Tetraponera continua (Forel)

Ward, Philip S., 2022, The ant genus Tetraponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Afrotropical region: taxonomic review and key to species, Zootaxa 5102 (1), pp. 1-70 : 27-28

Tetraponera continua (Forel)

( Figs 1 , 5 , 38 )

Sima Penzigi subsp. continua Forel 1907: 138 . Syntype, worker, Gotta, Ethiopia (M. de Rothschild) (MNHN) [examined]. Imaged on AntWeb : CASENT0913722.

Sima Claveaui Santschi 1913: 304 . Holotype (by monotypy), worker, Senegal (Claveau) (NHMB) [examined]. Imaged on AntWeb : CASENT0915527. Syn. nov.

Sima (Tetraponera) penzigi subsp. continua Forel ; Emery 1921: 28. Combination in Sima (Tetraponera) .

Tetraponera penzigi subsp. continua (Forel) ; Wheeler 1922b: 800. Combination in Tetraponera .

Tetraponera continua (Forel) ; Chomicki et al. 2015: figure S1. Raised to species; placement in molecular phylogeny.

Sima (Tetraponera) claveaui Santschi ; Emery 1921: 27. Combination in Sima (Tetraponera) .

Tetraponera claveaui (Santschi) ; Wheeler 1922b: 797. Combination in Tetraponera .

Worker measurements (n = 5). HW 0.49–0.52, HL 0.71–0.77, LHT 0.42–0.45, CI 0.66–0.70, FCI 0.16–0.20, REL 0.29–0.32, REL2 0.42–0.47, SI 0.50–0.56, SI3 1.07–1.23, FI 0.46–0.53, PLI 0.72–0.82, PWI 0.57–0.63, LHT/HW 0.81–0.89, CSC 0, MSC 0.

Worker diagnosis. Small species, with elongate head (CI 0.66–0.70); frontal carinae well separated, the distance between them exceeding basal scape width (FCI 0.16–0.20, MFC/SL 0.31–0.40); scape short, about one-half head width (SI 0.50–0.56) and one-third of head length (SI2 0.34–0.37); anterior clypeal margin with a crenulate medial protrusion ( Fig. 5a ); profemur robust (FI 0.46–0.53), legs relatively short (LHT/HL 0.57–0.62); metanotal plate conspicuous, about four-fifths the length of the mesonotum, and bounded anteriorly and posteriorly by transverse impressions that are longitudinally rugulose; dorsal face of propodeum flattened, laterally submarginate, greater in length than the declivitous face and rounding insensibly into the latter; petiole relatively short, high and rounded (see PLI and PWI values), with a distinct anterior peduncle and without well differentiated anterior, dorsal and posterior faces ( Fig. 5b ); in profile, petiole height equal to, or less than, height of propodeum and slightly exceeding one-half head width ( PH /HW 0.53–0.55); in dorsal view, petiole about two-fifths of head width (DPW/HW 0.40–0.43); postpetiole broader than long (PPW/HW 0.50–0.52). Integument sublucid, with scattered fine punctures and weak reticulate-coriarious sculpture, the latter most strongly developed on the metanotum and propodeum. Standing pilosity very sparse, absent from the dorsum of head, mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole, and abdominal tergites 4–6. Dark brown, appendages lighter.

Comments. Characteristic features of the worker of T. continua are its small size, elongate head, well separated frontal carinae, laterally submarginate propodeum, relatively robust petiole, very sparse standing pilosity, and dark color. This species is quite similar to T. gerdae , but the head is slightly broader, on average, and the petiole and postpetiole are more slender, such that worker PH /HW 0.53–0.55 (versus 0.56–0.67 in T. gerdae ), worker DPW/HW 0.40–0.43 (versus 0.43–0.53 in T. gerdae ) and worker PPW/HW 0.50–0.52 (versus 0.56–0.64 in T. gerdae ) ( Fig. 1 ). For further discussion see under T. gerdae .

Distribution and biology. This species is known only from several arid locations between The Gambia and Ethiopia ( Fig. 38 ). A nest series of T. continua from The Gambia was taken in an acacia pod.

Material examined ( MNHN, NHMB, PSWC, UCDC). Ethiopia: Somali: Gotta (de Rothschild, M.) ; Niger: Agadez: Tin Telloust, Aïr Massif (Matteson, P. C.) ; Senegal: “Senegal” (Claveau); The Gambia: North Bank: Madiyana Camp, Jinack Island , Nuimi Natl. Park, 0 m (Lush, M. J.) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Bivariate plots of various metric measurements in Tetraponera workers. 1a, petiole height (PH) against head width (HW) in T. continua (n = 5) and T. gerdae (n = 10); 1b, postpetiole width (PPW) against head width (HW), for the same individuals; 2, scape length (SL) against head width (HW) in T. emeryi (n = 12) and T. clypeata (n = 10); 3, petiole height (PH) against length of metatibia (LHT) in T. natalensis from Kenya and Tanzania (n = 13) and T. redacta (coastal Kenya) (n = 10).

FIGURES 4–6. Tetraponera allaborans group, workers, full-face (dorsal) view of head (a) and lateral profile of body (b). 4, T. clypeata, South Africa (CASENT0220741); 5, T. continua, The Gambia (CASENT0794348); 6, T. cortina, holotype, DR Congo (CASENT0794352). Images from AntWeb (www.antweb.org); photographer Matthew Prebus.

FIGURES 35–40. Distribution maps for Afrotropical Tetraponera. 35, T. clypeata (circles), T. tessmanni (triangles); 36, T. emeryi (circles), T. dispar (triangle); 37, T. exactor (circle), T. furtiva (triangle), T. liengmei (squares); 38, T. continua (circles), T. cortina (triangles), T. gerdae (squares); 39, T. pedana (circles), T. penzigi (triangles); 40, T. pumila (circles).