Tetraponera conica

Known only from type collection, Sarawak, Malaysia. The collection was made in a remnant patch of lowland rain forest (R. W. Taylor personal communication).

Identification
A member of the Tetraponera allaborans species-group.

Ward (2001) - This is a small, brown species in the allaborans-group, which can be distinguished from all other known Tetraponera by the peculiar conical shape of the propodeum. In view of the uniqueness of the only known specimen, one might speculate that it is an anomalous mutant. But comparison of T. conica with its close relatives in the T. modesta-complex reveals additional, more typical species-level differences, such as larger eyes, a broadly rounded head, and a shorter petiole.

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

Nomenclature

 *  conica. Tetraponera conica Ward, 2001: 610, figs. 14, 25, 52 (w.) BORNEO.

Worker
HW 0.64, HL 0.76, LHT 0.53, CI 0.85, FCI 0.09, REL 0.42, REL2 0.49, SI 0.61, SI3 1.24, FI 0.39, PLI 0.63, PWI 0.54, PDI 1.09, LHT/HW 0.83, CSC 2, MSC 4.

Small with relatively broad head and large eyes; median clypeal lobe prominent but narrow, its straight anterior margin with three denticles; clypeal lobe exceeding the reach of the anterolateral clypeal margins; sides of head convex, rounding insensibly into the posterior margin; profemur slender; pronotal margins broadly convex in dorsal view, soft-edged, and occurring at the maximum width of pronotum; mesopropodeal impression well marked, lacking a metanotal plate; propodeum conical in profile, the prominent apex situated far forward and raised above the level of the mesonotum, so that the short posteriorly inclined dorsal face of the propodeum rounds into a much longer, sloping declivitous face; petiole short and broad (PWI 0.54, PL/HW 0.60, PL/LHT 0. 72), in profile subtriangular and lacking a well differentiated anterior peduncle. Integument smooth and shiny, with scattered small punctures and irregular lineations; lower malar area longitudinally carinate. Standing pilosity scarce, one pair of long setae (>0.07 mm in length) on the frontal carinae, one supraocular pair, two pairs on the pronotum, and one pair on the postpetiole; short, inconspicuous pubescence scattered over the body. Castaneous brown, the pronotum, postpetiole and appendages a lighter yellow-brown to orange-brown.

Type Material
Holotype. Worker, Semengoh For. Reserve, 11 mi. SW Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, 28-3l.v.l968 (R. W. Taylor #68.166).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * CSIRO Collection
 * 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
 * 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.