Tetramorium longoi

Identification
Bolton (1980) - Without any obvious relatives in the Ethiopian regional fauna, T. longoi shows some affinities with the scabrosum-group of the Oriental and Indo-Australian regions (Bolton, 1977: 115), particularly in the form and distribution of pilosity on the appendages. In the region at present under consideration T. longoi cannot be fitted into any other species-group and is included here merely for convenience. Despite its resemblance to the members of the scabrosum-group I have refrained from placing it there for the present as I am not convinced that the apparent relationship is real and not just a convergence phenomenon.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: South Africa.

Nomenclature

 *  longoi. Tetramorium longoi Forel, 1915c: 344 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. See also: Bolton, 1980: 362.

Worker
Bolton (1980) - TL 2.6-3.0, HL 0.66-0.74, HW 0.60-0.68, CI 90-93, SL 0.46-0.50, SI 78-81, PW 0.42-0.50, AL 0.72-0.84 (6 measured).

Mandibles longitudinally striate. Anterior clypeal margin entire, without a median notch or impression. Median clypeal carina present and a lateral pair also developed. Frontal carinae irregular and tending to meander, not more strongly developed than the remaining cephalic sculpture, reaching back to occipital region and merging with the rugoreticulum there. Eyes relatively small, maximum diameter 0.12-0.15, about 0.20-0.23 x HW and with 7-9 ommatidia in the longest row. Propodeal spines triangular and acute, longer than the more broadly triangular metapleural lobes. Metanotal groove shallowly impressed in larger workers, not impressed in smaller. Petiole node in profile with the anterodorsal angle more or less rightangular, the posterodorsal somewhat more obtuse but not rounded and the dorsal surface between these angles more or less flat, at most only very shallowly convex. In dorsal view the petiole node is broader than long and has a low but sharp transverse crest running across the anterior face. Dorsum of head irregularly longitudinally rugulose, with sparse cross-meshes which occur as far forward as the level of the anterior margins of the eyes; the occiput with a sharp rugoreticulum. Dorsal alitrunk sharply finely and fairly densely irregularly rugulose, the rugulae of varying length and direction all over the dorsum, forming a reticulum or partial reticulum in places. Ground-sculpture on dorsal alitrunk a weak but fairly conspicuous superficial punctulation. Petiole and postpetiole finely rugulose dorsally, the former often with reticulation, and both segments with fine punctulate ground-sculpture. First gastral tergite unsculptured. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous short erect blunt hairs, most or all of which are shorter than the maximum diameter of the eye. Dorsal (outer) surfaces of hind tibiae with numerous short, blunt standing hairs which are distinctly shorter than the maximum tibial width. Antennal scapes with finer short hairs which are suberect to subdecumbent and are more noticeable on the dorsal surfaces than on the leading edges of the scapes. Colour uniform medium to dark brown.

Type Material
Bolton (1980) - Syntype workers, SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Prov., George, x.1914, no. 350 (H. Brauns) [examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004