Tetraponera inversinodis

Most collections are from lowland rainforest but the type series was collected from mangrove twigs. Another Lowery collection has the habitat given as “gardens and relict rain forest”. (Ward 2001)

Identification
Ward (2001) - This species is closely related to, and sympatric with, Tetraponera difficilis, from which it can be consistently separated by the larger eye size. The differences in the shape of the profemur (shorter and broader in T. inversinodis) and length of the metatibia (shorter in T. inversinodis) are also diagnostic, when body size is taken into account. Another generally useful feature for recognizing T. inversinodis workers is the “reversed-node” shape of the petiole, in which the anterior face of the node is short and steep and contrasts with the longer and more gently sloping posterior face. In T. difficilis the node is usually more symmetrical in profile. Some caution should be exercised in using this character, however, because it covaries with size, and the largest T. inversinodis workers (HW >0.85) have a petiole shape approaching that of T. difficilis.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines.

Nomenclature

 *  inversinodis. Tetraponera inversinodis Ward, 2001: 629, figs. 101, 103, 109, 146, 160, 172 (w.q.m.) BORNEO.

Worker
HW 0.77-0.94, HL 0.86-1.23, LHT 0.59-0.74, CI 0.77-0.89, FCI 0.13-0.15, REL 0.39-0.47, REL2 0.51-0.56, SI 0.55-0.59, SI3 1.01-1.13, FI 0.46-0.54, PLI 0.58-0.68, PWI 0.44-0.56, PDI 1.03-1.17, LHT/HW 0. 77-0.82, CSC 2-3, MSC 1-3.

Similar to Tetraponera difficilis except as follows: averaging smaller in size, FL 0.52-0.65 (0.60-0.73 in T. difficilis; compare also HW and LHT values); eyes more elongate, REL2 >0.50 and EL/LHT 0.64-0.70 (T. difficilis: REL2 0.44-0.48; EL/LHT 0.52-0.60); scape length exceeding eye length, but not markedly so (SB <1.15); profemur broader and shorter, FLI HL 0.53-0.62, EL/FL 0.74-0.82 (T. difficilis: FL/HL 0.60-0.67; EL/FL 0.60-0.66); profemur index (FI) values overlapping those of T. difficilis, but generally not within a given size class; hind leg shorter, LHT/HL 0.61-0.71 (T. difficilis: LHT/HL 0.67-0.80), and these values also not overlapping those of T. difficilis with the same head width; petiole shorter, PL/HL 0.50-0.55 (v. 0.54-0.61 in T. difficilis), the anterior face of the node usually much shorter and more steeply inclined than the posterior face. Standing pilosity even less common than in T. difficilis: CSC 2-3, MSC 1-3, dorsum of petiole and postpetiole usually lacking standing pilosity, rarely with several very short (0.03-0.06 mm long) erect or suberect setae. Appressed pubescence on abdominal tergite IV moderately dense, the hairs separated by their lengths or less.

Type Material
Holotype. Worker, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, 5°59'N 116°04'E, 14.x.l978 (B. B. Lowery . Paratypes. Series of workers, alate queens, males, same data as holotype (ANIC,, , , , KUES, , , RMBR, , , ).