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Tetramorium meghalayense
| Tetramorium meghalayense | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Tetramorium |
| Species: | T. meghalayense |
| Binomial name | |
| Tetramorium meghalayense Bharti, 2011 | |
| Synonyms | |
Nothing is known about the biology of Tetramorium meghalayense.
Identification
Tiwari (2000) - Tetramorium meghalayense belongs to the bicarinatum group of Tatramorium and can be distinguished by its round pronotal angles, unsculptured nodes of pedicel and moderate size of the metanotal spines.
While placed in the Tetramorium bicarinatum group by Mathew & Tiwari (2000), based on the line drawings provided in this publication Agavekar et al. (2017) found this placements to be dubious and treated this taxon and unplaced to species group.
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
Known only from the worker caste.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- browni. Tetramorium browni Tiwari, in Mathew & Tiwari, 2000: 308, figs. 58, 59 (w.) INDIA. [Junior primary homonym of browni Bolton, above.] Replacement name: meghalayense Bharti, 2011: 86.
- meghalayense. Tetramorium meghalayense Bharti, 2011: 86. Replacement name for browni Tiwari, in Mathew & Tiwari, 2000: 308. [Junior primary homonym of browni Bolton, 1980: 337.]
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Tiwari (2000) - Holotype: TL 2.97; HL 0.74; HW 0.61; C182; SL 0.55; SI 90; PW 0.53; Th L 0.71.
Head excluding the mandibles longer than broad, the occipital border emarginate, the sides convex; compound eyes moderate, placed more towards the lower half of the head; maximum diameter of the eye 0.11; anterior c1ypeal margin feebly notched in the middle, not entire; mandibles finely longitudinally striate, masticatory margin broad, with 6-7 unequal teeth; frontal carinae distinct, reaching almost to the occiput; antero-lateral angles of pronotum round; metanotal spines longer than the metapleural teeth, divergent and slightly upturned; metapleural teeth broad, acute; dorsum of head between the frontal carinae with not less than ten longitudinal rugae; dorsum of thorax reticulate rugose; sides of thorax with few diagonal striae; nodes of pedicel oval, subequal, smooth and shining; anterior node petiolate in front; abdomen smooth, polished and shining; all dorsal surfaces with numerous erect or suberect hairs of varying length; antennae and legs densely pubescent.
Colour: Dark brown, abdomen darker, almost black; the appendages a shade lighter.
Paratype: TL 2.65-3.28; HL 0.66-0.76; HW 0.58-0.63; CI 82-90; SL 0.53-0.56 SI 90-95; PW 0.45-0.53; Th L 0.79-0.84.
Similar to holotype; colour varies from reddish brown to dark brown.
Type Material
Tiwari (2000) - Holotype: worker: INDIA: Meghalaya, East Khasi hills, Pynursla, 6.viii.81, Coll. R. Mathew; Paratypes: 13 workers with the same collection data as the holotype.
Note (Lubertazzi 2018): it is stated in the publication where this description was published that "The present work is based on the material collected and deposited at the Zoological Survery of India, Eastern Regional Station, Shillong, and the Headquarters at Calcutta" with the latter presumably referring to the Zoological Survey of India headquarters. The types of this species can presumably be found in either or both of these collections.
References
- Gaurav 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. 2011. List of Indian ants. Halteres 2: 79-87.
- 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
- Mathew, R. and Tiwari, R. N. 2000. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Pp. 251-409 in: Director; Zoological Survey of India (ed.) 2000. Fauna of of Meghalaya. Part 7. [State Fauna Series 4.] Insecta 2000. Calcutta: Zoological Survey of India, 621 pp.
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Bharti H., B. Guénard, M. Bharti, & E. P. Economo. 2015. An updated checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of India with their specific distributions in Indian states. Zookeys