Tanipone aglandula, Bolton & Fisher, 2012

Bolton, Barry & Fisher, Brian L., 2012, Taxonomy of the cerapachyine ant genera Simopone Forel, Vicinopone gen. n. and Tanipone gen. n. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) 3283, Zootaxa 3283 (1), pp. 1-101 : 80

Characters of aglandula species group (workers)

1 Tergite of AIII without discernible glandular patches (histological work is necessary to ascertain if the glands remain below the sclerite or are truly lost; see worker comment 22, under diagnosis of genus, above).

2 Cephalic pilosity is as described for the maculata group above, except that commonly two setae project laterally from below the eye and the sides of the head may have additional short setae present.

3 With mesofemur in dorsal view a single standing seta is present close to the apex on the anterior surface, and another is present on the posterior surface directly opposite to it. Metafemur in the same view has a single seta on the anterior surface only. Appressed short pubescence is present on both femora.

The single species in this group, aglandula , exhibits a density of pilosity that on the head and abdomen is intermediate between the severely restricted setal pattern characteristic of the maculata group and the much denser, more disorganised pilosity of the hirsuta group. The metatibial gland orifice in aglandula is the most extensively developed of the genus, and it is the only known species of Tanipone that has no visible glandular patches on AIII.