SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Terataner
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The Ants of Africa SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Terataner |
| Contents - Myrmicinae - MYRMICINAE Introduction |
In Tribe FORMICOXENINI.
Diagnostic Features - Antennae 12-segmented, with a 3-segmented club. Pronotum anteriorly and promesonotum laterally marginate. Promesonotal suture absent but the lateral margination is broken at the pro-mesonotal margin. Metanotal grove weakly impressed. propodeum unarmed, metapleural lobes present. Petiole with paired dorsal teeth.
Emery's (1912b) genus description is at
.
Bolton (1973a) described this as a totally arboreal genus, adding (1981b) that nesting is in rotten parts of standing timber, often some considerable distance above the ground. In his later review four species were described from West and Central African forests (Bolton, 1981b). These he described as forming a single complex, the luteus-complex, separated in two groups on the basis of the postpetiole in dorsal view having a very broad and broadly rounded posterior arch (elegans and luteus), or having a narrow and narrowly rounded posterior arch (piceus and velatus). Carroll (1979) observed genus members in Liberia but did not differentiate the species; all were collected only from hard, dry, dead stems on trees and never from wet wood; burrows were some 3 mm in width.
Key to African species (adapted from Bolton, 1981b):
| 1 |  In
full face view head with posterior of frontal carinae angled outwards |
2 |
| -- |  In
full face view head with posterior of frontal carinae fading out in a
single line |
3 |
| 2 |  Eyes
near flat; posterior of frontal carinae with a ridge of tubercles; in
dorsal view sides of pronotum strongly convergent posteriorly; dorsal
alitrunk with abundant short whitish hairs; TL 4.8-6.0 mm; colour black |
East Africa - bottegoi |
| -- |  Eyes
distinctly convex and breaking outline of face; sides of pronotum near
parallel; few erect hairs on dorsal alitrunk; TL 6.0 mm; bicolorous,
head and gaster black, alitrunk red |
East & Southern Africa - transvaalensis |
| 3 |  Postpetiole
in dorsal view with the posterior arch very broad and broadly rounded |
4 |
| -- |  Postpetiole
in dorsal view with the posterior arch narrow and narrowly rounded |
5 |
| 4 |  Yellow;
TL 5.0-5.8 mm; pronotal dorsum distinctly broader than long |
West Africa & Congo Basin - luteus |
| -- |  Dark
brown to black, alitrunk usually reddish; TL 4.9-5.6 mm; pronotal dorsum
about as long as broad |
West Africa - elegans |
| 5 |  First
gastral tergite without hairs; reticulate-punctate pronotal dorsum
without strong rugulae; TL 4.6-5.5 mm; colour mid- to blackish-brown |
West Africa & Congo Basin - piceus |
| -- |  First
gastral tergite with strong hairs on basal half; reticulate-punctate
pronotal dorsum with strong longitudinal rugulae; TL 4.5 mm; colour mid-
to blackish- brown |
West Africa - velatus |
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MYRMICINAE Introduction | © 2007 - Brian Taylor CBiol
FIBiol FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
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