Terataner velatus, Bolton, B., 1981

Bolton, B., 1981, A revision of six minor genera of Myrmicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region., Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 43, pp. 245-307 : 295-296

Terataner velatus sp. n.

Holotype worker. TL 4.5, HL 1.14, HW 1.07, CI 94, SL 0.64, SI 60, PW 0.76, AL 1.40.

Mandibles smooth basally but in the apical halves with a number of large elongate pits which, where aligned, give the appearance of short impressions. Frontal carinae fine, close together, parallel, more or less straight, fading out on the dorsum between the level of the posterior margins of the eyes and the occiput. Maximum diameter of eyes 0.27, about 0.25 x HW. Pronotum marginate laterally and more weakly so anteriorly, the pronotal corners bluntly dentate and prominent. Sides of pronotum shallowly convex and somewhat convergent posteriorly. Mesonotum marginate laterally, the propodeal dorsum separated from the sides by a blunt angle, not at all as sharply marginate as the pronotum. Promesonotal suture absent on dorsum except laterally where it forms a break in the margination. Metanotal groove only very shallowly impressed in profile. Propodeum unarmed. Metapleural lobes large and rounded. Petiole node in profile appearing as a triangular tooth, broad-based but short, tapering to an acute point apically and very slightly curved backwards. In anterior view the dorsal surface of the node strongly emarginate in the middle, the portions on each side of the emargination projecting slightly outwards as a pair of blunt teeth. Postpetiole in dorsal view narrow and narrowly rounded posteriorly. Dorsum of head and sides of head above the eyes with a fine dense reticulate-punctulate ground-sculpture which is fainter between the frontal carinae than outside them. Overlying the ground-sculpture are a few fine longitudinal rugulae between the frontal carinae and a series of somewhat stronger longitudinal rugulae running above the eye. Dorsal alitrunk finely and densely reticulate-punctate everywhere. On the propodeal dorsum this is the only sculpture but the pronotum, and to a lesser extent the mesonotum, has fine but conspicuous fairly dense longitudinal rugulation. Petiole, postpetiole and first gastral tergite finely and densely reticulate-punctate everywhere. Basigastral costulae very reduced, the individual components short, fine and restricted to the area immediately behind the postpetiolar-gastral junction. Standing hairs sparse on dorsal surfaces of the body, consisting only of 4 pairs on the head following the lines of the frontal carinae, one pair each on the pronotum (at the corners), mesonotum and propodeum, 3 pairs each on the petiole and postpetiole, and 3 pairs on the first gastral tergite situated in the basal half towards the sides of the sclerite. Other than this hairs are present only on the mouthparts and gastral apex; standing hairs are absent on the scapes and tibiae. Colour uniform dark brown.

Paratype workers. TL 4.1 - 4.4, HL 1.04 - 1.10, HW 0.98 - 106, CI 94 - 96, SL 0.60 - 0.64, SI 60 - 64, PW 0.70 - 0.74, AL 1.24 - 1.36 (5 measured). Maximum diameter of eye 0.24 - 0.26, about 0.24 - 0.25 x HW. As holotype but several paratypes with hairs variously lost by abrasion from the dorsal body surfaces. Colour varying from mid-brown to blackish brown.

Holotype worker, Ghana: Okumaning, 12. viii. 1969, ant ecology sample K 12 (D. Leston) (BMNH).

Paratypes. Ghana: 1 worker with same data as holotype but sample K 11; 1 worker, Kade, ant ecology sample K 96 (D. Leston); 2 workers, Enchi, 17. v. 1969, ant ecology sample E 5 - 8 (D. Leston). Ivory Coast: 1 worker, Banco Forest near Abidjan, l 0. i. 1963, no. A 30 (W. L. Brown). (BMNH; MCZ, Cambridge.)

T. velatus is closest related to piceus in the luteus-complex, the two species sharing the characteristic form of the postpetiole which in dorsal view is narrow and narrowly rounded posteriorly. The two are easily separated as velatus has longitudinal rugular sculpture on the pronotum which overlies the dense reticulate-punctulate ground-sculpture, whilst in piceus such rugulae are absent. Besides this velatus has hairs present on the basal half of the first gastral tergite where in piceus such hairs are lacking.