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Tetramorium ubangense
| Tetramorium ubangense | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Tetramorium |
| Species: | T. ubangense |
| Binomial name | |
| Tetramorium ubangense Santschi, 1937
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Two collections of this species are known, a specimen from Uganda and the type from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Identification
Bolton (1980) - A member of the Tetramorium camerunese species complex in the Tetramorium camerunense species group. Tetramorium ubangense is the largest of the dark-coloured members of this complex which is known, and it has the most massively developed petiole and most strongly sculptured pedicel segments. It separates well from its closest relatives as Tetramorium hapale has a longer, narrower head (compare CI measurements) with strong sculpture between the rugulae, and the propodeal spines are not curved along their length. In Tetramorium camerunense the postpetiole is completely smooth and highly polished, and in Tetramorium ictidum the alitrunk is more coarsely and irregularly rugulose, reticulate in places, and the petiole is much smaller, the maximum width in dorsal view being c. 0.18 as opposed to 0.25 in T. ubangense.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Democratic Republic of Congo (type locality), Uganda.
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.
- ubangense. Tetramorium camerunense var. ubangense Santschi, 1937g: 82 (w.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. Raised to species: Bolton, 1980: 343.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Bolton (1980) - TL 3.5, HL 0.85, HW 0.78, CI 92, SL 0.58, SI 74, PW 0.52, AL 0.92. Mandibles smooth and shining, with scattered small pits. Anterior clypeal margin notched or impressed medially. Median clypeal carina complete and distinct. Frontal carinae distinct though not strongly developed and tending to become confused with the cephalic sculpture about midway between the level of the posterior ocular margin and the occiput. Occiput concave in full-face view, the sides of the head shallowly but more or less evenly convex. Eyes moderate, their maximum diameter c. 0.17, about 0.22 x HW and distinctly greater than the maximum width of the scape. Outline shape of alitrunk and pedicel as in figure, the propodeal spines feebly downcurved along their length. Node of petiole in dorsal view broader than long, slightly broader behind than in front. Dorsum of head weakly longitudinally tugulose, the spaces between the rugulae with punctulate or punctulate-granular ground-sculpture. Promesonotal dorsum finely, weakly and quite irregularly longitudinally rugulose, the spaces between them more feebly superficially sculptured than on the head. Dorsal surfaces of both petiole and postpetiole with faint punctulate sculpture, more strongly developed on the former than the latter; both nodes with vestiges of rugulose sculpture on the sides, again stronger on petiole than postpetiole. Gaster unsculptured. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous short, standing hairs but the tibiae and scapes only with fine decumbent to appressed pubescence. Colour uniform dark brown but with the mandibles, antennae and legs lighter, yellow-brown.
Type Material
Bolton (1980) - Holotype worker, Zaire: Banziville (Augustin) (Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel) [examined].
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.
- Santschi, F. 1937g. Fourmis du Congo et régions limitrophes. Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr. 30: 71-85 (page 82, worker described)