rajoelison, J. C. Rakotonirina, L. Ranaivoarisoa et al. 2017. Results of a biological inventory of the Nosy Ankao island group, Parc National de Loky-Manambato, northeastern Madagascar. Malagasy Nature, Association Vahatra, 2017, 11, <http://www.vahatra.mg/volume11fr.html>