Tetraponera convexa

Tetraponera convexa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Pseudomyrmecinae
Genus:	Tetraponera
Species:	T. convexa
Binomial name
	Tetraponera convexa; Xu, Z. & Chai, 2004 Specimen Labels

Known from a mountain rain forest and warm conifer forest collection.

Identification

A member of the Tetraponera allaborans species-group.

Xu & Chai (2004) - Close to Tetraponera allaborans, but median lobe of clypeus very short and indistinct, anterior margin straight and without teeth. Pronotum strongly convex. Scape relatively shorter with SI 64-67. Petiole relatively longer with PLI 35-40.

Keys including this Species

Key to Tetraponera of China

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 22.36806° to 22.36806°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: China (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.

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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

convexa. Tetraponera convexa Xu & Chai, 2004: 69, figs. 33-37 (w.) CHINA.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype worker. TL 5.7, HL 1.13, HW 0.87, CI 76, SL 0.57, SI 65, PW 0.63, AL 1.67, EL 0.37, REL 32, PDH 0.52, MTW 0.50, PDT 103, PL 0.87, PH 0.35, DPW 0.28, PLI 40, PWI 33. Head rectangular, distinctly longer than broad. In full face view, occipital margin straight, occipital corners rounded. Anterior half of lateral side weakly concave, posterior half moderately convex. Head broadest at the position of posterior margins of eyes, narrowed forward and backward. Mandible narrow and slender, with 3 teeth on the masticatory margin and 2 denticles on the basal margin. Median lobe of clypeus narrow and very short, indistinct, anterior margin straight, without teeth. Apex of scape reached to 4/7 of the distance from antennal socket to occipital corner. Eyes larger, slightly surpassed lateral sides of head. Ocelli absent. In profile view, pronotum strongly convex, lateral margins distinct. Mesonotum nearly straight and slope down backward, posterior end down curved. Metanotal groove widely and deeply impressed. Anterior face of propodeum short and sloped, dorsum weakly convex and slope down backward, posterodorsal corner rounded, declivity relatively straight and about equal to dorsum. In dorsal view, pronotum narrowed backward, humeral corners roundly prominent. Metanotum raised up as a longitudinal central ridge between the spiracles. In posterior view, pronotum roundly convex, lateral margins distinct and bluntly angled. In profile view, anterior peduncle of petiole slender and weakly down curved, ventral face weakly concave, petiolar node roundly convex and symmetrical. Postpetiolar node lower than petiolar node.

Mandibles finely and longitudinally striate on basal half, coarsely and longitudinally striate on apical half. Head, pronotum and mesonotum very sparsely and finely punctate, interspace smooth. Lateral sides of pronotum smooth. Mesopleuron, metapleuron and lateral sides of propodeum weakly, finely and longitudinally rugulose. Metanotal groove with short longitudinal ridges. Petiole, postpetiole and gaster smooth. Dorsum of anterior peduncle of petiole densely and finely punctate. The whole body with abundant decumbent pubescences, standing hairs very sparse: 2 pairs on frontal carinae, 1 pair on vertex, 2 pair on pronotum, 1 pair on petiole and 1 pair on postpetiole. Mesonotum and propodeum lack standing hairs. Gaster with sparse erect hairs. Scapes and tibiae with sparse suberect hairs and dense subdecumbent pubescences. Body color black. Mandibles, antennae, tibiae and tarsi brownish yellow. Clypeus and femora brownish black.

Paratype workers. TL 5.2-6.0, HL 1.03-1.10, HW 0.80-0.87, CI 76-79, SL 0.53-0.57, SI 64-67, PW 0.57-0.60, AL 1.47-1.63, EL 0.37-0.40, REL 34-36, PDH 0.47-0.50, MTW 0.47-0.50, PDI 93-100, PL 0.80-0.90, PH 0.30-0.35, DPW 0.25-0.30, PLI 35-40, PWI 31-35 ( 6 individuals measured). As holotype.

Type Material

Holotype. worker, No.A97-975, 1120m, Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve, Guanping Village, Dadugang Town, Jinghong County, Yunnan Province, 7 Aug. 1997, collected by Mr. Liu TaiYong in the mountain rain forest. Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China

Paratypes. Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve, Yunnan Province, 7 workers, with same data as holotype; 2 workers, No. A98-62, 1 270m, Songshanling, Puwen Town, Jinghong County, 4 Mar. 1998, collected by Mr. He Yun-Feng in the warm conifer forest.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
Staab M., A. Schuldt, T. Assmann, H. Bruelheide, and A.M. Klein. 2014. Ant community structure during forest succession in a subtropical forest in South-East China. Acta Oecologia 61: 32-40.
Xu Z. and Z.-Q. Chai. 2004. Systematic study on the ant genus Tetraponera F. Smith (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of China. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 29(1): 63-76.