Tetramorium magnificum

Identification
Bolton (1980) - A large and very spectacular species made instantly recognizable by its combination of large size, exceptionally long pilosity, lack of a median clypeal carina, entire clypeal margin, long projecting tibial hairs and characteristic petiole node shape. In fact, the species has so many distinctive characters in combination that it is impossible to confuse it with any other African species. As regards the length of the hairs, this is only approached by Tetramorium flagellatum of Borneo which also has spectacularly developed pilosity.

Despite all its exclusive features I am convinced that T. magnificum is related (albeit distantly) to the core-species of this group, namely Tetramorium unicum, Tetramorium quadridentatum and Tetramorium viticola, as the overall form of the head and alitrunk and the sculpture are basically similar in all these species. Leaving aside the pilosity, which is probably an individual development, the most obvious difference between T. magnificum and the core-species is the radically differently shaped petiole node, and this is sufficient to preclude close affinity.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Cameroun, Ivory Coast.

Nomenclature

 *  magnificum. Tetramorium magnificum Bolton, 1980: 363, fig. 144 (w.) IVORY COAST.

Worker
Holotype: TL 5.4, HL 1.16, HW 0.98, CI 84, SL 0.82, SI 84, PW 0.79, AL 1.40. Paratype (3 measured): TL 4.8-5.2, HL 1.08-1.14, HW 0.90-0.94, CI 82-84, SL 0.78-0.80, SI 85-86, PW 0.70-0.76, AL 1.30-1.36. Maximum diameter of eye 0.26-0.28, about 0.29-0.30 x HW.

Mandibles with scattered broad shallow pits, the margins of some pits confluent and giving the appearance of low blunt short rugulae; glossy and without longitudinal striate sculpture. Apical border of mandible with 3 teeth followed by a row of 5 denticles. Anterior clypeal margin entire, with a narrow apron and without a median notch or impression. Median clypeal carina absent. Frontal carinae sharp but not more strongly developed than the other cephalic sculpture, extending onto occiput but merging with the rugoreticulum before reaching the margin. Eyes quite large, maximum diameter 0.28, about 0.29 x HW and with 12-13 ommatidia in the longest row. Propodeum armed with a pair of straight narrow spines which, though short in relation to the size of the alitrunk (spine L about 0.20; AL 1.40), are distinctly longer than the low broadly triangular metapleural lobes. Petiole in profile with a short anterior peduncle and an elongate massive node (Fig. 144). The anterior face of the node meets the dorsum roughly in a right-angle. The dorsum behind this anterior angle is long and shallowly convex and curves evenly into the sloping posterior face. In dorsal view the node is longer than broad (only slightly so in some paratypes). Dorsum of head with strong sharp raised narrow longitudinal rugae, the occipital region and sides of the head with a sharp rugoreticulum. Dorsal alitrunk coarsely sharply rugose, the rugae transversely arched on the pronotum, longitudinal elsewhere and with traces of faint reticular cross-meshes, especially on the posterior mesonotum. Dorsal surfaces of petiole and postpetiole coarsely reticulate-rugose. Ground-sculpture everywhere on head and body vestigial and inconspicuous, at most forming a glossy superficial patterning between the coarse rugae. First gastral tergite unsculptured. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with exceptionally long fine acute hairs, the longest of those on the alitrunk approaching or even equalling the length of the middle tibia. Antennal scapes with short subdecumbent to decumbent hairs only but the dorsal (outer) surfaces of the middle and hind tibiae with very long fine projecting hairs which are distinctly very much longer than the maximum tibial width. Colour yellowish brown, the gaster darker brown.

Paratype: As holotype but two more darkly coloured with the head and alitrunk light brown, the gaster darker.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Ivory Coast: Lamto (Toumodi), 4.iii.1968, AA216 (J. Lévieux). Paratypes, 3 workers with same data as holotype (BMNH; ).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton B. 1980. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 40: 193-384.
 * Yeo K., T. Delsinne, S. Komate, L. L. Alonso, D. Aidara, and C. Peeters. 2016. Diversity and distribution of ant assemblages above and below ground in a West African forest–savannah mosaic (Lamto, Cote d’Ivoire). Insectes Sociaux DOI 10.1007/s00040-016-0527-6