Tetraponera rufonigra (Jerdon, 1851)

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 : 60-61

Tetraponera rufonigra -group

Worker diagnosis. Large species with broad head (CI 0.86–0.99); masticatory margin of mandible usually with four teeth, preceded by a single tooth on basal margin (in one Asian species masticatory margin with five teeth and basal margin without teeth); basal margin subequal in length to masticatory margin; labrum either lacking prominent tubercles (Asian species) or with a single median tubercle near proximal margin; ventral surface of clypeus with a transverse carina, anterior to posteroventral border, weakened medially in African species; frontal carinae well separated in African species (FCI 0.21–0.35), less so in Asian species (FCI 0.09–0.16); scape length one half or more of head width (SI 0.49–0.63); head capsule with three prominent ocelli; pronotal humeri subangulate in dorsal view; metanotal plate lacking; mesosterum not densely pubescent; petiole with prominent anteroventral tooth, generally directed posteroventrally; posteroventral margin of petiole closely associated with helcium venter, lacking a ventrally extended hood; metabasitarsal sulcus present; appressed pubescence dense on abdominal tergite 4.

Comments. This group comprises four Asian species that are apparently generalists, nesting in dead (and sometimes live) twigs and branches of a wide variety of plants, and two West African species that are specialist inhabitants of the antplant Barteria ( Janzen 1972; Ward 2001 2006; Bharti & Akbar 2014).