Tetramorium weitzeckeri, Emery, 1895

Francisco Hita Garcia, T. T. & Fisher, Brian L., 2011, 3039, Zootaxa 3039, pp. 1-72 : 49

Tetramorium weitzeckeri species group

Diagnosis

Eleven-segmented antennae; anterior clypeal margin medially impressed; frontal carinae well-developed, almost reaching posterior head margin; anterior face of mesosoma not well-developed and no distinct anterodorsal angle present; no distinct margination between lateral and dorsal mesosoma, sides of mesosoma round smoothly onto the dorsum; propodeal spines long and spinose; propodeal lobes triangular and short; petiolar node and postpetiolar node strongly squamiform and anteroposteriorly compressed, in profile much higher than long, in dorsal view much wider than long and transverse, anterior and posterior faces parallel, antero- and posterodorsal angles at about same height; mandibles longitudinally rugose; cephalic sculpturation well-developed, mostly reticulaterugose with reticulate-punctate ground sculpturation; mesosoma very weakly sculptured; waist segments and gaster unsculptured, smooth, and shiny; dorsal surfaces of head, mesosoma, and waist segments with erect hairs, much scarcer on mesosoma and waist segments; first gastral tergite without standing hairs, with appressed pubescence only; sting appendage spatulate.

Comments

As already pointed out above, the T. weitzeckeri group is represented in the Malagasy region by one species only: T. humbloti . As already noted by Bolton (1979), this species almost certainly has been transferred from the Afrotropics since it is widely distributed in East and South Africa, but also in most island systems from the African continent to Madagascar.

This species group is not likely to be confused with any other group with 11-segmented antennae because of the strongly squamiform shape of both waist segments. Species from other groups also possess a more or less squamiform petiolar node, but then, the postpetiole is never squamiform.