Tetramorium sulcinode Santschi, 1927

Csösz S., Radchenko, A. & Schulz, A., 2007, Taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic Tetramorium chefketi species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 1405, pp. 1-38 : 1

9. Tetramorium sulcinode Santschi, 1927 Status revised (figs 61-67)

Tetramorium caespitum var sulcinode Santschi, 1927: 53 ([[worker]]); TYPE MATERIAL: LECTOTYPE [[worker]] and PARALECTOTYPE [[workers]] designated below (3[[workers]] / NHMB); for the locality details see lectotype designation; junior synonym of Tetramorium turcomanicum : Radchenko, 1992b: 52; Raised to species rank hereby.

Tetramorium karakalense Dlussky & Zabelin, 1985: 229 ([[queen]], [[worker]], [[male]]); TYPE MATERIAL: HOLOTYPE: “Typ. SSR, okr. [vicinity] p.” [poselok=village] [/] “Kara-Kala 81-135” [now TURKMENISTAN] [/] “ G. Dlusskij 3v. 81.” [Cyrillic letters] [-] Holotypus “ Tetramorium karakalense ” [/] “Dlussky et Zabelin ” [Latin letters] (1[[queen]] / ZMMU) ; PARATYPES: Kopet-Dag, “g. [gora=mount] Gindere” [/] “ur. [urochishche] Karankidere” 19.6. [/] C. Zabelin “ 1981 ” [Cyrillic letters] [-] “ T. karakalense ” [Latin letters] (2[[workers]], 1[[queen]], 1[[male]] / ZMMU) ; Kopet-Dag “ 31. V ” [/] “ntech. [lower flow] Najbirja [river]” [/] S. Zabelin “ 82 ” [Cyrillic letters] [-] “ T. karakalense ” [Latin letters] (3[[workers]] / ZMMU) ; “ Kopetdag 13. [/] “ ur. Dashtoj VI. ” [/] G. Kuznetzov “ 84 ” [Cyrillic letters] [-] “ T. karakalense ”[Latin letters] (3[[workers]] / ZMMU) ; New synonymy

Redescription of worker (figs 64-67.). Medium size, CS 801 [773, 853]. Whole body and appendages black. Head slightly longer than broad, CL/CW 1.02 [0.98, 1.03], with very weakly convex or straight sides, feebly convex or straight occipital margin and rounded occipital corners. Eyes large, EYE 0.186 [0.180, 0.190]. Frons moderately narrow, FR/CS 0.37 [0.36, 0.38], frontal lobes as wide as frons, or slightly wider, FL/FR 1.01 [1.0, 1.02]. Scape moderately long, SL/CS 0.78 [0.76, 0.81], without dorsal carina basally, smooth and shiny. Promesonotal dorsum convex, metanotal groove very shallow or completely absent. Propodeal teeth short. Dorsal surface of petiole steeply rounded backward, NOH/NOL 1.14 [1.06, 1.21], petiole relatively high, PEH/NOL 1.99 [1.87, 2.07]. General appearance finely rugulose, ground surface usually smooth and shiny (except for head). Head dorsum and occiput longitudinally rugulose and microreticulate, and sides ruguloso-reticulate, ground surface microreticulate. Alitrunk dorsum longitudinally rugulose ground surface smooth. Mesopleuron longitudinally rugulose and microreticulate. Dorsum of petiolar node semi-circularly rugulose, ground surface smooth, dorsum of postpetiole longitudinally rugulose and finely microreticulate. Polygonal striation continuous on 1st gastral tergite basally, disrupted posteriorly. Basal part of 1st gastral tergite sometimes very feebly costulate (not microreticulate), extending to 80µm [0, 120] posteriorly. Ventral surface of head with a row of short setae and very long psammophore arising just posteriorly to buccal cavity (see fig. 3, 4.).

Redescription of gyne (figs 61-63). Small size, CS 973 [940, 1018]. Whole body and appendages black. Head slightly wider than long, CL/CW 0.94 [0.92, 0.97], with feebly convex sides, straight occipital margin and rounded occipital corners. Frons moderately narrow, FR/CS 0.37 [0.36, 0.37], frontal lobes as wide as frons, FL/FR 1.0 [1.0, 1.0]. Scape moderately short, SL/CS 0.73 [0.72, 0.74], without dorsal carina basally, smooth and shiny. Head wider than scutum, MW/CS 0.93 [0.92, 0.94]. Propodeal teeth short. Dorsal crest of petiolar node straight in frontal view; in profile petiolar node dorsum blunt. Petiole and postpetiole relatively narrow, WAIST 0.81 [0.80, 0.84]. General appearance rugulose, ground surface feebly microreticulate, shiny.

Frons and occiput longitudinally rugulose, ground surface feebly microreticulate, sides ruguloso-reticulate, ground surface microreticulate. Scutum longitudinally rugose (mainly medially), anteriorly and laterally smooth, scutellum more or less smooth medially, laterally finely rugulose. Sides of alitrunk ruguloso-reticulate and microreticulate, ventral part of katepisternum usually smooth and shiny. Dorsum of petiolar node reticulate, medially smooth, dorsum of postpetiole reticulate. Polygonal striation disrupted on 1st gastral tergite, superficially microreticulate basally. Ventral surface of head with a row of short and several very long C- shaped setae arising just posteriorly to buccal cavity.

Redescription of male. Whole body and appendages black. Head with convex sides, nearly semi-circular occipital margin and widely rounded occipital corners. Scutum wider than head. Propodeal teeth poorly developed. Dorsal crest of petiolar node with sharp edge, slightly emarginated in frontal view. Head, alitrunk and waist quite coarsely sculptured, ground surface microreticulate, dull. Head longitudinally rugulose, ground surface microreticulate. Scutum and scutellum longitudinally rugose. Sides of alitrunk with longitudinal rugae, katepisternum sometimes smooth and shiny ventrally. Dorsum of petiolar node coarsely reticulate, postpetiole longitudinally rugulose. First gastral tergite shiny.

Material examined (4 nest series including 7 workers, 1 gyne and 3 males). AFGHANISTAN - Oubeh , 12.06.1962 nr.a.1040 . leg. K. Lindberg (3[[workers]], 1[[queen]], 1[[male]] / MIZ) ; PAKISTAN - Sirana (Sirani) nr.158d . leg. Anonymous (3[[workers]], 2[[males]] / MIZ) ; TURKMENISTAN - Ipaj-kala , n 71-117 , 29.05.1971 leg. Dlussky [paratype worker of Tetramorium feroxoide Dlussky & Zabelin, 1985 ] (1[[worker]] / ZMMU) .

Morphometerics: (16 workers and 3 gyne measured).

Evidences for heterospecifity of T. sulcinode type series. The syntype series of Tetramorium caespitum var sulcinode Santschi, 1927 consists of six workers on two pins. One pin with four workers labeled: [label with Latin letters] “Ssemiretschie 14/vii.24” [/] “Ssukuluk, westlich” [/] “von Pishpek, NB.ii” [/] “N.Kusnetzow ” [-] Type.

Another pin with two workers, collected at the same locality: [label with Cyrillic letters] ìSsemiretschie. Ssukulukî [/] 14-vii-1924. “N. Kusnetzov”. This locality (Ssemiretschie, Ssuskuluk; Pishpek, leg. Kusnetzov) is mentioned as the type locality of T. caespitum var sulcinode in the original description ( Santschi 1927: 53, 54).

After the investigation of the types of T. caespitum var indocile Santschi, 1927 (see below) we conclude that the type material of T. caespitum var sulcinode consists of two species (three workers are sulcinode and three others indocile).

The syntype workers, gynes and males of T. caespitum var. indocile are labeled as: TYPE [-] “Ssemiretschie ” [/] “Kisil-Kija’pass” [/] “Kusnetzov” [-] T. caespitum v. indocile [/] Santschi det. 19 “26” [-] “ Ssemiretschie” [/] “Kisil-Kija-Pass W A 14” [/] “15-vii-1924 N. Kusnetzov [the collector’s name on the label is hardly readable]” (1[[worker]], 1[[queen]], / NHMB); three further (syntype) series from the same locality were also investigated(4[[workers]], 1[[queen]], 1[[male]] / NHMB); (6[[workers]] / NHMB); (6[[workers]] / NHMB); The taxonomic status of Tetramorium caespitum var indocile Santschi will be discussed in a forthcoming publication, hereby we mention it as infraspecific name.

Workers of T. sulcinode and T. caespitum indocile can be separated by a combination of features. Tetramorium sulcinode has the post-ocular region coarsely rugulose, with the integumental surface microreticulate and dull; the alitrunk dorsum and sides have parallel rugulae; the dorsum of petiolar node has semicircular rugulae with the integumental surface shiny; and the postpetiole is longitudinally rugose. Tetramorium caespitum indocile has the post-ocular region feebly rugulose or smooth with the integument shiny; the alitrunk dorsum and sides have sinuous rugulae; the dorsum of the petiolar node is smooth and shiny; and the postpetiole is feebly rugulose.

Altogether nine T. sulcinode workers, including type series, were compared with the 16 syntype workers of T. caespitum indocile by using unstandardized Discriminant D(4) function: D(4) 0.084 SL - 0.185 FL + 0.088 MW - 0.085 PPW - 14.038. Results of D(4) analysis: T. indocile D(4) = -3.998 ±0.935 [-5.991, -1.478] (n=16); T. sulcinode D(4) = +3.998 ±1.091 [+2.601, +5.805] (n=14); and T. sulcinode lectotype D(4) = 3.942 (p<0.001).

Lectotype designation of Tetramorium sulcinode Santschi, 1927 .

In order to prevent further nomenclatural problems it is necessary to designate the lectotype of T. sulcinode . Only one worker of the investigated type material is nearly intact, hence we designate this specimen, positioned on the distal end of the upper card, as the lectotype. The right antenna, the left funiculus and the right foreleg are missing. Lectotype is labeled as: [label with Latin letters] “ Ssemiretschie 14/ vii.24 ” [/] “ Ssukuluk, westlich” [/] “von Pishpek, NB.ii” [/] “ N. Kusnetzow ” [-] Type .

Morphometric data of the T. sulcinode lectotype:

CL: 865; CW: 840; FR: 305; FL: 310; SL: 665; ML: 945; MW: 540; PEW: 280; PEH: 310; NOH: 170; NOL: 160; PEL: 185; PPW: 330; PPL: 195; PPH: 290; SPL: 105; SPSP: 120; EL: 185; EH: 130; ED: 195.

Paralectotype worker on the same pin are positioned on the distal end of the lower card. Its head is missing, other parts are intact and have other features corresponding to the species characteristics. Two erroneously designated syntype specimens (D(4) =-4.074, p<0.001, and =-1.571, p<0.01 respectively) on that pin are in fact T. caespitum indocile ; these are positioned on the proximal end of both, upper and lower, cards.

We designated one worker from the second pin (see above) as the paralectotype of T. sulcinode , the other worker cannot be determined correctly due to its very poor condition.

Diagnosis. Workers of T. sulcinode can be separated from related species (except for T. annectens ) by well developed psammophore, relatively large eyes, (EYE, Table 1.). The most distinctive features to separate T. sulcinode from T. annectens , is the PEW/PPW index and the sculpture of petiolar node: semi-circular rugulose in T. sulcinode , reticulate in T. annectens . Workers of T. sulcinode mostly resemble T. anatolicum n. sp. by the fine, parallel body sculpture and the scape characters. These two species can also be separated by the absence/presence of the psammophore and by the non-overlapping relative size of the eyes (EYE, Table 1).

Gynes of T. sulcinode are distinguishable by the well developed psammophore, short and smooth scape (SL/CS, Table 2.) without a dorsal carina basally, wide scutum (MW/CS, Table 2.) and relatively narrow petiole and postpetiole (WAIST, Table 2). Between T. sulcinode and T. annectens the relative petiole width (CS/ PEW, Table 2.) gives separation. For further combination of morphometric characters see Table 1-2.

Distribution. The species is known from Turkmenistan, Afganistan and Pakistan.