Tetramorium dichroum Santschi, 1932

Mbanyana, Nokuthula, Garcia, Francisco Hita, Robertson, Hamish Gibson & Roux, Johannes Jacobus Le, 2018, A taxonomic revision of seed harvester ants of the Tetramorium solidum group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in southern Africa, European Journal of Taxonomy 454, pp. 1-59 : 19-21

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2018.454

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:07F6B28D-ECA4-4F14-8132-0A58DE156057

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3818702

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039887DC-FF82-A460-2B1F-A716FC69A5DA

treatment provided by

Valdenar

scientific name

Tetramorium dichroum Santschi, 1932
status

 

Tetramorium dichroum Santschi, 1932 View in CoL

Figs 2A View Fig , 4I View Fig , 9 View Fig , 24 View Fig

Tetramorium solidum st. dichroum Santschi, 1932: 388 View in CoL .

Diagnosis

In the Tetramorium solidum -group, there are five species with abundant hairs covering the dorsal surfaces of the whole body, namely, T. rothschildi , T. peringueyi , T. dichroum , T. margueriteae sp. nov. and T. brigitteae sp. nov. Tetramorium rothschildi is easily separated from other species by having branched hairs. Tetramorium dichroum can be easily distinguished from T. peringueyi and T. margueriteae sp. nov. by the absence of erect hairs on the antennal scapes. Tetramorium dichroum and T. brigitteae sp. nov. can be distinguished on the basis of the spine length: in T. dichroum spines are long and acute (PSLI 10–16) ( Fig. 4I View Fig ), whereas T. brigitteae sp. nov. has very short propodeal teeth (PSLI 6) ( Fig. 4J View Fig ).

Material examined

Syntypes

SOUTH AFRICA: 3 pinned workers, Northern Cape, Kimberley, 1924, Power leg. ( NHMB: CASENT0915004 ; SAMC: SAM-ENT-0011758 ).

Other material

SOUTH AFRICA (40 pinned specimens): Orange Free State: Tussen Die Riviere , 30.295° S, 26.14° E, 30 Mar.–1 Apr. 1987, H.G. Robertson leg. (SAM-HYM-C000310); GoogleMaps Springfontein, Hillside Farm , 30°09′ S, 25°46′ E, 28 Sep. 1995, H.Adie leg. ( SAM-HYM-HYM-C008451 ). GoogleMaps – Northern Cape: Kortkop farm near Strydenburg, 30°09′ S, 23°44′ E, 17 Jun. 1995, ex pitfall trap, Karoo vegetation, B. Chambers leg. ( SAM-HYM-C008779 ); GoogleMaps Tankwa Karoo National Park , 32.17430° S, 19.97382° E, 602 m a.s.l., 7 Jan. 2009, N. Mbanyana and H.G. Robertson leg. (SAM-HYM-C023307); GoogleMaps Melton Wold , 31.46189° S, 22.72417° E, 1331 m a.s.l., 9 Jan. 2009, N. Mbanyana and H.G. Robertson leg. ( SAM-HYM-C024387 ). GoogleMaps – Eastern Cape: Cookhouse, 26 Jul. 1944, Agricultural Research Institute – Pretoria leg. ( SAM- HYM-C011579); Oviston , dolerite koppie, 21 Nov. 1988, W.R.J. Dean leg. (SAM-HYM-C001484); Kudu Reserve in Great Fish River , 33°7′42″ S, 26°41′32″ E, Grassland , 25–30 Apr. 2005, T. Jordan leg. ( SAM-HYM-C018977 ). GoogleMaps – Western Cape: Molenrivier, 3 Feb. 1959, A. Boonzaaier leg. ( SAM- HYM-C019203); Klein Pakhuis, 32.14398° S, 19.05645° E, 506 m a.s.l., 10 Sep. 2009, P. Hawkes and J. Fisher leg. ( SAM-HYM-C024390 ); GoogleMaps Cederberg Wilderness Area, Wupperthal , Hiking trail between Sneeukop Hut and Wupperthal site 3, 32.31096° S, 19.17055° E, 934 m a.s.l., 11 Oct. 2002, Fynbos , pitfall trap, A. Botes leg. (SAM-HYM-C024966). GoogleMaps

ZAMBIA (4 pinned specimens): Northern Province, Luangwa National Park, 13.1667° S, 31.5° E, 500 m a.s.l., hand collected, 1 Jan. 2005, R. van den Elzen leg. ( BMNH: CASENT0746318 to CASENT0746321 ). GoogleMaps

Measurements (worker N =11)

HL 0.934 –1.023 (0.987); HW 0.944 –1.072 (1.003); SL 0.659 –0.747 (0.703); EL 0.216 –0.246 (0.237); PH 0.393 –0.521 (0.451); PW 0.590 –0.669 (0.638); WL 0.924 –1.121 (1.015); PSL 0.098 –0.157 (0.136); PTH 0.315 –0.364 (0.341); PTL 0.275 –0.354 (0.325); PTW 0.315 –0.374 (0.343); PPH 0.315 –0.491 (0.438); PPL 0.246 –0.285 (0.267); PPW 0.382 –0.457 (0.415); OI 23–25 (24); CI 100–105 (102); SI 66–73 (70); DMI 59–70 (63); LMI 39–52 (45); PSLI 10–16 (14); PeNI 50–57 (54); LPeI 85–100 (95); DPeI 99–114 (106); PpNI 61–70 (65); LPpI 50–80 (62); DPpI 144–186 (156); PPI 115–128 (121).

Distribution

Tetramorium dichroum has been recorded from South Africa (Eastern Cape Province, southern parts of the Free State, Northern Cape and Western Cape Provinces) and Zambia. This species occurs in Drakensberg Montane Grasslands, Kalahari Xeric Savanna, Montane Fynbos and Renosterveld, Nama Karoo, Succulent Karoo, Zambezian and Mopane Woodlands.

NHMB

Switzerland, Basel, Naturhistorisches Museum

SAMC

South Africa, Cape Town, Iziko Museum of Capetown (formerly South African Museum)

NHMB

Natural History Museum Bucharest

SAMC

Iziko Museums of Cape Town

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Tetramorium

Loc

Tetramorium dichroum Santschi, 1932

Mbanyana, Nokuthula, Garcia, Francisco Hita, Robertson, Hamish Gibson & Roux, Johannes Jacobus Le 2018
2018
Loc

Tetramorium solidum st. dichroum

Santschi F. 1932: 388
1932
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