Tapinoma

Fisher, B. L. & Bolton, B., 2007, The ant genus Pseudaphomomyrmex Wheeler, 1920 a junior synonym of Tapinoma Foerster, 1850., Zootaxa 1427, pp. 65-68 : 65-66

Within the Dolichoderinae two genera, Tapinoma and Technomyrmex , are isolated in their female castes by the synapomorphic extreme reduction of the petiole and its accommodation in a longitudinal groove or impression in the ventral surface of the first gastral tergite, which overhangs and conceals the petiole in dorsal view when the mesosoma and gaster are aligned. The petiole is so reduced in these two genera that in profile there is no trace of a node or scale; at most there is a very short raised surface immediately behind the peduncle. The function of this raised surface is to provide an insertion-site for the exterior levator muscle of the petiole. Pseudaphomomyrmex exhibits these structures.

Technomyrmex and Tapinoma are separated in the female castes by the contrasting morphologies of their gastral apices. In Technomyrmex the sclerites of the gastral apex are unspecialised, except that the pygidium is small. Gastral tergite 5 is therefore in line with tergites 1 - 4 and as a result all five tergites are visible in dorsal view. In contrast the pygidium in Tapinoma is reflexed, the fifth tergite being folded back and down, below the fourth tergite, and is clearly visible in ventral view. Also in that view the fourth tergite frequently forms a distinct projecting rim above the reflexed fifth. In consequence only gastral tergites 1 - 4 are visible in dorsal view. Pseudaphomomyrmex exhibits the latter morphology, which is uniquely characteristic of Tapinoma , and thus the former name is relegated to the synonymy of the latter.

As a result of the above analysis the taxonomic synopses of genus Tapinoma , and of the two names in the speciesgroup that are affected by the genus-group modifications, are amended as follows.

TAPINOMA Foerster

Tapinoma Foerster , 1850: 43. Type-species: Tapinoma collina Foerster , 1850: 43 [junior synonym of Formica erratica Latreille , 1798: 44], by monotypy.

Micromyrma Dufour , 1857: 60. Type-species: Micromyrma pygmaea Dufour , 1857: 61, by monotypy. [Synonymy by Mayr, 1863: 455, confirmed by Shattuck, 1992: 146.]

Semonius Forel , 1910b: 21. Type-species: Semonius schultzei Forel , 1910b: 21, by monotypy. [Synonymy by Shattuck, 1992: 146.]

Pseudaphomomyrmex Wheeler , 1920: 53. Type-species: Aphomyrmex emeryi Ashmead , 1905: 111, by original designation. Syn. n.

Zatapinoma Wheeler , 1928: 20. Type-species: Zatapinoma annandalei Wheeler , 1928: 20, by original designation. [Synonymy by Shattuck, 1992: 146.]

Neoclystopsenella Kurian , 1955: 133. Type-species: Neoclystopsenella luffae Kurian , 1955: 133, by monotypy. [Synonym by Brown, 1988: 337.]

Comments

1 At various times in its history Micromyrma has been regarded as a genus, a subgenus of Tapinoma and a junior synonym of Tapinoma . A short synopsis of the authors responsible for these opinions through time is presented in Bolton (2003). The two authors of synonymy given above are emphatically supported here.

2 Note that Tapinoptera Santschi (1925: 348), formerly regarded as a junior synonym of Tapinoma (e.g. Shattuck 1992: 146; Bolton 2003: 91) is now known to be a junior synonym of Technomyrmex Mayr , 1872, and will be dealt with in a forthcoming taxonomic revision of Technomyrmex by Bolton (in preparation). It has therefore been deleted from the taxonomic synopsis of Tapinoma .