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Tetramorium fergusoni
| Tetramorium fergusoni | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Tetramorium |
| Species group: | fergusoni |
| Species: | T. fergusoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Tetramorium fergusoni Forel, 1902
| |
Nothing is known about the biology of Tetramorium fergusoni.
Identification
Bolton (1977) - Unique in the tetramoriine fauna of the Oriental and Indo-Australian regions as it is the only one to have 12-segmented antennae matched with a spatulate sting appendage. In the Ethiopian region two species-groups (squaminode-group and grassii-group) show this combination, but in both of these the frontal carinae tend to be strongly developed, and in the former group the petiole node is markedly squamiform. Thus fergusoni stands quite alone at the present time, an obscure and poorly known species whose affinities are not at all apparent.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India (type locality).
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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| Syntype of Tetramorium mixtum. Worker. Specimen code casent0904846. Photographer Z. Lieberman, 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.
- fergusoni. Tetramorium fergusoni Forel, 1902c: 234 (w.) INDIA. See also: Bolton, 1977: 91.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Bolton (1977) - TL 2.8-3.0, HL 0.68-0.70, HW 0.66-0.68, CI 97, SL 0.46-0.50, SI 70-74, PW 0.44-0.46, AL 0.76-0.78 (2 measured).
Mandibles striate; anterior clypeal margin entire and the median portion equipped with a narrow but quite distinct lamelliform apron or flange. Median portion of clypeus flat. Frontal carinae very short, ending just behind the level of the posterior margin of the clypeus. A few weak rugulae may arise from the apices of the frontal carinae and these are directed strongly laterally, the most posterior of them directed towards the midlength of the inner margin of the eye. Antennal scrobes completely absent. Maximum diameter of eyes c. 0.14. Propodeal spines in profile stout, quite long, acute and more or less straight; metapleural lobes low and rounded. Petiole in profile with a long anterior peduncle and a high, quite narrow and roughly rectangular node. In dorsal view both nodes distinctly broader than long. Lamelliform appendage of sting spatulate and in line with the long axis of the sting shaft. Dorsum of head with widely spaced but quite numerous straight, feeble, longitudinal rugulae, spaces between them shining. Dorsal surfaces of alitrunk and petiole mostly shining but with faint scattered rugulation; dorsum of post petiole and entire gaster unsculptured. Short erect or suberect hairs numerous on all dorsal surfaces of head and body, and also on the leading edges of the scapes and the dorsal (outer) surfaces of the middle and hind tibiae. Some hairs on dorsum of body flattened from side to side. Colour uniform orange-yellow.
Type Material
Bolton (1977) - Syntype workers, India: Travancore, lviii, 76 (Ferguson) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève; The Natural History Museum) [examined].
References
- Agavekar, G., Hita Garcia, F., Economo, E.P. 2017. Taxonomic overview of the hyperdiverse ant genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in India with descriptions and X-ray microtomography of two new species from the Andaman Islands. PeerJ 5:e3800 (DOI 10.7717/peerj.3800).
- Bharti, H. & Kumar, R. 2012. Taxonomic studies on genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with report of two new species and three new records including a tramp species from India with a revised key. ZooKeys. 207:11-35. doi:10.3897/zookeys.207.3040
- Bolton, B. 1977. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Oriental and Indo-Australian regions, and in Australia. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology. 36:67-151. (page 91, see also)
- Forel, A. 1902c. Myrmicinae nouveaux de l'Inde et de Ceylan. Rev. Suisse Zool. 10: 165-249 (page 234, worker described)