Tetramorium annectens Pisarski, 1969 Status

Sz, Sándor Cs Ő, Radchenko, Alexander & Schulz, Andreas, 2007, Taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic Tetramorium chefketi species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 1405, pp. 1-38 : 16-18

3. Tetramorium annectens Pisarski, 1969 Status revised (figs 25–31)

Tetramorium annectens Pisarski 1969: 230 ; first available use of Tetramorium caespitum subsp. jacoti var. annectens Wheeler, 1927: 7 . (/); TYPE MATERIAL: SYNTYPE // “Pei Hai” [/] “Peking, China ” [ CHINA] [/] “N. Gist Gee” [—] “cotypes” [—] W. M. Wheeler [—] M.C.Z. “es” type [/] “45. 210652 ” [—] Inst. Zool. P.A.N. [/] “65/66.” [—] “ Tetramorium caespitum subsp. jacoti var. annectens Whlr ” (2/ / MIIZ); junior synonym of Tetramorium jacoti: Radchenko 1992b: 51 ; revived from synonymy hereby.

Redescription of worker (figs 28–31). Small size, CS 675 [645, 703]. Whole body and appendages dark brown to black. Head slightly longer than broad, CL/CW 1.02 [1.0, 1.05], with very feebly convex sides, straight occipital margin and rounded occipital corners. Eyes very large, EYE 0.205 [0.196, 0.214]. Frons moderately wide, FR/CS 0.39 [0.38, 0.40], frontal lobes as wide as frons, or slightly wider, FL/FR 1.02 [1.0, 1.04]. Scape moderately long, SL/CS 0.76 [0.73, 0.77], with short, hardly visible dorsal carina basally, smooth and shiny. Promesonotal dorsum slightly convex, metanotal groove shallow, but distinct. Propodeal teeth very short. Petiolar node trapezoidal in profile, NOH/NOL 1.10 [0.96, 1.25], petiole relatively high, PEH/NOL 2.06 [1.96, 2.12]. General appearance rugose, ground surface coarsely microreticulate, dull. Head dorsum longitudinally rugoso­reticulate, ground surface coarsely microreticulate, occiput and sides rugoso­reticulate and coarsely microreticulate. Dorsum of alitrunk rugoso­reticulate and microreticulate, mesopleuron coarsely microreticulate. Dorsum of petiolar node rugoso­reticulate and microreticulate, dorsum of postpetiole longitudinally rugulose and microreticulate. Polygonal striation continuous on 1st gastral tergite (see fig. 8.), disrupted posteriorly. Basal part of 1st gastral tergite sometimes very feebly costulate (not microreticulate), extending to 120µm [80, 170] from gaster­postpetiole junction. Ventral surface of head with row of short and very long psammophore arising just posteriorly to buccal cavity (see fig. 3, 4.).

Description of Gyne (figs 25–27). Morphometric data of single known gyne: CL: 985; CW: 1010; FR: 385; FL: 385; SL: 715; ML: –; MW: 920; PEW: 350; PEH: 435; NOH: 235; NOL: 170; PEL: 250; PPW: –; PPL: –; PPH: –; SPL: 170; SPSP: 270; Small size, CS 997.5. Whole body and appendages black. Head nearly square, CL/CW 0.98 with feebly convex sides, straight occipital margin and rounded occipital corners. Frons wide, FR/CS 0.39, frontal lobes as wide as frons FL/FR 1.0. Scape short, SL/CS 0.72, without dorsal carina basally, smooth and shiny. Head wider than scutum, MW/CS 0.92. Propodeal teeth moderately long. Dorsal crest of petiolar node straight in frontal view; dorsum blunt in profile. Petiole extremely narrow, CS/ PEW: 2.85. General appearance rugulose, ground surface feebly microreticulate, shiny. Head dorsum, occiput and sides ruguloso­reticulate, ground surface microreticulate. Frons longitudinally rugose and feebly microreticulate. Scutum longitudinally rugose (mainly medially), anteriorly and laterally smooth, scutellum more or less smooth medially, laterally finely rugulose. Sides of alitrunk ruguloso­reticulate and microreticulate, ventral part of katepisternum smooth and shiny. Dorsum of petiolar node reticulate, medially smooth.

Description of Male. Whole body and appendages black. Head with convex sides, straight occipital margin and widely rounded occipital corners. Scutum slightly wider than head. Propodeal teeth short, in profile thin, very short protuberance is visible. Dorsal crest of petiolar node with sharp, transversal edge, slightly emarginate in frontal view. Head with irregular rugulae ground surface microreticulate, dull. Scutum and scutellum irregularly rugulose, partially smooth and shiny. Sides of alitrunk longitudinally rugose, ventral part of katepisternum smooth and shiny. Dorsum of petiolar node coarsely reticulate, postpetiole finely longitudinally rugulose. Polygonal striae disrupted on 1st gastral tergite.

Material examined (4 nest series including 11 workers and 1 gyne and 1 male). MONGOLIA – Aimak, Bajanchongor, 8km E­SE Somon, Banjaleg, 1350m nr.879 0 2.07.1967. leg. Kaszab (1/, 1Ψ / HNHM); Aimak, Nojou, Nuruu, Grenzposten Ovot Chuural, 1500m Südgobi, nr.827 20.06.1967. leg. Kaszab (1ɗ / HNHM); Aimak, Tachilga ul, zw. Zogt­Ovoo und Dalanzadgad 1550m S¸dgobi, nr.792 12.06.1967. leg. Kaszab (3/ / HNHM, 2/ MIZ); Sain­Sand, nr.3329 23.05.1962. leg. Pisarski (5/ / MIZ);

Morphometrics: (8 workers and one gyne measured).

Diagnosis. Workers of T. annectens can be separated from related species (except for T. sulcinode ) by the well visible psammophore and the large eyes, (EYE, Table 1 .). For the separation between T. annectens and T. sulcinode see differential diagnosis of T. sulcinode , below.

Gynes of T. annectens can be distinguished by the well visible psammophore, short and smooth scape (SL/CS, Table 2 .) without a dorsal carina basally, wide scutum (MW/CS, Table 2 .), extremely narrow petiole (CS/PEW, Table 2 .), and partly smooth katepisternum.

For further combination of morphometric characters see Table 1–2 .

Distribution. This species is known from NE China and Mongolia.

Note. The only known gyne is poorly preserved: postpetiole and gaster are missing (figs 25 and 26.). ventral surface of head is very dusty and covered by glue, wherefore setae are not visible.