Tetramorium bendai

Tetramorium bendai
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Tetramorium
Species:	T. bendai
Binomial name
	Tetramorium bendai; Hita Garcia, Fischer & Peters, 2010 Specimen Label

Known only from the single type collection of workers.

Identification

The characteristic and dense reticulate-punctate ground sculpturation overlaid by longitudinal rugulae on head and mesosoma, absence of standing hairs on mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole, and first gastral tergite, and strongly squamiform postpetiole (DPpI 206 - 239, LPpI 41 - 50) render Tetramorium bendai immediately recognizable.

A member of the Afrotropical weitzeckeri species complex, which is part of the weitzeckeri species group.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Burundi (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.

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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

bendai. Tetramorium bendai Hita Garcia, Fischer & Peters, 2010b: 64, figs. 11A, 12B, 13A, 73-75 (w.) BURUNDI.

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

The new species is morphologically very close to Tetramorium humbloti, Tetramorium sepultum, and Tetramorium tanaense since they all share the reduced pilosity on the first gastral tergite that distinguishes them from Tetramorium boltoni, Tetramorium guineense, Tetramorium renae, Tetramorium snellingi, and Tetramorium weitzeckeri. Nevertheless, the very conspicuous densely packed reticulate-punctate ground sculpturation on the mesosoma that underlay's the longitudinal rugulae distinctly separates Tetramorium bendai from T. humbloti, T. sepultum, and T. tanaense. Additionally, the postpetiole in T. bendai (DPpI 206 - 239) is more transverse in dorsal view than in the other three species (DPpI 183 - 207).

Description

Worker

HL 0.794 - 0.828 (0.814); HW 0.756 - 0.811 (0.783); SL 0.578 - 0.617 (0.595); EL 0.178 - 0.200 (0.187); PW 0.567 - 0.606 (0.588); WL 0.944 - 0.989 (0.969); PSL 0.244 - 0.267 (0.254); PTL 0.111 - 0.122 (0.118); PTH 0.367 - 0.378 (0.375); PTW 0.311 - 0.339 (0.327); PPL 0.172 - 0.200 (0.187); PPH 0.389 - 0.422 (0.411); PPW 0.383 - 0.433 (0.409); CI 94 - 98 (96); SI 73 - 79 (76); OI 22 - 25 (24); PSLI 30 - 32 (32); PeNI 53- 58 (56); LPeI 29 - 33 (31); DPeI 259 - 286 (277); PpNI 66 - 74 (70); LPpI 41 - 50 (46); DPpI 206 - 239 (219); PPI 122 - 132 (125) (15 measured).

Head weakly longer than wide (CI 94 - 98). Anterior clypeal margin with distinct median impression. Frontal carinae strongly developed, ending shortly before posterior margin of head. Antennal scrobe narrow, shallow, and without defined ventral margin, ending before posterior margin of head. Antennal scape moderate, not reaching posterior margin of head (SI 73 - 79). Eyes of moderate size (OI 22 - 25), with 10 to 12 ommatidia in longest row. In lateral view metanotal groove weakly impressed. Propodeal spines elongate-triangular to spinose, long and acute (PSLI 30 - 32). Propodeal lobes small, triangular and acute. Node of petiole strongly squamiform, in dorsal view transverse, more than 2.5 times wider than long (DPeI 259 - 286), in lateral view around 3 to 3.4 times higher than long (LPeI 29 - 33). Postpetiole strongly squamiform, too, in dorsal view 2 to 2.5 times wider than long (DPpI 206 - 239); in lateral view only weakly thicker than petiolar node, and between 2 to 2.5 times higher than long (LPpI 41 - 50). Mandibles distinctly longitudinally striate. Clypeus irregularly rugose, mostly rugo-reticulate, sometimes longitudinally rugose; median ruga sometimes developed. Head mostly longitudinally rugose, dorsum of head with 10 to 12 rugae between frontal carinae, most reaching posterior margin of head. Head with very suspicious densely packed reticulate-punctate ground sculpturation underlaying longitudinal rugulation. Mesosoma with same distinct reticulate-punctate ground sculpturation, except for unsculptured and shiny propodeal declivity. Dorsum of mesosoma and lateral area with very fine, mostly longitudinal, widely spaced rugae. Petiole, postpetiole and gaster completely unsculptured, smooth and shiny. Head with fine, long, erect hairs; mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole, and gaster without standing hairs. Fine pubescence on tibiae and antennal scapes always appressed. Body colour uniformly dark brown.

Holotype Specimen Labels

Type Material

Holotype worker, BURUNDI, Bujumbura, 27.V.1977, leg. A. Dejean (The Natural History Museum: ZFMK_HYM_2009_6204). Paratypes, 13 workers with same data as holotype (BMNH: 11 workers ZFMK_HYM_2009_6203, ZFMK_HYM_2009_6205, ZFMK_HYM_2009_6206, ZFMK_HYM_2009_6207; California Academy of Sciences: 1 worker ZFMK_HYM_2009_6173; ; ZFMK: 1 worker ZFMK_HYM_2009_6208).

Etymology

The new species is dedicated to Christoph Benda from Bonn, Germany, for his continuous support and encouragement of the first author's entomological work.

References

Hita Garcia, F.; Fischer, G.; Peters, M. K. 2010. Taxonomy of the Tetramorium weitzeckeri species group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Afrotropical zoogeographical region. Zootaxa 2704:1-90.