Tetramorium dogieli

Identification
I include T. dogieli, known from a single missing holotype, in this species-group with some misgivings as, although the generic name is stated as Tetramorium, no antennomere count is given. I am thus led to assume that the antennae are 12- segmented but this may not be the case as miscounts of antennal segments were fairly frequent in the past. The presence of a squamate petiole in T. dogieli is not enough by itself to confirm its placement in this group as a similarly shaped petiole is also encountered in the T. weitzeckeri-group, where the antennae are 11-merous. However, working on circumstantial evidence that the antennae are 12-segmented, namely that Karavaiev placed the species in Tetramorium and stated that it ran to Tetramorium squaminode in Arnold’s (1926) key, then following Karavaiev’s description of T. dogieli it runs out to Tetramorium nube in the present key. The only characters which can be deduced to separate them are the differences in size (T. dogieli TL 2:5) and the fact that T. dogieli is stated as having the head between the eyes and the 259) posterior portions of the frontal carinae superficially reticulate, whereas in T. nube this region of the head is longitudinally sculptured. There is a very real possibility that if T. dogieli is correctly placed in the squaminode-group it may be a senior synonym of T. nube, but this conjecture will have to await the rediscovery of the holotype of T. dogieli.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Kenya.

Nomenclature

 *  dogieli. Tetramorium dogieli Karavaiev, 1931d: 48, fig. 6 (w.) KENYA. See also: Bolton, 1980: 254.

Type Material
Bolton (1980) - Holotype worker, Kenya: Naivasha, no. 5296 (Dogiel & Sokolov) (location of type not known).

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.
 * Garcia F.H., Wiesel E. and Fischer G. 2013.The Ants of Kenya (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)Faunal Overview, First Species Checklist, Bibliography, Accounts for All Genera, and Discussion on Taxonomy and Zoogeography. Journal of East African Natural History, 101(2): 127-222