Aphaenogaster tennesseensis

This species is presumed to be a temporary parasite in ground nests of other species of Aphaenogaster, including Aphaenogaster fulva, Aphaenogaster picea and Aphaenogaster rudis (Smith, 1979). Workers forage on trees and nest in rotting wood.

Identification
Workers are relatively large, dark reddish-brown, with heavy sculpture, long curved propodeal spines, and have the postpetiole broader than long and suboval in shape. The queens are very distinctive looking and are almost entirely smooth, lacking any obvious sculpture, and have long blunt tipped propodeal spines.

This ant is easily diagnosed by its lack of hair on the mesosoma and metasoma, and by the propodeal spines that curve back towards the gaster (DeMarco, 2015).

Florida
Deyrup (2016) - This species has a protuberance on the ventral side of the postpetiole, and coarse irregular ridges on the mesopleuron, both features shared by Aphaenogaster mariae. It lacks the long, fine ridges at the base of the first gastral tergite found in A. mariae. Aphaenogaster tennesseensis differs from all other Florida species in the lack of any erect hairs on the mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole, and gaster. It is also distinguished by its extraordinarily long propodeal spines, which are thick at the base and somewhat curved, tapering to a sharp point. In the field, tennesseensis might be mistaken for Aphaenogaster lamellidens.

Florida
Deyrup (2016) - Quebec south into Florida, west into Minnesota and Oklahoma (Smith 1979). In Florida, tennesseensis is known from a few sites in the northern part of the state. It appears to be rare in Florida.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States.



Florida
Deyrup (2016) - This species usually occurs in mesic woodlands. It is believed to be a temporary nest parasite of other Aphaenogaster, on the basis of the small size and large spines of the queen, and the discovery of three small mixed colonies of tennesseensis and some species in the fulva—rudis complex (Wheeler 1910a). These colonies were found under stones, rather than in rotten wood, where mature colonies of tennesseensis occur (Wheeler 1910a). Nests may be in rotting stumps or logs, in standing dead trees, and in dead portions of live trees (Smith 1965). Mature colonies have several hundred to several thousand individuals (Smith 1965). The latter estimate would be unusually high for a species of eastern Aphaenogaster. Foraging is usually on the ground, where the workers collect small arthropods (Carroll 1975). Alates have been found in the nest in August (Carroll 1975).

Nomenclature

 * laevis. Atta laevis Mayr, 1862: 743 (q.) U.S.A. Combination in Aphaenogaster: Roger, 1863b: 30. Junior synonym of tennesseensis: Mayr, 1886d: 446.
 *  tennesseensis. Atta tennesseensis Mayr, 1862: 743 (w.) U.S.A. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953b: 61 (l.). Combination in Aphaenogaster: Roger, 1863b: 30; in Stenamma (Aphaenogaster): Emery, 1895c: 301; in Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma): Emery, 1921f: 60. Senior synonym of subrubra: Mayr, 1886c: 365; of laevis: Mayr, 1886d: 446; of ecalcaratum: Creighton, 1950a: 151.
 * subrubra. Myrmica subrubra Buckley, 1867: 336 (w.q.) U.S.A. Junior synonym of tennesseensis: Mayr, 1886c: 365. See also: Wheeler, W.M. 1902f: 26.
 * ecalcaratum. Stenamma (Aphaenogaster) tennesseense var. ecalcaratum Emery, 1895c: 301 (w.) U.S.A. Combination in Aphaenogaster: Emery, 1921f: 60. Junior synonym of tennesseensis: Creighton, 1950a: 151.