Key to Tetramorium weitzeckeri species complex

This worker key is based on: [[Media:Hita Garcia, F. & Fischer, G. 2014. Additions to the taxonomy of the Afrotropical Tetramorium weitzeckeri species complex, with the description of a new species .pdf|Hita Garcia, F. & Fischer, G. 2014. Additions to the taxonomy of the Afrotropical Tetramorium weitzeckeri species complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae), with the description of a new species from Kenya. European Journal of Taxonomy 90: 1–16.]]

This key is for the workers in the Tetramorium weitzeckeri species complex, which is a part of the Tetramorium weitzeckeri species group. There are two other complexes in this species group: the Tetramorium muralti complex and the Tetramorium edouardi complex. Information about the species group and each complex can be found here: Tetramorium weitzeckeri species group. That page also includes a key to the species complexes. A third key allows for identifying all of the species in the species group, with the exception of Tetramorium mpala: Key to Tetramorium weitzeckeri-group species.

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 * Tetramorium

1

 * First gastral tergite without any form of standing pilosity (Fig. 3A) . . . . . 2


 * First gastral tergite with standing pilosity (Fig. 3B–C) . . . . . 5

2
return to couplet #1
 * Mesosoma with abundant long, erect hairs (usually 7 to 8 pairs of hairs) (Fig. 4A) [Mozambique, Tanzania, South Africa, Swaziland] . . . . . Tetramorium sepultum


 * Mesosoma usually without long, erect hairs, rarely with up to 4 pairs of hairs at most (Fig. 4B–C) . . . . . 3

3
return to couplet #2
 * Whole mesosoma covered with fine, mostly longitudinal rugulae superimposed on a very distinct reticulate-punctate ground sculpture (Fig. 5A) [Burundi] . . . . . Tetramorium bendai


 * Mesosoma either mostly unsculptured or rugulose, often in parts with weakly punctate ground sculpture, but never fully covered with distinct reticulate-punctate ground sculpture as above (Fig. 5B–C) . . . . . 4

4
return to couplet #3
 * Most of mesosomal dorsum, especially pronotum, noticeably longitudinally rugulose (Fig. 5B) [Kenya, Tanzania] . . . . . Tetramorium tanaense


 * Dorsum of mesosoma, especially pronotum, unsculptured and shiny (Fig. 5C) [Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe] . . . . . Tetramorium humbloti

5
return to couplet #1
 * Eyes very large (OI 31); first gastral tergite with long, decumbent to subdecumbent (rarely appressed) pilosity [Kenya] (Fig. 6A, D) . . . . . Tetramorium mpala


 * Eyes always smaller than above (OI 16–26); first gastral tergite with long suberect to erect pilosity (Fig. 6B–C, E–F) . . . . . 6

6
return to couplet #5
 * Dorsum of head with conspicuous reticulate-punctate ground sculpture; postpetiole in profile between 1.3 and 1.7 times higher than long (LPpI 59–75) and in dorsal view around 1.4 9 to 1.5 times wider than long (DPpI 137–154) (Fig. 7A, E–F) [Cameroon, Central African Republic, D.R. Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria] . . . . . Tetramorium guineense


 * Character combination never as above; dorsum of head usually without conspicuous reticulate-punctate ground sculpture; if cephalic ground sculpture noticeably reticulate-punctate (as in some series of T. weitzeckeri), then postpetiole in profile around 1.7 to 2.1 times higher than long (LPpI 49–60) and in dorsal view 1.7 to 2.0 times wider than long (DPpI 146–203) (Fig. 7B–D, G–H) . . . . . 7

7
return to couplet #6
 * Distinctly bicoloured species, head and mesosoma orange to reddish brown, petiole, postpetiole and gaster very dark brown to black (Fig. 8A) [Central African Republic, Kenya, Uganda] . . . . . Tetramorium snellingi


 * Whole body either uniformly brown to black or bicoloured with gaster, and often head, of lighter colour than mesosoma, petiole, and postpetiole (Fig. 8B–C) . . . . . 8

8
return to couplet #7
 * Species either bicoloured, with gaster, appendages and head yellowish brown contrasting with reddish brown mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole, or whole body dark brown to black; mesosomal sculpture partly reduced, dorsum generally with weak longitudinal rugulae only, lateral mesosoma to great extent unsculptured; ground sculpture on lateral and dorsal mesosoma absent, appearing smooth and shining (Figs 8C, 9A–B, E–F) [São Tomé & Principe] . . . . . Tetramorium renae


 * Uniformly coloured species, generally dark brown to black; usually with mesosoma dorsally and laterally strongly longitudinally rugose, very rarely with weaker developed rugae or rugulae, in the latter case the ground sculpture is reticulate-punctate (Figs 8B, 9C–D, G–H) . . . . . 9

9
return to couplet #8
 * Larger species (HW 0.77–0.93; HL 0.79–0.94; SL 0.60–0.74; WL 0.91–1.21); propodeal spines long to very long and spinose (PSLI 32–45); body colouration ranging from light brown to almost black, but usually of lighter brown than below; dry forest or savannah species (Figs 9G, 10A) [Angola, Eritrea, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe] . . . . . Tetramorium weitzeckeri


 * Smaller species (HW 0.64–0.74; HL 0.68–0.76; SL 0.47–0.54; WL 0.78–0.91); propodeal spines moderate to long, triangular-elongate to spinose, but never as long as above (PSLI 23– 29); body colouration always very dark brown to black; rainforest species (Figs 9H, 10B) [Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, D.R. Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Sudan] . . . . . Tetramorium boltoni