Tapinoma

Fisher, B. L. & Bolton, B., 2007, The ant genus Pseudaphomomyrmex Wheeler, 1920 a junior synonym of Tapinoma Foerster, 1850., Zootaxa 1427, pp. 65-68 : 65-66

publication ID

21200

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6251268

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/AFED52AB-7071-82D5-0A2D-C39C1D916D73

treatment provided by

Thomas

scientific name

Tapinoma
status

 

Within the Dolichoderinae   HNS two genera, Tapinoma   HNS and Technomyrmex   HNS , are isolated in their female castes by the synapomorphic extreme reduction of the petiole and its accommodation in a longitudinal groove or impression in the ventral surface of the first gastral tergite, which overhangs and conceals the petiole in dorsal view when the mesosoma and gaster are aligned. The petiole is so reduced in these two genera that in profile there is no trace of a node or scale; at most there is a very short raised surface immediately behind the peduncle. The function of this raised surface is to provide an insertion-site for the exterior levator muscle of the petiole. Pseudaphomomyrmex   HNS exhibits these structures.

Technomyrmex   HNS and Tapinoma   HNS are separated in the female castes by the contrasting morphologies of their gastral apices. In Technomyrmex   HNS the sclerites of the gastral apex are unspecialised, except that the pygidium is small. Gastral tergite 5 is therefore in line with tergites 1 - 4 and as a result all five tergites are visible in dorsal view. In contrast the pygidium in Tapinoma   HNS is reflexed, the fifth tergite being folded back and down, below the fourth tergite, and is clearly visible in ventral view. Also in that view the fourth tergite frequently forms a distinct projecting rim above the reflexed fifth. In consequence only gastral tergites 1 - 4 are visible in dorsal view. Pseudaphomomyrmex   HNS exhibits the latter morphology, which is uniquely characteristic of Tapinoma   HNS , and thus the former name is relegated to the synonymy of the latter.

As a result of the above analysis the taxonomic synopses of genus Tapinoma View in CoL   HNS , and of the two names in the speciesgroup that are affected by the genus-group modifications, are amended as follows.

TAPINOMA Foerster   HNS

Tapinoma Foerster   HNS , 1850: 43. Type-species: Tapinoma collina Foerster   HNS , 1850: 43 [junior synonym of Formica erratica Latreille   HNS , 1798: 44], by monotypy.

Micromyrma Dufour   HNS , 1857: 60. Type-species: Micromyrma pygmaea Dufour   HNS , 1857: 61, by monotypy. [Synonymy by Mayr, 1863: 455, confirmed by Shattuck, 1992: 146.]

Semonius Forel   HNS , 1910b: 21. Type-species: Semonius schultzei Forel   HNS , 1910b: 21, by monotypy. [Synonymy by Shattuck, 1992: 146.]

Pseudaphomomyrmex Wheeler   HNS , 1920: 53. Type-species: Aphomyrmex emeryi Ashmead   HNS , 1905: 111, by original designation. Syn. n.

Zatapinoma Wheeler   HNS , 1928: 20. Type-species: Zatapinoma annandalei Wheeler   HNS , 1928: 20, by original designation. [Synonymy by Shattuck, 1992: 146.]

Neoclystopsenella Kurian   HNS , 1955: 133. Type-species: Neoclystopsenella luffae Kurian   HNS , 1955: 133, by monotypy. [Synonym by Brown, 1988: 337.]

Comments

1 At various times in its history Micromyrma   HNS has been regarded as a genus, a subgenus of Tapinoma   HNS and a junior synonym of Tapinoma   HNS . A short synopsis of the authors responsible for these opinions through time is presented in Bolton (2003). The two authors of synonymy given above are emphatically supported here.

2 Note that Tapinoptera Santschi   HNS (1925: 348), formerly regarded as a junior synonym of Tapinoma   HNS (e.g. Shattuck 1992: 146; Bolton 2003: 91) is now known to be a junior synonym of Technomyrmex Mayr   HNS , 1872, and will be dealt with in a forthcoming taxonomic revision of Technomyrmex   HNS by Bolton (in preparation). It has therefore been deleted from the taxonomic synopsis of Tapinoma   HNS .

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

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