Tetraponera modesta

Tetraponera modesta
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Pseudomyrmecinae
Genus:	Tetraponera
Species:	T. modesta
Binomial name
Tetraponera modesta (Smith, F., 1860) Specimen Labels
Synonyms
Sima fulva Viehmeyer, 1916 Tetraponera pisarskii Radchenko, 1997

Collections with habitat information include foraging workers from lowland rainforest vegetation (New Guinea, Sarawak, Singapore), fogging samples from Dryobalanops beccarri in mixed dipterocarp forest (Brunei), and fogging samples from Aporusa sp. in lower montane dipterocarp forest (Sabah). The localities from which this species has been collected cover a much wider range of habitats, however. (Ward 2001)

Identification

A member of the Tetraponera allaborans species-group.

Ward (2001) - Tetraponera modesta can be recognised by the combination of small size (HW <0.65, LHT <0.58), yellow to orange-brown coloration of the head and mesosoma, and relatively slender petiole (PLI <0.60). Throughout its rather wide range this species shows a substantial amount of variation in color and body form.

As one proceeds south there is a gradual trend towards darkening of the gaster, this being most pronounced in samples from Bali, Lombok and New Guinea where the gaster is uniformly dark brown. In intervening regions one finds workers with intermediate (and variable) maculation on the gaster. More puzzling are a few samples of modesta-like specimens from Borneo (Sabah: Poring Spring) and the Philippines (Dumaguete) that show a tendency towards darkening of the head, posterior mesosoma and femora. These specimens thus show contrasts in body color similar to those of Tetraponera extenuata, and the distinction between the two becomes difficult to sustain. It is possible that there is some genetic introgression between the two forms in these localities, but additional studies are needed to address this question.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Tetraponera of China
• Key to Tetraponera of India
• Key to Tetraponera of the Oriental and Australian regions

Distribution

Widely distributed from eastern India to southern China south through Malaysia and Indonesia to Papua New Guinea.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 24.81666667° to -8.45°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia (type locality), Malaysia, New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore.
Oriental Region: India, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.
Palaearctic Region: China, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

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.

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Syntype of Sima fulva. Worker. Specimen code casent0907461. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Holotype of Tetraponera modesta. Worker. Specimen code casent0901930. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by OUM, Oxford, UK.

Nomenclature

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

• modesta. Pseudomyrma modesta Smith, F. 1860b: 106 (w.) INDONESIA (Batjan I.). Combination in Sima: Dalla Torre, 1893: 54; in S. (Tetraponera): Emery, 1921f: 26; in Tetraponera: Donisthorpe, 1932c: 462. Senior synonym of fulva, pisarskii: Ward, 2001: 616.
• fulva. Sima (Tetraponera) fulva Viehmeyer, 1916a: 117, fig. 2 (w.q.) SINGAPORE. Combination in Tetraponera: Chapman & Capco, 1951: 80. Junior synonym of modesta: Ward, 2001: 616.
• pisarskii. Tetraponera pisarskii Radchenko, 1997g: 480, figs. 1, 2 (w.) KOREA. Junior synonym of modesta: Ward, 2001: 616.

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

Description

Worker

Ward (2001) - HW 0.49-0.64, HL 0.63-0.77, LHT 0.43-0.58, CI 0.71-0.84, FCI 0.08-0.12, REL 0.34-0.41, REL2 0.43-0.52, SI 0.58-0.68, SI3 1.17-1.48, FI 0.36-0.43, PLI 0.45-0.59, PWI 0.38-0.44, PDI 1.03-1.29, LHT/HW 0.82-0.92, CSC 1-2, MSC 2-4.

Small species (HW <0.65); median clypeal lobe narrow, furnished with 2-3 small denticles (often effaced), and usually extending anteriorly beyond the reach of the anterolateral clypeal margins (but shorter than the anterolateral margins in some specimens); profemur relatively slender; lateral margins of pronotum soft-edged, convex in dorsal view, and corresponding to the maximum width of pronotum; mesopropodeal impression well developed, longitudinally rugulate, and lacking metanotal plate; propodeum relatively high and narrow, PDI usually > 1.10, less than this in some northern samples; petiole relatively slender (see PLI and PWI values). Integument smooth and shiny, with scattered fine punctures (c. 0.01 mm diameter) and fine irregular lineations; lower malar area longitudinally carinate; a few weak longitudinal carinulae may be present on the mesopleuron, metapleuron and side of propodeum. Standing pilosity sparse; long standing hairs (>0.05 mm) present on gaster and apex of head and as follows: one supraocular pair, 1-2 pairs (usually two) on pronotum, 0-1 pair on petiole and 0-1 pair on postpetiole; shorter, mostly appressed hairs scattered over body, inconspicuous. Body color varying from light yellow to medium orange-brown, the gaster either concolorous, partially infuscated, or wholly dark brown; appendages usually somewhat lighter than body.

Type Material

Ward (2001) - Holotype (by monotypy), worker, Bachian [as 'Bac.'], Indonesia (Oxford University Museum of Natural History).

References

• Radchenko, A. G. 1997h. Tetraponera pisarskii sp. nov. - the first native member of subfamily Pseudomyrmicinae from Palaearctic Asia. Ann. Zool. (Warsaw) 47: 479-480.
• 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 616, Senior synonym of fulva and pisarskii)
• Bharti, H. and Akbar, S.A. 2014. Tetraponera periyarensis, a new pseudomyrmecine ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from India. Asian Myrmecology. 6:43–48.
• Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 54, Combination in Sima)
• Dendup, K.C., Dorji, C., Dhadwal, T., Bharti, H., Pfeiffer, M. 2021. A preliminary checklist of ants from Bhutan. Asian Myrmecology 14, e014005 (doi:10.20362/am.014005).
• Donisthorpe, H. 1932c. On the identity of Smith's types of Formicidae (Hymenoptera) collected by Alfred Russell Wallace in the Malay Archipelago, with descriptions of two new species. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 10(10): 441-476 (page 462, Combination in Tetraponera)
• Emery, C. 1921c. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Myrmicinae. [part]. Genera Insectorum 174A:1-94 94: 1-94 + 7 (page 26, Combination in S. (Tetraponera))
• Kreider, J.J., Chen, T.W., Hartke, T.R., Buchori, D., Hidayat, P., Nazarreta, R., Scheu, S., Drescher, J. 2021. Rainforest conversion to monocultures favors generalist ants with large colonies. Ecosphere 12 (doi:10.1002/ecs2.3717).
• Smith, F. 1860b. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the islands of Bachian, Kaisaa, Amboyna, Gilolo, and at Dory in New Guinea. J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. Zool. 5(17b)(suppl. to vol. 4 4: 93-143 (page 106, worker described)
• Wang, W.Y., Soh, E.J.Y., Yong, G.W.J., Wong, M.K.L., Benoit Guénard, Economo, E.P., Yamane, S. 2022. Remarkable diversity in a little red dot: a comprehensive checklist of known ant species in Singapore (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with notes on ecology and taxonomy. Asian Myrmecology 15: e015006 (doi:10.20362/am.015006).
• 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

• Baroni Urbani C. 1977. Katalog der Typen von Formicidae (Hymenoptera) der Sammlung des Naturhistorischen Museums Basel (2. Teil). Mitt. Entomol. Ges. Basel (n.s.) 27: 61-102.
• Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
• Eguchi K.; Bui T. V.; Yamane S. 2011. Generic synopsis of the Formicidae of Vietnam (Insecta: Hymenoptera), part I — Myrmicinae and Pseudomyrmecinae. Zootaxa 2878: 1-61.
• Floren A., W. Wetzel, and M. Staab. 2013. The contribution of canopy species to overall ant diversity (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in temperate and tropical ecosystems. – Myrmecological News 19: 65-74.
• Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
• Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
• Katayama M., K. Kishimoto-Yamada, H. O. Tanaka, T. Endo, Y. Hashimoto, Sk. Yamane, and T. Itioka. 2015. Negative correlation between ant and spider abundances in the canopy of a Bornean tropical rain forest. Biotropica (in press).
• Klimes P., P. Fibich, C. Idigel, and M. Rimandai. 2015. Disentangling the diversity of arboreal ant communities in tropical forest trees. PLoS ONE 10(2): e0117853. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117853
• 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
• Snelling R. R. 1998. Insect Part 1: The social Hymenoptera. In Mack A. L. (Ed.) A Biological Assessment of the Lakekamu Basin, Papua New Guinea, RAP 9. 189 ppages
• Terayama M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University. Liberal Arts 17:81-266.
• Terayama Mamoru. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta, Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
• Terayama, M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta; Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
• Viehmeyer H. 1912. Ameisen aus Deutsch Neuguinea gesammelt von Dr. O. Schlaginhaufen. Nebst einem Verzeichnisse der papuanischen Arten. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Königlichen Zoologischen und Anthropologische-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden 14: 1-26.
• 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.
• 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.
• Zhang R. J., L. W. Liang, and S. Y. Zhou. 2014. An analysis on the ant fauna of Nonggang Nature Reserve in Guangxi, China. Journal of Guangxi Normal university: Natural Science Edition 32(3): 86-93.