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Technomyrmex laurenti
| Technomyrmex laurenti | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
| Genus: | Technomyrmex |
| Species: | T. laurenti |
| Binomial name | |
| Technomyrmex laurenti (Emery, 1899)
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| Synonyms | |
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Nest sites seem usually to be in the domatia of myrmecophytes, although its exclusive use of such sites has not been confirmed. Among the material examined for this study laurenti has been recorded from domatia in the genera Leonardoxa , Scaphopetalum, Cola , Plectronia and Delpydora (for earlier records see Wheeler J 922; McKey, 1984; Holldobler & Wilson, 1990). It has also been found in modified leaves of a Diospyros species, as well as foraging freely on other vegetation and on the ground. (Bolton 2007)
Identification
Bolton (2007) - T. laurenti is a very distinct, strikingly size-variable species with some allometric variation. Variations in colour and colour pattern are extensive. Because this variation occurs against a fixed suite of very obvious strong characters colour is not awarded any taxonomic significance here. The few queens examined all have light middle and hind coxae, regardless of the coxal colour of their workers.
The head shape of laurenti , with its small eyes, emarginate clypeus, deeply excised posterior margin, short scapes, and the overall short, stocky build, are all reminiscent of Technomyrmex lujae, but the latter species entirely lacks setae on the dorsal head and body, as well as having a reduced palp formula of 4,3; T. laurenti has PF 6,4, the usual count in the genus.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 20.16667° to -2.050343°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Cameroun, Democratic Republic of Congo (type locality), Gabon.
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Countries Occupied
| Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species. |
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Estimated Abundance
| Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species. |
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Biology
Castes
Worker
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0249791. Photographer Shannon Hartman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by PSWC, Philip S. Ward Collection. |
   
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| Syntype of Technomyrmex laurenti. Worker. Specimen code casent0905123. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy. |
   
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| Syntype of Engramma kohli. Worker. Specimen code casent0905124. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- laurenti. Tapinoma laurenti Emery, 1899e: 487 (w.q.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. Combination in Engramma: Emery, 1913a: 38; in Technomyrmex: Shattuck, 1992c: 161. Senior synonym of congolensis, kohli: Bolton, 2007a: 25.
- congolensis. Engramma laurenti var. congolensis Forel, 1916: 431 (w.q.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. Combination in Technomyrmex: Shattuck, 1992c: 161. Junior synonym of laurenti: Bolton, 2007a: 25.
- kohli. Engramma kohli Forel, 1916: 429 (w.q.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. Combination in Technomyrmex: Shattuck, 1992c: 161. Junior synonym of laurenti: Bolton, 2007a: 25.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Bolton (2007) - TL 1.8 - 4.0, HL 0.55 - 1.08, HW 0.52 - 1.08, SL 0.40 - 0.64, PW 0.30 - 0.57, WL 0.52 - 1.06 (25 measured). Indices: CI 94 - 102, SI 58 - 77, or 18 - 21, EPI 60 - 80, DTI 104 - 127.
Frontal carina with 2 4 setae: in profile the posteriormost at the level of the posterior margin of the eye. Behind this the cephalic dorsum to the posterior margin lacks setae but the posterior margin itself with 4 - 6 setae across its width. Head broad and strongly cordate in fun-face view, with a deeply cleft, broadly V-shaped posterior margin (which becomes more extensive as worker size increases); sides convex and converging anteriorly. Eyes relatively small and located in front of midlength (EPI 80 or less, decreasing as worker size increases), outer margins of eyes conspicuously fail to break the outline of the sides. Clypeus broad, with an anterior apron and a conspicuous median notch that is sharply defined and usually approximately semicircular; inner margin of notch meets the anterior clypeal margin in a fight-angle or near fight-angle on each side. Scape relatively short, SI 77 or less (81 decreases with increased size so that smallest workers have highest SI). Funicular segments 2 - 8 about as broad as long or slightly broader than long. Mesosoma stocky, short and compact (DTI, above). Dorsal surfaces of pronotum and mesonotum, and declivity of propodeum, each with several pairs of setae present. Gastral tergites 1 - 4 each with numerous setae, the longest of them usually about equal in length to the maximum diameter of the eye, though samples may occur with these setae slightly longer or shorter. Colour very variable; dorsum of head and mesosoma may be uniformly coloured or have areas of lighter and darker cuticle. Lightest samples have a dull yellow head and mesosoma with the gaster very rarely the same colour, usually slightly to considerably darker, pale brown to very dark brown. Petiole and middle and hind coxae may be same colour as mesosoma or slightly to distinctly lighter. lntennediate shades occur through to the darkest samples, which are unifonnly dark brown, sometimes with the petiole and middle and hind coxae distinctly lighter.
Type Material
Bolton (2007) - Syntype workers and queens, Democratic Republic of Congo: no loc. (Laurent) (Musee Royal de I' Afrique Centrale) [not seen] and Cameroun: no loc. (Conradt) (Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa).
References
- Bolton, B. 2007b. Taxonomy of the dolichoderine ant genus Technomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on the worker caste. Contributions of the American Entomological Institute. 35(1): 1-149.
- Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
- Emery, C. 1899d. Fourmis d'Afrique. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 43: 459-504 (page 487, worker, queen described)
- Emery, C. 1913a [1912]. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Dolichoderinae. Genera Insectorum 137: 1-50 (page 38, Combination in Engramma)
- Shattuck, S. O. 1992c. Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dolichoderinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 21: 1-181 (page 161, Combination in Technomyrmex)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Bolton B. 2007. Taxonomy of the dolichoderine ant genus Technomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on the worker caste. Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 35(1): 1-150.
- Bolton, B. "Taxonomy of the dolichoderine ant genus Technomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on the worker caste." Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 35, no. 1 (2007): 1-149.
- IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
- Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. II. The ants collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 39-269.