Tetraponera allaborans species group

This article is based on [[Media:Ward 2006.pdf|Ward, P. S. 2006. The ant genus Tetraponera in the Afrotropical region: synopsis of species groups and revision of the T. ambigua-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecologische Nachrichten 8:119-130.]]

Worker diagnosis

 * Small to medium-sized species (HW0.44 - 1.15)
 * Masticatory margin of mandible usually with four (rarely five) teeth, basal margin edentate and shorter than masticatory margin. In a subset of species (the T. allaborans complex) masticatory margin with three teeth, basal margin with 1 - 2 small teeth and longer than masticatory margin
 * Labrum without prominent teeth or tubercles or with a median tubercle near the proximal margin, widely flanked by a lateral pair
 * Anteromedial margin of clypeus variable (crenulate, toothed or entire)
 * Frontal carinal distance variable (FCI 0.08 - 0.22)
 * Scape length about two thirds of head width or less (SI 0.40 - 0.70)
 * Compound eyes directed anteriorly
 * Head capsule lacking ocelli, rarely with a weak lateral pair
 * Pronotum with weak to moderate lateral margination
 * Mesonotum about as long as wide, ovoid or subrectangular in dorsal view
 * Mesopropodeal impression usually containing a raised transverse metanotal (or mesoscutellar?) plate, but this reduced or lost in some species
 * Posteroventral margin of petiole well separated from the helcium venter
 * Metabasitarsal sulcus present
 * Mesosternum densely pubescent

Distribution
Africa, Madagascar, India to China, South to Northern Australia.

Valid Species

 * Tetraponera allaborans (Walker, 1859)
 * Tetraponera amargina Xu & Chai, 2004
 * Tetraponera apiculata Ward, 2001
 * Tetraponera arrogans (Santschi, 1911)
 * Tetraponera avia Ward, 2001
 * Tetraponera bita Ward, 2001
 * Tetraponera braunsi (Forel, 1913)
 * Tetraponera braunsi durbanensis (Forel, 1914)
 * Tetraponera brevis Ward, 2001
 * Tetraponera claveaui (Santschi, 1913)
 * Tetraponera clypeata (Emery, 1886)
 * Tetraponera conica Ward, 2001
 * Tetraponera connectens Ward, 2001
 * Tetraponera convexa Xu & Chai, 2004
 * Tetraponera crassiuscula (Emery, 1901)
 * Tetraponera demens (Santschi, 1911)
 * Tetraponera diana (Santschi, 1911)
 * Tetraponera emeryi (Forel, 1911)
 * Tetraponera exasciata (Forel, 1892)
 * Tetraponera extenuata Ward, 2001
 * Tetraponera fictrix (Forel, 1897)
 * Tetraponera flexuosa (Santschi, 1911)
 * Tetraponera furcata Xu & Chai, 2004
 * Tetraponera gerdae (Stitz, 1911)
 * Tetraponera hysterica (Forel, 1892)
 * Tetraponera hysterica dimidiata (Forel,1895)
 * Tetraponera hysterica inflata (Emery, 1900)
 * Tetraponera liengmei(Forel, 1894)
 * Tetraponera mandibularis (Emery, 1895)
 * Tetraponera mayri (Forel, 1901)
 * Tetraponera microcarpa Wu & Wang, 1990
 * Tetraponera modesta (F. Smith, 1860)
 * Tetraponera morondaviensis (Forel, 1891)
 * Tetraponera penzigi (Mayr, 1907)
 * Tetraponera penzigi continua (Forel, 1908) (Cited as T. continua at Ward (2006))
 * Tetraponera penzigi praestigiatrix Santschi, 1937
 * Tetraponera perlonga Santschi, 1928
 * Tetraponera plicatidens(Santschi, 1926)
 * Tetraponera protensa Xu & Chai, 2004
 * Tetraponera rakotonis(Forel, 1891)
 * Tetraponera sahlbergii (Forel, 1887)
 * Tetraponera sahlbergii deplanata (Forel, 1904)
 * Tetraponera sahlbergii longula (Emery, 1895)
 * Tetraponera sahlbergii spuria (Forel, 1897)
 * Tetraponera scotti Donisthorpe, 1931
 * Tetraponera tessmanni (Stitz, 1910)
 * Tetraponera zavattarii (Menozzi, 1939)