Tapinoma emeryi

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: United Republic of Tanzania. Indo-Australian Region: Philippines.

Nomenclature

 *  emeryi. Aphomyrmex emeryi Ashmead, 1905a: 111 (q.) PHILIPPINES. [Name of genus a misspelling of Aphomomyrmex.] Combination in Pseudaphomomyrmex: Wheeler, W.M. 1920: 53; in Tapinoma: Fisher & Bolton, 2007: 66. See also: LaPolla & Longino, 2006: 305.

Queen
Fisher and Bolton (2007) - holotype: TL (total length: length of head excluding mandibles + length of mesosoma + length of petiole + length of gaster) ca 3.7, HL (maximum head length) 0.62, HW (maximum head width behind eyes) 0.52, CI (cephalic index: HW/HL × 100) 84, SL (scape length) 0.37, SI (scape index: SL/HW × 100) 71, WL (Weber’s length: in lateral view of the mesosoma, diagonal length from posteroventral corner of mesosoma to the farthest point on anterior face of pronotum, excluding the neck.) 0.98, OI (ocular index: EL / HW X 100) 35; maximum width of mesoscutum 0.54, forewing length 2.7.

Head in full-face view roughly rectangular, the sides only very feebly convex and the occipital margin almost transverse. Median portion of anterior clypeal margin is broadly but very shallowly concave; on each side of the concave section there is a low, blunt prominence. Anterior clypeal margin with two pairs of long setae but clypeal dorsum and entire cephalic dorsum lacks setae. Palp formula (in situ) apparently 6,4. Masticatory margin of mandible with larger apical and preapical teeth, followed by two smaller teeth and a series of denticles that decrease in size basally and continue around the basal curve. Eyes far in front of midlength of sides of head; maximum diameter of left eye 0.18 (right eye collapsed inward). Head capsule between ocelli strongly pigmented. Scape short (SI, above), left antenna missing. Dorsum of head in front of ocelli damaged, crushed inward. Dorsum of mesoscutum is crushed inward and left wings are missing. Dorsum of mesosoma entirely lacks setae. Propodeal spiracle located just behind midlength of sclerite and just above its midheight. All femora are collapsed and deformed. Gaster is detached and mounted upside down on a separate pin below the head + mesosoma + petiole. No setae visible on the first gastral tergite, but may be abraded; one pair of short erect setae visible on gastral tergite 2, two pairs on tergite 3, two pairs on tergite 4 and 1 – 2 on tergite 5; short setae visible on all sternites with greatest density on posterior margin of sternite 5. All gastral segments with fine appressed pubescence. Colour a uniform dull yellow everywhere

Type Material
Fisher and Bolton (2007) - Holotype queen (alate), PHILIPPINES: Manila (R. Brown) [examined]. The holotype queen, although damaged, retains all the characters that should allow its identification.