The ant genus Tetraponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Afrotropical region: taxonomic review and key to species Author Ward, Philip S. text Zootaxa 2022 2022-02-23 5102 1 1 70 journal article
94528
10.11646/zootaxa.5102.1.1
ad30faa6-eab1-4dae-b686-9e5fee56f55c
1175-5326
6245602
BEA963B7-F7B9-458A-92EE-A4740AC390AC
Tetraponera emeryi (Forel)
(
Figs 2
,
8
,
36
)
Sima Emeryi
Forel 1911a: 367
. Syntypes, 2 workers, Pretoria,
South Africa
(Simon) (MSNG) [examined]. Name given by
Forel (1911a: 367)
for
Emery’s (1895b: 23)
description of workers of “
Sima capensis
” (nec F. Smith) from Pretoria.
Sima Braunsi
var. durbanensis
Forel 1914: 218
. Syntype, 1 worker,
Durban
,
South Africa
(Arnold) (MHNG) [examined]. Imaged on AntWeb: CASENT0907471. Syn. nov.
Sima (Tetraponera) Emeryi Forel
;
Arnold 1916: 187
. Combination in
Sima (Tetraponera)
.
Tetraponera emeryi (Forel)
;
Wheeler 1922b: 797
. Combination in
Tetraponera
.
Tetraponera emeryi (Forel)
;
Chomicki et al. 2015
: figure S1. Placement in molecular phylogeny.
Sima (Tetraponera) clypeata
race
Braunsi var. durbanensis Forel
;
Arnold 1916: 184
. Combination in
Sima (Tetraponera)
, as infrasubspecific name.
Tetraponera clypeata subsp. braunsi var. durbanensis (Forel)
;
Wheeler 1922b: 797
. Combination in
Tetraponera
, as infrasubspecific name.
Tetraponera braunsi durbanensis (Forel)
;
Ward 1990: 488
. Combination in
Tetraponera
.
Worker measurements (n = 12). HW 0.58–0.69, HL 0.77–0.99, LHT 0.49–0.64, CI 0.70–0.76, FCI 0.08–0.12, REL 0.28–0.32, REL2 0.39–0.44, SI 0.64–0.68, SI3 1.54–1.69, FI 0.36–0.42, PLI 0.51–0.56, PWI 0.38–0.45, LHT/ HW 0.84–0.92, CSC 2, MSC 0.
Worker diagnosis. Similar to
Tetraponera clypeata
(see above) except as follows: scapes tending to be longer (SI 0.64–0.68) (
Fig. 2
), frontal carinae more closely adjacent (FCI 0.08–0.12) and profemur more slender (FI 0.36–0.42); mesopropodeal impression lacking conspicuous longitudinal rugulae; light yellowish-orange in color (
Figs 7, 8
).
Comments. Workers of
T. emeryi
are most readily distinguished from those of their close relative,
T. clypeata
, on the basis of color: light yellowish-orange as opposed to dark brown in
T. clypeata
. The two species are broadly sympatric in southwestern
South Africa
.
T. emeryi
workers also tend to have longer appendages and more closely adjacent frontal carinae than
T. clypeata
, but the relevant metrics overlap. Differences in the male terminalia, including a more dorsally deflected posteromedial margin of sternite IX (hypopygium) in
T. emeryi
, support their treatment as different species. For distinctions between
T. emeryi
and
T. furtiva
see under the latter species.
Distribution and biology.
T. emeryi
occurs from the Western Cape of
South Africa
east to KwaZulu-Natal and
Eswatini
(
Swaziland
), and north as far as the Vumba Mountains in eastern
Zimbabwe
. Nests site records include
Vachellia karroo
thorns, and dead twigs of
Podalyria
,
Buddleja
,
Dombeya
,
Vachellia caffra
, “thorny vine”, and unidentified woody plants. Habitats range from from Afromontane forest and forest edge to tropical dry forest, “garden” and “riverine”.
Material examined (
ANIC
,
ASIC
,
CASC
,
KUES
,
MCZC
,
MHNG
,
MSNG
,
MZLU
,
NHMB
,
NHMW
,
PSWC
,
SAMC
,
UASK
,
UCDC
,
USNM
).
Eswatini
: Hhohho: 5 km NE Forbes Reef, 1520 m (Ward, P. S.); Majolomba Gorge, Malolotja Nature Reserve, 1150 m (Ward, P. S.); Malolotja Nature Reserve, E bdy, 3 km N Nkomati R., 800 m (Ward, P. S.);
South Africa
: Eastern Cape: Andries Vosloo Kudu Reserve, 12.8 km NNE Fort Brown (Lubertazzi, D.); East London (Fowles, E.); Glenthorpe Farm, nr. Grahamstown (Zachariades, C.); Grahamstown (Brown, W. L.); Grahamstown (Silberbauer, L. X.; Bennett, L.); Grahamstown (Weatherill, L.); King Williams Town (Capener, A.); Mountain Zebra N.P., Cradock (U. Cape Town Ecol. Survey); Pirie Forest (Capener, A.); Port Elizabeth (Brauns); Port Elizabeth (c.u.); Port St. Johns (Bradley, J. C.); Sundays River Valley (c.u.); Tsitsikama N.P. (Kimsey, R. B.); Tsitsikamma Nat. Park (Allen, J.); Gauteng: Pretoria (Simon); KwaZulu-Natal: 17 km NE Empangeni, Nseleni River (Danielsson, R.); Durban (Arnold); Durban (c.u.); Durban (Cooper, C. B.); Giants Castle, 1750 m (Ward, P. S.); Hilltop Camp, Hluhluwe Game Reserve, 450 m (Ward, P. S.); N of Richards Bay (de Kock, A.; Majer, J. D.); Natal, Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, 160 m (van Noort, S.); Natal, Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, 220 m (van Noort, S.); Nature’s Valley, Pinetown (Caldwell, P.); Pinetown (Marley, B.); Sydenham (Marley, H. B.); Umgeni Lagoon (Arnold); Umhlanga Rocks [as “Umhlanga”] (c.u.); Umkumbaan, Durban (Caldwell, P.); Limpopo: Tweefontein 14 km NE Warmbaths (Kimsey, R. B.); Mpumalanga: Mariepskop [as “Marieps”] (Faure, J. C.); Mariepskop, 1250 m (Fisher, B. L.; et al.); Mariepskop, 1250 m (Alpert, G. D.); Salique (Faure, J. C.); province unknown: Cape Colony [as “Cap Col.”] (Brauns); Western Cape: 1 km NE Nature’s Valley, 10 m (Ward, P. S.); 9 km ESE George, Kaaimansrivier (Danielsson, R.); Bloukrans-Pass, by Vargrivier (Danielsson, R.); Cape Peninsula, St. Michael’s Road, Claremont (Matilya, G. J.); Clanwilliam (Malkin, B.); Claremont, 22 Livingstone Road (Robertson, D. A.; Robertson, H. G.); Claremont, 22 Livingstone Road (Robertson, H. G.); Fernkloof Nature Reserve (Robertson, H. G.); foot of Duivelsbos, Marloth Nature Reserve, 275 m (Robertson, H. G.); Franschhoek Bosreserve, Upper Berg River (Brinck; Rudebeck); Grootvadersbos (c.u. [ex A. J. Prins Collection]); Malgas, 40 m (Danielsson, R.); Mjinga, The Crags (Robertson, D. A.; Robertson, H. G.); Montagu [as “Montague”] (c.u.); Nature’s Valley, 10 m (van Noort, S.); Nature’s Valley, at Groot Rivier (Danielsson, R.); Oudebos River, Kogelberg Nature Reserve, 180 m (Ward, P. S.); Oudebos River, Kogelberg Nature Reserve, 280 m (Ward, P. S.);
Zimbabwe
: Manicaland: Vumba Mts. (c.u.).
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