Terataner transvaalensis Arnold

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 : 294-295

Terataner transvaalensis Arnold

(Figs 42,46)

Terataner (Tranetera) transvaalensis Arnold , 1952: 130, fig. Holotype worker, South Africa: e. Transvaal, Marieps (or Mariepskop), v. 1951 (J. C. Faure) (NM, Bulawayo) [examined].

Worker. TL 6.8, HL 1.60, HW 1.58, CI 98, SL 1.08, SI 68, PW 0.94, AL 2.02.

Mandibles longitudinally rugulose. Frontal carinae strongly developed as a pair of sharp raised ridges which are almost parallel throughout their length, only very feebly sinuate. Posteriorly each frontal carina angled sharply outwards and running towards the side of the head as a weak ridge. Antennal scrobes absent but the head with a narrow indentation below the frontal carinae. Eyes convex and conspicuous, maximum diameter 0.32, about 0.20 x HW. Pronotum in dorsal view marginate anteriorly and laterally, the anterior corners prominently angulate; these angles also forming the origin of a sharp margin running down the sides of the pronotum to the anteroventral angles. Sides of pronotum only very feebly sinuate in dorsal view, roughly parallel, not strongly convergent posteriorly. Mesonotum marginate laterally, propodeum not marginate. Promesonotal suture feeble medially on dorsum but its track visible; strongly defined laterally on the dorsum where it separates the pronotal and mesonotal marginations. With alitrunk in profile the metanotal region very shallowly concave only, not distinctly impressed. Propodeum rounded and unarmed, without trace of teeth. Metapleural lobes conspicuous, large and rounded. Petiole node broadly triangular in profile, rising to a peak dorsally. In anterior view the dorsum of the petiole indented medially, the dorsum on each side of the indentation rounded, not developed into teeth. Dorsum of head with 11 sharp longitudinal rugae between the frontal carinae at the level of the posterior margins of the eye. Sides of head between frontal carinae and eyes more strongly rugose than dorsum and sides below eyes more strongly rugose still, almost sulcate. Ground-sculpture on all surfaces of head a fine and very dense reticulate-punctulation. Dorsal alitrunk sculptured with very broad low strong longitudinal rugae, almost sulcate. On the pronotum these strong rugae are roughly parallel and are restricted to the central, transversely convex, portion and do not occur on the flatter more lateral areas close to the lateral marginations. On the mesonotum the rugae become weaker posteriorly and are distinctly divergent. On the propodeal dorsum the rugae are broader and even less well defined. Sides of alitrunk bluntly rugose, on the pronotum the rugae diagonal and running from the anteroventral to the posterodorsal angle. Elsewhere on the sides the rugae longitudinal, coarsest on the propodeum above the spiracle. Ground-sculpture of entire alitrunk a fine and very dense reticulate-punctulation. Anterior face of petiole node with dense punctulate ground-sculpture and a few rugular vestiges but posterior face deeply sulcate, the sulci regular and parallel. Postpetiole sulcate in dorsal view, the sculpture divergent posteriorly and overlaid by punctulate ground-sculpture. First gastral tergite densely reticulate-punctulate everywhere and with strong longitudinal costulae or rugae on the basal quarter. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with short, quite stout hairs. These are quite numerous on head, pedicel segments and gaster but are decidedly sparser on the alitrunk, being obvious only on the pronotum where several pairs are present, but apparently represented by only a single pair each on the mesonotum and propodeum. Dorsal surfaces of femora and tibiae and also leading edges of antennal scapes with scattered stout standing hairs. Head and gaster blackish brown to black, alitrunk and appendages red.

T. transvaalensis , known only from the holotype worker, is one of the two African species referable to the predominantly Malagasy foreli-complex. The other species in Africa is bottegoi . The two are separated by the characters given in the key and by the fact that bottegoi tends to be somewhat smaller than transvaalensis . Also, in transvaalensis the rugose sculpture of the pronotal dorsum does not run to the lateral marginations, the lateral marginations of the pronotum do not overhang the sides of the pronotum, the metanotal area is not sharply impressed and the side of the head between the eye and frontal carina is more strongly rugose than the dorsum. In contrast the rugose sculpture of the pronotal dorsum runs to the lateral marginations in bottegoi , the lateral pronotal marginations overhang the sides, the metanotum is sharply impressed and the side of the head between eye and frontal carina is less strongly rugose than the dorsum of the head.

At present the ranges of the two are not known to overlap; transvaalensis is known only from Transvaal, South Africa, whilst bottegoi has been recorded from Somali Republic, Kenya and Tanzania.