Tetraponera bita

Lowery's Kota Kinabalu material was collected in gardens and relict rain forest. A queen from Pasoh Forest Reserve was collected in a dead twig in c. 32m height.

Identification
A member of the Tetraponera allaborans species-group

Ward (2001) - Workers of T. bita can be distinguished from those of other species, except T. brevis, by their broadly convex, crenulate and slightly protruding clypeal lobe; short, robust profemur; laterally rounded pronotum; and presence of a metanotal welt. The most striking difference between T. bita and Tetraponera brevis is the broader head of the latter (worker CI 0.82-0.84). For discussion of additional differences, see T. brevis.

Distribution
Known from two localities on the island of Borneo and one probable site on peninsular Malaysia.

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

Nomenclature

 *  bita. Tetraponera bita Ward, 2001: 609, figs. 11, 22, 47 (w.q.) BORNEO.

There is one collection of a dealate queen from Pasoh Forest Reserve, Malaysia (leg. Rosciszewski) that matches reasonably well the paratype queen of T. bita, especially with respect to the clypeal margin (furnished with a pair of long, blunt mediolateral teeth and a much shorter, pointed median tooth, as in the bita paratype queen), elongate head (CI 0.62 compared with 0.60 in the paratype), broad profemur (FI 0.54, as in paratype ), and slender petiole (PLI 0.54 compared with 0.55 in the paratype), although the Pasoh queen is larger (HW 0.68 v. 0.61 in the paratype). The elongate head and slender petiole suggest that this queen is T. bita, not the related species, Tetraponera brevis.

Worker
HW 0.63-0.65, HL 0.86-0.87, LHT 0.55-0.56, CI 0.73-0.75, FCI 0.12-0.13, REL 0.35-0.37, REL2 0.48-0.49, SI 0.58-0.59, SI3 1.19-1.21, FI 0.47-0.53, PLI 0.58-0.62, PWI 0.47-0.53, PDI 0.99-1.00, LHT/HW 0.85-0.86, CSC 2, MSC 2. Note: n = 2 for LHT and LHT/HW.

Median clypeal lobe crenulate, with about five blunt denticles, protruding slightly beyond the reach of the anterolateral clypeal margins; clypeal lobe somewhat broad and less sharply set off from the rest of the clypeus than in Tetraponera allaborans; eyes moderately large, especially in relation to head width (see REL2 values); pro femur short and broad (FI >0.46); pronotal dorsum rounding broadly into the sides; mesopropodeal impression relatively shallow, interrupted in the middle by a small, raised, transverse platform (apparent metanotum), which is joined to lateral ridges that arch forward; metanotum preceded and followed by longitudinally rugulate grooves, the posterior groove more deeply impressed than the anterior groove; propodeum low and broad, as wide as high (see PDI values), in profile its dorsal face rounding gradually into the declivitous face; petiole relatively short and broad (see indices). Integument smooth and shining, with scattered minute punctures (<0.010 mm in diameter) and very faint irregular lineations; lower malar area longitudinally carinate anteriorly. Standing pilosity (>0.07 mm in length) sparse, scattered on gaster and apex of head, also one supraocular pair, and one pair on the pronotum; 1-2 shorter standing hairs (0.05-0.07 mm in length) on the petiole and postpetiole; in addition, short (0.02-0.05 mm), sparse, inconspicuous appressed hairs scattered over the body, becoming suberect to erect on venter of the petiole and postpetiole. Medium to dark brown, antennae, mandibles and tarsi somewhat lighter.

Type Material
Holotype. Worker, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, 20m, 5°59'S 116°04'E, 9.x.l978 (B. B. Lowery). Paratypes. 1 worker, 1 alate queen, same data as holotype (ANIC, ).