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Bothroponera tavaratra
| Bothroponera tavaratra | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Ponerinae |
| Tribe: | Ponerini |
| Genus: | Bothroponera |
| Species: | B. tavaratra |
| Binomial name | |
| Bothroponera tavaratra Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2013
| |
This species forages mostly on the ground and generally nests in rotten logs and soil layers or rarely under rocks. Its longer antennal scapes are suggestive of foraging conducted on the forest floor and through leaf litter. some individual workers collected from several colonies possess single ocelli, which suggests that these workers might have assumed the reproductive role of the queen. (Rakotonirina & Fisher 2013)
Identification
Rakotonirina & Fisher (2013) - Worker. Larger species (HW: 2.49–3.13 mm), antennal scape reaching the posterior margin of head; anterior margin of clypeus broadly triangular; eyes extending beyond the lateral border of head; dorsum of head and mesosoma finely striate, with sparse punctures; stout erect hairs on dorsum of mesosoma and petiole node erected relative to the body surface.
Bothroponera tavaratra is very similar to Bothroponera comorensis, but can be distinguished easily by the triangular projection of the anteromedian clypeal margin, the elongate standing erect hairs on the upper surface of the body, and the location of the eyes, which break the outline of the sides of the head.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Pachycondyla tavaratra occurs in northern Madagascar, and was collected mostly from the high altitude rainforests of the PN Montagne d'Ambre and Forêt de Binara. Rarely has it been recorded from lower altitudes at Andavakoera and Binara forests.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -12.50035° to -13.26333°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar (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
Known only from the worker caste.
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0410152. Photographer Jean Claude Rakotonirina, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- tavaratra. Pachycondyla tavaratra Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2013a: 128, figs. 3, 38, 39, 62 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
- Combination in Bothroponera: Joma & Mackay, 2013: 2; Schmidt, C.A. & Shattuck, 2014: 77.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
(n=7): HL: 3.05–3.13, HW: 2.55–2.73, CI: 84–88, SL: 1.91–2.09, SI: 99–104, PW: 1.91–2.09, WL: 4.11–4.46, NL: 1.35–1.50, NW: 1.35–1.62, NH: 1.67–1.85, DNI: 100–114, LNI: 116–130.
Worker. Head approximately longer than broad, sides convex and broadest around level of eyes, posterior cephalic margin almost straight. Eyes generally large, breaking outline of sides of the head. Scape elongate, reaching posterior margin of head. Anterior margin of clypeus projecting into triangular median lobe, which makes a blunt angle with mandibular surface when head is viewed in profile. Mandibular masticatory margins armed with eight to nine teeth and denticles. In profile, outline of dorsum of mesosoma forming an uninterrupted convexity, with rounded angle at junction of propodeal dorsum and declivitous surface; declivitous surface is very inclined anteriorly and has imperceptibly visible lateral margins. Mesopleural sulcus indistinct or absent. With petiole in lateral view, node thick, and junction of anterior face and dorsum rounded, whereas dorsum and posterior face meet at distinct angle. In dorsal view, anterior face rounded and posterior face truncate. Sculpture resembles that of B. comorensis, head covered with dense striation superimposed with scattered punctures; striation converging from posterolateral portion of head towards midline and level of eyes through frontal lobes.
Mandibles coarsely costate interspersed with piligerous pits. Pronotum with dense and fine costulae, while mesonotum and propodeum are covered with transverse, dense and fine striation or microreticulation. Lateral portion of mesosoma densely, finely reticulate-rugulose or with striation in different directions, interspersed with sparse large punctures. Declivitous surface microreticulate or transversely finely striate. Lateral surface of petiole node and gastral segments microreticulate, their dorsum densely finely costulate to finely microreticulate. Dorsum of body covered with black, stout hairs which tend to be brown on the appendages; with mesosoma viewed from front, these hairs incline towards its midline and are more erect at dorsolateral margin. Slender, brownish hairs present on ventral surface of head, gaster, and coxae. Pubescence abundant on lateral portion of mesosoma, petiole node, and gastral segments, but almost absent from dorsum of propodeum, petiole node, and dorsum of first and anterior half of second gastral segments. Integument black, head and mesosoma with silky brilliance; articulations and apex of appendages reddish.
Type Material
Holotype worker: Antsiranana, Forêt de Binara, 9.1 km 233° SW Daraina, -13.26333, 49.60333, 650–800 m, under stone, rainforest, 4 Oct 2003 (B.L. Fisher et al.), collection code: BLF09750, specimen code: CASENT0077442 (California Academy of Sciences). Paratypes: 4 workers with the same data as holotype but specimen coded: CASENT0077438, CASENT0077440, CASENT0247228, CASENT0247229 (The Natural History Museum, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève, CASC).
References
- Rakotonirina, J.C. & Fisher, B.L. 2013. Revision of the Pachycondyla wasmannii-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Malagasy region. Zootaxa 3609, 101-141.
- Schmidt, C.A. & Shattuck, S.O. 2014. The higher classification of the ant subfamily Ponerinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a review of ponerine ecology and behavior. Zootaxa 3817, 1–242 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3817.1.1).
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Rakotonirina J. C., and B. L. Fisher. 2013. Revision of the Pachycondyla wasmannii-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Malagasy region. Zootaxa 3609: 101-141.