Tetramorium adamsi

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Tetramorium adamsi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Tetramorium
Species: T. adamsi
Binomial name
Tetramorium adamsi
Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012

Tetramorium adamsi casent0218052 p 1 high.jpg

Tetramorium adamsi casent0218052 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

This species is currently only known from Manongarivo and Bemanevika, where it was collected from montane forest leaf litter at elevations from 1175 to 1860 m. Almost all of the material was sampled in Manongarivo while just one specimen from Bemanevika was available. (Hita Garcia and Fisher 2012)

Identification

A member of the Tetramorium smaug species complex of the Tetramorium tortuosum-species group.

Tetramorium adamsi can be straightforwardly recognised within the T. smaug species complex since it is the only species in which the posterodorsal margin of the petiolar node is situated higher than the anterodorsal margin. (Hita Garcia and Fisher 2012)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 14.04667° to 13.99833°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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

Images from AntWeb

Tetramorium adamsi casent0247296 d 1 high.jpgTetramorium adamsi casent0247296 h 1 high.jpgTetramorium adamsi casent0247296 p 1 high.jpgTetramorium adamsi casent0247296 l 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0247296. Photographer Shannon Hartman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Tetramorium adamsi casent0247302 d 1 high.jpgTetramorium adamsi casent0247302 p 1 high.jpgTetramorium adamsi casent0247302 h 1 high.jpgTetramorium adamsi casent0247302 l 1 high.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0247302. Photographer Shannon Hartman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Tetramorium adamsi casent0247340 h 1 high.jpgTetramorium adamsi casent0247340 d 1 high.jpgTetramorium adamsi casent0247340 p 1 high.jpgTetramorium adamsi casent0247340 l 1 high.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0247340. Photographer Shannon Hartman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Tetramorium adamsi casent0247345 h 1 high.jpgTetramorium adamsi casent0247345 p 1 high.jpgTetramorium adamsi casent0247345 d 1 high.jpgTetramorium adamsi casent0247345 l 1 high.jpg
Holotype of Tetramorium adamsiWorker. Specimen code casent0247345. Photographer Shannon Hartman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

TetramoriumEconomo-header (arilab.unit.oist.jp).png  X-ray micro-CT scan 3D model of Tetramorium adamsi (worker) prepared by the Economo lab at OIST.

See on Sketchfab. See list of 3D images.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • adamsi. Tetramorium adamsi Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2012: 66, figs. 14, 17, 123, 124, 125, 142 (w.) MADAGASCAR.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Tetramorium adamsi shows a remarkable variation in Manongarivo. The examined material was collected from three sub-localities located at different altitudes separated by few kilometres from each other. The lowest was situated at 1175 m, the middle at 1580, and the highest at 1860 m. The specimens from 1175 m had longer antennal scapes (SI 81 - 84), longer propodeal spines (PSLI 47 - 50), and a narrower postpetiole in relation to the petiolar node (PPI 116 - 125) than specimens from the higher elevations (SI 73 - 78; PSLI 36 - 41; PPI 129 - 138). These differences were fairly constant between the series, and we have considered separating the material into two species. However, the only arguments for separation are morphometric divergences, and apart from this there is a great amount of morphological similarity. For these reasons, we have decided against a split. In addition, we found that on half of the workers from the highest elevation at 1860 m, the basal half of the first gastral tergite is distinctly costulate while it is unsculptured and smooth in the remaining specimens. Sculpture on the first gastral tergite is generally of high diagnostic importance in the T. tortuosum group, and could have been a reason to split the T. adamsi material. Nevertheless, no other character could separate the sculptured specimens from those collected at the two higher sub-localities. This has convinced us to keep all the material as one variable, but well-defined species.

Description

Worker

HL 0.94 - 1.06 (1.01); HW 0.89 - 1.03 (0.96); SL 0.69 - 0.82 (0.76); EL 0.17 - 0.21 (0.19); PH 0.43 - 0.55 (0.50); PW 0.63 - 0.78 (0.72); WL 1.13 - 1.45 (1.30); PSL 0.34 - 0.51 (0.44); PTL 0.31 - 0.39 (0.36); PTH 0.34 - 0.42 (0.38); PTW 0.25 - 0.31 (0.28); PPL 0.29 - 0.32 (0.31); PPH 0.34 - 0.42 (0.38); PPW 0.34 - 0.39 (0.36); CI 93 - 97 (95); SI 73 - 84 (79); OI 18 - 22 (20); DMI 51 - 59 (56); LMI 34 - 40 (38); PSLI 36 - 50 (43); PeNI 36 - 41 (39); LPeI 88 - 97 (93); DPeI 76 - 84 (79); PpNI 47 - 54 (50); LPpI 75 - 86 (81); DPpI 113 - 126 (117); PPI 116 - 138 (127) (18 measured).

Head longer than wide (CI 93 - 97); posterior head margin concave. Anterior clypeal margin medially impressed. Frontal carinae strongly developed, diverging posteriorly, and ending at corners of posterior head margin. Antennal scrobes weakly developed, shallow, and narrow, without defined posterior and ventral margins. Antennal scapes short to moderate in length, not reaching posterior head margin (SI 73 - 84). Eyes short to moderately sized (OI 18 - 22). Mesosomal outline in profile flat to weakly convex, moderately marginate from lateral to dorsal mesosoma; promesonotal suture and metanotal groove absent; mesosoma comparatively stout and high (LMI 34 - 40). Propodeal spines very long to extremely long, spinose and acute (PSLI 36 - 50); propodeal lobes well-developed, triangular to elongate-triangular, and usually acute. Petiolar node in profile rectangular nodiform, approximately 1.0 to 1.1 times higher than long (LPeI 81 - 88), anterior and posterior faces approximately parallel, posterodorsal margin situated higher than anterodorsal margin, dorsum convex; node in dorsal view approximately 1.2 to 1.3 times longer than wide (DPeI 76 - 84). Postpetiole in profile subglobular, approximately 1.2 to 1.3 times higher than long (LPpI 75 - 86); in dorsal view around 1.1 to 1.3 times wider than long (DPpI 113 - 126). Postpetiole in profile generally appearing less voluminous than petiolar node, in dorsal view between 1.1 to 1.4 times wider than petiolar node (PPI 116 - 138). Mandibles striate; clypeus longitudinally rugose/rugulose, with four to eight rugae/rugulae, median ruga usually present and distinct, but rarely more conspicuous than other rugae/rugulae; cephalic dorsum between frontal carinae with eight to 13 longitudinal rugae, most rugae running unbroken from posterior head margin to anterior clypeus, few rugae interrupted and with cross-meshes; lateral and ventral head mostly reticulate-rugose. Mesosoma laterally and dorsally distinctly longitudinally rugose. Forecoxae with well-developed and conspicuous longitudinal rugae. Waist segments strongly rugose. Gaster mostly unsculptured, smooth, and shining, several specimens from higher elevations with distinct costulae on the basal half of first gastral tergite. Ground sculpture generally faint to absent everywhere on body, better developed at higher elevations, but still weak. All dorsal surfaces with abundant, long, and fine standing hairs. Anterior edges of antennal scapes with suberect to erect hairs. Body generally uniformly dark brown to black in colour, sometimes appendages of slightly lighter colour.

Type Material

Holotype worker, MADAGASCAR, Antsiranana, R.S. Manongarivo 17.3 km 218° SW Antanambao, 14.02167 S, 48.41833 E, 1580 m, montane rainforest, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), collection code BLF01970, 27.X.1998 (B.L. Fisher) (California Academy of Sciences: CASENT0247345). Paratypes, 21 workers with same data as holotype (The Natural History Museum: CASENT0247299; CASC: CASENT0189393; CASENT0218051; CASENT0247290; CASENT0247291; CASENT0247292; CASENT0247293; CASENT0247294; CASENT0247300; CASENT0247304; CASENT0247305; CASENT0247306; CASENT0247307; CASENT0247308; CASENT0247341; CASENT0247342; CASENT0247343; CASENT0247344; Museum of Comparative Zoology: CASENT0247301; Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève: CASENT0247297; Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel: CASENT0247303).

Etymology

The name of the new species is a patronym in honour of the British writer Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001), best known for "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series.

References