Axinidris tridens

A. tridens has been collected foraging on a partially decayed tree in a primary forest.

Identification
Snelling (2007) - Antennal scape shaft, pronotum and gastral terga without erect hairs; pronotum densely pubescent; medial carina acute in profile.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Malawi, South Africa.

Castes
Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 *  tridens. Engramma tridens Arnold, 1946: 58, fig. 10 (q.) MALAWI. Combination in Axinidris: Shattuck, 1991: 119. See also: Snelling, R.R. 2007: 572.

Worker
Shattuck (1991) - (n=2). OOD 0.33, EL 0.20-0.25, HL 0.86-0.95, EW 0.13-0.16, HW 0.81-0.88, CNW 0.06-0.Q7, CND 0.05, SL 0.72-0.82, AL 1.07, PpW 0.31-0.34, SW 0.23-0.26, CI 0.93-0.94, CNI 0.64-0.95, REL 0.24-0.28, ScI 0.88-0.93, SpI 1.67-1.73. Propodeal spines reduced to angles; medial propodeal carina present, tooth-like dorsally.

Head colliculate to imbricate, dorsal surface superimposed with fine scabriculous sculpturing; area near the mandibular insertion with a narrow area ofstrigulate sculpturing. Erect hairs limited to one pair medial and posterior of the compound eyes and one pair near the anterior clypeal margin. Erect and suberect hairs absent from antennal scapes. Anterior and lateral areas of pronotum smooth and lacking erect hairs, postero-dorsal regions colliculate to imbricate. Extreme anterior margin of mesonotum smooth, remainder of mesonotum and entire propodeum scabriculous. Anterior edge of propodeal spiracles even with propodeum, posterior edge depressed relative to the anterior surface of propodeum and thus directing the spiracular opening posteriorly. Medial propodeal carina weak, tooth-like dorsally, and located on the declivitous face only. Propodeal spines reduced to angles and with the area between them flat. Erect hairs absent from gastric tergites. Body colour reddish yellow with the head and legs slightly darker (tarsi pale yellow); mandibles yellow. Discussion. Atridens can be distinguished from other species by the tooth-like configuration of the medial propodeal carina.

Type Material
Shattuck (1991) - Three syntype workers from MALAWI: Mlanje (= Mulanje) [examined]. The upper right specimen (the only individual possessing a head) is here designated as LECTOTYPE.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Arnold G. 1946. New species of African Hymenoptera. No. 6. Occasional Papers of the National Museum of Southern Rhodesia. 2: 49-97.
 * IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
 * Shattuck S. O. 1991. Revision of the dolichoderine ant genus Axinidris (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic Entomology 16: 105-120.
 * Shattuck S. O. 1994. Taxonomic catalog of the ant subfamilies Aneuretinae and Dolichoderinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 112: i-xix, 1-241.
 * Snelling, R. R. 2007. A review of the arboreal Afrotropical ant genus Axinidris, pp. 551-579. In Snelling, R. R., B. L. Fisher, and P. S. Ward (eds). Advances in ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): homage to E. O. Wilson  50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 80.