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Tetramorium capense species group
Based on Bolton 1980.
- Tetramorium amatongae Bolton, 1980
- Tetramorium capense Mayr, 1865
- Tetramorium dominum Bolton, 1980
- Tetramorium lobulicorne Santschi, 1916
- Tetramorium semireticulatum Arnold, 1917
Key to species of the Afrotropical Tetramorium capense species group
Diagnosis
This is a convenience-group containing a fortuitous assemblage of five species, in which the mandibles are striate and the clypeus is notched, which do not fit in any previously defined group having these two characters together.
The group is divided into two pairs of related species and an isolated single species. One pair contains the species Tetramorium amatongae and Tetramorium lobulicorne which are linked by their possession of moderately sized eyes (0.20-0.24 x HW), long frontal carinae which reach almost to the occipital margin, moderately long propodeal spines and a petiole shaped as in Figs 137, 140. They bear many features characteristic of the camerunense-group but the construction of the petiole node excludes them from that group.
The second pair, Tetramorium capense and Tetramorium dominum, share the characters of relatively small eyes (0.17-0.19 x HW) and widely separated frontal carinae which fade out behind the level of the eyes. They seem to bear some affinity with the members of the shilohense-group though whether this indicates relationship or convergence cannot be decided at present.
Finally Tetramorium semireticulatum, a small species rendered baffling by the number of specialized characters which it possesses in combination, cannot be placed in any other group with even moderate certainty.
Notes
All members of this assemblage of oddities inhabit the countries of southern Africa (Mozambique, Rhodesia, South Africa) and, apart from T. capense, seem to be uncommon.
Additional Resources
- a list and summary of Afrotropical Tetramorium species groups
- a list of Afrotropical Tetramorium species
- a list of all Afrotropical ant species
- Tetramorium genus page
Keys
- to determine the group affinity of a worker: Key to the Afrotropical Tetramorium species-groups
- to determine to species a worker in the the T. capense species group: Key to the Afrotropical Tetramorium capense species-group