Tetramorium feroxoide Dlussky & Zabelin, 1985

Csősz, Sándor & Schulz, Andreas, 2010, A taxonomic review of the Palaearctic Tetramorium ferox species-complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Zootaxa 2401, pp. 1-29 : 23-27

Tetramorium feroxoide Dlussky & Zabelin, 1985

Tetramorium feroxoides Dlussky & Zabelin, 1985: 230 . Holotype gyne and paratype workers, gynes, males: Turkmenistan, Kopet dag 29.V.1971 Ipaj-Kala (Dlussky) [label: Turkmenia Ipaj-, kala n. 71–117, Dlussky 29.v. 71] (1w, 1q paratype examined) [SIZK].

Tetramorium bursakovi Radchenko, 1992a: 41 . Holotype gyne and paratype workers, gynes, males: Kazakhstan, eastern slopes of Karatau, steppe, 13.VI.1979 (S. Bursakov) [labels: N48 13.VI.1979, Juzhnyj Kazakhstan, Vostochnyj otrog Karatau, stepp, sobr. S.Bursakov] (2w, 2q, 2m paratypes examined) [SIZK]. New synonymy.

Description of workers (figs 45–47). Medium to large size, CS 755 [683, 855]. Whole body and appendages usually black. Head slightly longer than broad, CL/CW 1.01 [0.99, 1.06], with feebly convex sides, straight posterior margin with widely rounded corners. Eyes large, EYE 0.17 [0.16, 0.20]. Frons wide, FR/CS 0.40 [0.38, 0.42], frontal lobes usually as wide as the frons, FL/FR 1.00 [1.00, 1.04]. Scape long, SL/CS 0.78 [0.75, 0.80], with a feeble dorso-basal carina. Promesonotal dorsum slightly convex, metanotal groove shallow, or completely absent. Propodeal denticles very short. Petiolar node moderately high, NOH/NOL 1.09 [0.76, 1.40] trapezoid in profile.

Material and Methods. Upper line: arithmetic mean ± standard deviation, lower line, in []: minimum and maximum

values, n = number of measured specimens.

Head dorsum and posterior surface longitudinally rugulose, microreticulate, and sides ruguloso-reticulate,

ground surface feebly microreticulate. Mesosoma dorsum longitudinally rugulose ground surface smooth.

Dorsum of petiolar node semi-circularly rugulose, ground surface smooth, dorsum of postpetiole

longitudinally rugulose and finely microreticulate. First gastral tergite smooth, appears shiny. Ventral surface

of head with a row of short setae and long C-shape hairs arising just posteriorly to buccal cavity forming a

psammophore.

Description of gynes (figs 42–44). Medium size, CS 893 [852, 952]. Whole body and appendages black. Head broader than long, CL/CW 0.90 [0.85, 0.93] with sides and posterior margin straight, with widely rounded corners. Head trapezoid in full face view, narrower at genae. Frons wide, FR/CS 0.43 [0.41, 0.45]. Scape long, SL/CS 0.75 [0.72, 0.78], without dorsal carina basally, its surface smooth and shiny. Head slightly narrower than scutum, MW/CS 1.04 [0.97, 1.12]. Propodeal teeth long and blunt. Petiole and postpetiole wide, CS/PEW 1.66 [1.48, 2.16], CS/PPW 1.25 [1.18, 1.56].

Material and Methods. Upper line: arithmetic mean ± standard deviation, lower line, in []: minimum and maximum

values, n = number of measured specimens.

ferox densopilosum feroxoide diomedeum aegeum (n=16) (n=3) (n=15) (n=36) (n=2)

CS 1000 ±43.55 1055 ±36.06 893 ±31.76 960 ±40.0 863 ±8.84 [955, 1095] [1025, 1095] [852.5, 952.5] [860, 1012.5] [857, 870]

Head dorsum, posterior surface and sides rugulose, ground surface feebly microreticulate, or smooth and shiny. Frons longitudinally rugulose, ground surface smooth and shiny. Scutum smooth and shiny (or finely rugulose), scutellum longitudinally rugulose, with the median part smooth and shinny. Sides of mesosoma rugoso-reticulate and microreticulate, ventral part of katepisternum always finely rugulose, or microreticulate. Petiolar node and postpetiole reticulate, or microreticulate. Ventral surface of head with a row of short setae and long C-shape hairs arising just posteriorly to buccal cavity forming a psammophore.

Description of males. Head sides feebly convex, posterior margin widely rounded. Scutum much broader than head. Propodeal denticles reduced, propodeum rounded in profile. Dorsum of petiolar node without a transverse crest, with a sharp angle dorsolaterally. Whole body and appendages brownish black. Head finely rugulo-reticulate, between main sculpturation microreticulate. Scutum and scutellum finely rugulose, in part smooth. Anepisternum rugulose, ventral part of katepisternum smooth and shiny. Petiole and postpetiole finely rugulo-reticulate, between main sculpturation microreticulate.

Diagnosis. The very smooth surface of mesosoma, the relatively sparse pubescence and the smooth and shiny first gastral tergite make the T. feroxoide gynes unique within this group.

The general appearance of the head and mesosoma of T. feroxoide workers is always finely rugulose, in comparison the head of T. diomedeum is at least partly smooth.

Tetramorium feroxoide workers bear usually much feebler and often parallel rugulae on head and mesosoma than T. ferox and T. densopilosum workers, but in a few cases T. feroxoide workers can be confused with the smallest T. ferox or T. densopilosum workers in this characteristic. Discriminant D(3a) function proves the separation between T. feroxoide and T. densopilosum (see differential diagnosis of T. densopilosum ) and D(3b) function between T. feroxoide and T. ferox (see differential diagnosis of T. ferox ).

For the results of cumulative discriminant analysis for worker caste see Tables 3 & 4 and for gynes see Tables 5 & 6 . Morphometric characters and indices for workers and gynes are provided in Table 7 & 8.

Distribution. Middle East between- and south from the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. This species is possibly a Turanian element.

Material examined. ARMENIA—Aragats okr. Gjurakana, 19.06.1988. leg. Radchenko nr. 197.88. (2w, 5q, 2m / ZISP);

IRAN—Guilán s/Ástárá 1200 m 38º24'N / 48º36'E, A. Senglet 26. VI. 73. (1q);

KYRGIZIA—Alatskaia, Kyrgizia, 16.06.1963 leg. Tarbinskij (3w, 1q, 1m);

RUSSIA—Neftekumsk, Achikulak, Stavropolskij kraj 0 8.06.2006. leg Csősz nr. Rus _009 (12w / HNHM);

TURKEY—Prov. Gaziantep, 7 km N Islahiye, ca. 70 km W Gaziantep, 500mH, 11.05.1997., leg. A. Schulz, K. Vock, M. Sanetra nr. T705-31. (3 w); Kars, Yerköy, 10 km E Tuzluca 30 km NW Igdir, 1000mH Steppe 23.06.1993. leg. Schulz nr. 1119. (3 w, 5 q, 3 m); Kayseri, Sultan Salz Sümpfe 10 km W Develi, 40 km S Kayseri Artemisia Steppe 1000mH 0 1.06.1993. leg. Schulz nr. 968. (6 w, 1 q); Kayseri, Sultan Salz Sümpfe 10 km W Develi, 40 km S Kayseri, Artemisia Steppe 1000mH 0 1.06.1993. leg. Schulz nr. 965. (6 w, 4 q, 3m); Kayseri, Sultan Salz Sümpfe 10 km W Develi, 40 km S Kayseri, Artemisia Steppe 1000mH 0 1.06.1993. leg. Schulz nr. 966. (12 w).

Tables

TABLE 7. Morphometric comparison (Μm) of Tetramorium workers. Abbreviations of morphometric characters in

	ferox (n=128)	densopilosum (n=8)	feroxoide (n=48)	diomedeum (n=227)	aegeum (n=3)
CS	825 43 [693, 918]	833 ±45 [763, 878]	755 ±49 [683, 855]	753 ±56 [648, 930]	683 ±31.92 [647.5, 710]
CL/CW	1.03 ±0.02 [0.99, 1.09]	1.04 ±0.01 [1.02, 1.05]	1.01 ±0.02 [0.99, 1.06]	1.02 ±0.02 [0.97, 1.08]	1.04 ±0.01 [1.03, 1.06]
EYE	0.16 ±0.01 [0.15, 0.18]	0.17 ±0.00 [0.17, 0.18]	0.17 ±0.01 [0.16, 0.20]	0.17 ±0.01 [0.14, 0.19]	0.18 ±0 [0.18, 0.18]
POC/CL	0.39 ±0.01 [0.37, 0.43]	0.37 ±0.00 [0.37, 0.38]	0.39 ±0.01 [0.36, 0.41]	0.40 ±0.01 [0.37, 0.42]	0.37 ±0 [0.37, 0.38]
FR/CS	0.39 ±0.01 [0.36, 0.41]	0.40 ±0.01 [0.38, 0.41]	0.40 ±0.01 [0.38, 0.42]	0.38 ±0.01 [0.35, 0.41]	0.4 ±0.01 [0.4, 0.41]
FL/FR	1.01 ±0.01 [1.00, 1.03]	1.00 ±0.01 [1.00, 1.02]	1.00 ±0.01 [1.00, 1.04]	1.00 ±0.01 [0.96, 1.04]	1 ±0 [1, 1]
SL/CS	0.79 ±0.02 [0.74, 0.83]	0.78 ±0.01 [0.76, 0.80]	0.78 ±0.01 [0.75, 0.80]	0.75 ±0.01 [0.73, 0.79]	0.75 ±0 [0.75, 0.75]
ML/MW	1.84 ±0.04 [1.75, 1.96]	1.87 ±0.03 [1.82, 1.90]	1.79 ±0.04 [1.69, 1.87]	1.80 ±0.04 [1.60, 1.95]	1.85 ±0.04 [1.82, 1.9]
CS/ML	0.84 ±0.02 [0.77, 0.87]	0.83 ±0.01 [0.82, 0.86]	0.85 ±0.02 [0.82, 0.90]	0.87 ±0.02 [0.81, 0.97]	0.86 ±0.01 [0.85, 0.88]
PEW/PPW	0.85 ±0.03 [0.79, 0.91]	0.85 ±0.03 [0.82, 0.91]	0.85 ±0.02 [0.78, 0.89]	0.88 ±0.03 [0.81, 0.97]	0.93 ±0.02 [0.91, 0.94]
PEH/NOH	1.80 ±0.08 [1.63, 2.13]	1.78 ±0.09 [1.64, 1.89]	1.81 ±0.06 [1.68, 1.93]	1.91 ±0.08 [1.72, 2.19]	1.81 ±0.02 [1.79, 1.83]
NOH/PEL	0.85 ±0.07 [0.68, 1.03]	0.95 ±0.09 [0.85, 1.09]	0.92 ±0.07 [0.81, 1.09]	0.84 ±0.05 [0.67, 0.97]	0.91 ±0.03 [0.88, 0.94]
NOH/NOL	1.05 ±0.08 [0.88, 1.29]	1.23 ±0.12 [1.06, 1.44]	1.09 ±0.17 [0.76, 1.40]	1.12 ±0.08 [0.96, 1.39]	1.09 ±0.04 [1.04, 1.12]
PEW/NOL	3.21 ±0.18 [2.76, 3.72]	3.09 ±0.21 [2.78, 3.38]	3.52 ±0.49 [2.94, 4.67]	3.51 ±0.19 [3.03, 4.05]	3.1 ±0.04 [3.07, 3.14]
PPW/PPL	1.73 ±0.09 [1.53, 2.05]	1.68 ±0.08 [1.57, 1.83]	1.81 ±0.13 [1.58, 2.21]	1.78 ±0.10 [1.47, 2.06]	1.72 ±0.08 [1.67, 1.81]
PEW/PEH	0.97 ±0.04 [0.85, 1.11]	0.94 ±0.04 [0.90, 1.00]	0.99 ±0.05 [0.88, 1.13]	1.00 ±0.04 [0.88, 1.10]	1 ±0.02 [0.98, 1.02]
CS/PEW	2.85 ±0.12 [2.58, 3.14]	2.87 ±0.07 [2.77, 2.96]	2.76 ±0.19 [2.31, 3.20]	2.85 ±0.14 [2.49, 3.41]	2.73 ±0.07 [2.68, 2.82]
CS/PPW	2.42 ±0.09 [2.21, 2.63]	2.45 ±0.07 [2.32, 2.54]	2.35 ±0.15 [1.93, 2.64]	2.49 ±0.12 [2.20, 2.94]	2.53 ±0.07 [2.45, 2.59]