Tetraponera conica

Tetraponera conica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Pseudomyrmecinae
Genus:	Tetraponera
Species:	T. conica
Binomial name
Tetraponera conica Ward, 2001

Known only from type collection, Sarawak, Malaysia. The collection was made in a remnant patch of lowland rain forest (R. W. Taylor personal communication).

Identification

A member of the Tetraponera allaborans species-group.

Ward (2001) - This is a small, brown species in the allaborans-group, which can be distinguished from all other known Tetraponera by the peculiar conical shape of the propodeum. In view of the uniqueness of the only known specimen, one might speculate that it is an anomalous mutant. But comparison of T. conica with its close relatives in the T. modesta-complex reveals additional, more typical species-level differences, such as larger eyes, a broadly rounded head, and a shorter petiole.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Tetraponera of the Oriental and Australian regions

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 1.4° to 0.883333325°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo (type locality), Indonesia, Malaysia.

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.

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.

Nomenclature

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

• conica. Tetraponera conica Ward, 2001: 610, figs. 14, 25, 52 (w.) BORNEO.

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

Description

Worker

HW 0.64, HL 0.76, LHT 0.53, CI 0.85, FCI 0.09, REL 0.42, REL2 0.49, SI 0.61, SI3 1.24, FI 0.39, PLI 0.63, PWI 0.54, PDI 1.09, LHT/HW 0.83, CSC 2, MSC 4.

Small with relatively broad head and large eyes; median clypeal lobe prominent but narrow, its straight anterior margin with three denticles; clypeal lobe exceeding the reach of the anterolateral clypeal margins; sides of head convex, rounding insensibly into the posterior margin; profemur slender; pronotal margins broadly convex in dorsal view, soft-edged, and occurring at the maximum width of pronotum; mesopropodeal impression well marked, lacking a metanotal plate; propodeum conical in profile, the prominent apex situated far forward and raised above the level of the mesonotum, so that the short posteriorly inclined dorsal face of the propodeum rounds into a much longer, sloping declivitous face; petiole short and broad (PWI 0.54, PL/HW 0.60, PL/LHT 0. 72), in profile subtriangular and lacking a well differentiated anterior peduncle. Integument smooth and shiny, with scattered small punctures and irregular lineations; lower malar area longitudinally carinate. Standing pilosity scarce, one pair of long setae (>0.07 mm in length) on the frontal carinae, one supraocular pair, two pairs on the pronotum, and one pair on the postpetiole; short, inconspicuous pubescence scattered over the body. Castaneous brown, the pronotum, postpetiole and appendages a lighter yellow-brown to orange-brown.

Type Material

Holotype. Worker, Semengoh For. Reserve, 11 mi. SW Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, 28-3l.v.l968 (R. W. Taylor #68.166) (Australian National Insect Collection).

References

• Ward, P. S. 2001. Taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of the ant genus Tetraponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Oriental and Australian regions. Invertebrate Taxonomy. 15:589-665. (page 610, figs. 14, 25, 52 worker described)
• Ward, P. S. 2006. The ant genus Tetraponera in the Afrotropical region: synopsis of species groups and revision of the T. ambigua-group. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecologische Nachrichten. 8:119-130.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• CSIRO Collection
• Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58
• Ward P. S. 2001. Taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of the ant genus Tetraponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Oriental and Australian regions. Invertebrate Taxonomy 15: 589-665.
• Ward, P. S. 2001. Taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of the ant genus Tetraponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Oriental and Australian regions. Invertebrate Taxonomy 15:589-665.