RESEARCH ARTICLE Revision of the African Ants of The
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TAES 143: 7-71 RESEARCH ARTICLE ISSO 0002-8320 http://taes.entomology-aes.org/ Revision of the African ants of the Bothroponera sulcata species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) ABDULMENEEM M. A. JOMA1,2 AND WILLIAM P. MACKAY2 1Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, The University of Sebha, P.O. Box 18758, Sebha, Libya, alnoure69@ hotmail.com 2Department of Biological Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA, [email protected] ABSTRACT The Bothroponera sulcata ant species complex is distributed in Afrotropical areas, including tropical and subtropical ecosystems and is part of a poorly known group of ants. The sulcata species complex now includes 10 species, including 3 new species, 2 taxa elevated to species status and 7 new synonyms: B. ancilla Emery, B. crassa Emery, B. crassior Santschi (= B. ilgii syn. nov., Pachycondyla (Bothroponera) crassa st. crassior var. andrieui referred here), B. kruegeri Forel (= B. asina syn. nov., = B. rhodesiana syn. nov.), B. notaula (sp. nov.), B. picardi Forel, B. pilosuperficia(sp. nov.), B. ryderae (sp. nov.), B. silvestrii Santschi (= B. kenyensis syn. nov., = B. nimba syn. nov.) and B. soror Emery (= B. lamottei syn. nov., = B. suturalis (syn. nov.). The main defining character of this complex is the presence of a metatibial gland; however, there are other characters such as the shape of the anterior clypeal border, mandible surface and shape, teeth number and posterior dorsopropodeal shape (broadly or strongly curved or angulated). Diagnosis, comparisons, illustrations, distributions and other information about the species are provided with a key for the worker caste. Key words: Afrotropical, ants, Formicidae, biodiversity INTRODUCTION species complex in Africa (10 taxa) has a wider diversification than that of theB. pumicosa species Despite the critical importance of ants, little is complex and B. talpa species complex in terms of known about the taxonomy, ecology and biology distribution and morphological characters. These of Afrotropical ants except the location and some variations are reflected in this study and were other basic information from collections. Several studied by comparing the morphological characters ant genera still need modern revisions to support and resemblances in ants from the three complexes. ant studies in Africa (Robertson, 2000) or even The objective of this paper is to revise the worldwide. For example, myrmecologists were Afrotropical members of the Bothroponera sulcata dealing with about 28 genera in the subfamily species complex to continue to tackle the taxonomic Ponerinae, but recently, Schmidt and Shattuck status of Bothroponera ants in Africa. (2014) raised the number to 47 genera. These genera need revision at the species level, especially METHODS AND MATERIALS for the genera that have large numbers of species. The genus Bothroponera includes 43 taxa, Museums and Collections: distributed in the Afrotropical region, Madagascar, southern Asia and the Philippines, with the sulcata The specimens of the African Bothroponera group found in all of these areas. The sulcata species complexes were obtained from the Publication date: 5 January 2017 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4435E676-A346-4171-9EE0-830C78D4A854 8 REVISION OF THE BOTHROPONERA SULCATA COMPLEX following museums: club and all of the funicular segments. Weber’s Length (WL), the length of the mesosoma American Museum of Natural History, New York, in lateral view, from the anterior edge of the USA (AMNH). pronotum to the end of posterior margin of the British Natural History Museum, London, UK propodeal lobes. (BMNH). Petiole Length (PL), in lateral view, the maximum The Mackay collection, the University of Texas at distance of the petiole from the anterior face to El Paso, USA (CWEM). the posterior edge, excluding the helcium. Iziko South African Museum, South Africa (Iziko). Petiole Width (PW), in dorsal view, the maximum Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, side to side thickness of the petiole, generally at California, USA (LACM). the posterior edge since it has the largest width. Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genova, Italy Petiole Height (PH), in lateral view, the maximum (MCSN). length from the lower point of the sternopetiolar Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, process excluding the petiolar teeth, to the Massachusetts, USA (MCZC). highest point at the apex of the petiolar node. Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany (MfN). Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, Geneva, Switzerland Cephalic Index (CI), HW/HL x 100. (MHNG). Ocular Index (OI), EL/HW x 100. Museum Nationale d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, Mandibular Index (MandI), ML/HL x 100. France (MNHN). Scape Index (SI), SL/HW x 100. Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel, Switzerland Petiolar Index (PetI), PW/PL x 100. (NHMB). In each specimen we measured the hair length, Measurements and Abbreviations used — The the total body length, the malar space length (from specimens were examined with a Zeiss binocular lower edge of the eye to the base of the mandible) microscope with an ocular micrometer. All and the length of the side of the head from the measurements are in millimeters. upper margin of the eye to the highest point of the posterior lateral corner of the head (side view). In Head Length (HL), in full face view, the maximum some cases, we measured the frontal lobe width length of the head excluding the mandibles, and the gaster length. There are other characters from the mid-point of the anterior clypeal that were taken into account including the shape margin to the mid-point of the posterior margin of the head, size of the eyes, characteristics of the of the head. pronotum, mesopleuron, propodeum, petiole and Head Width (HW), in full face view, the maximum postpetiole. The shape of the pronotal humerus, width of the head excluding the eyes. lower margin of the pronotum, basalar sclerite Mandible length (ML), the distance from the and propodeal spiracle are also important. The mandible’s outer base to the apex of the apical entire body color including the antennae, clypeus, tooth. mandibles and legs were included as well. The Eye Length (EL), the maximum diameter of the eye morphological terms are from Serna and Mackay as seen from the side. (2010) and Keller (2011). Illustrations were Eye Width (EW), the maximum distance of the eye completed using the typical methods such as a from the anterior edge to the posterior edge as compound microscope, microscopic grids and a seen from the side. micrometer. Scape Length (SL), the maximum length of the Photos were taken in the Museum of scape from the proximal to the distal extremes, Comparative Zoology (MCZC) using an excluding the basal constriction. automontage photosystem provided with computer Funiculus Length (FL), the measurement of the software (LEICA MZ 7.5 stereomicroscope, Canon distal 11 segments of the antenna including the Camera EOS 7D 18 megapixel digital SLR, Helicon JOMA & MACKAY 9 focus software and Photoshop). Antweb was the RESULTS alternative source for ant photos. Maps of the distribution of African Bothroponera sulcata Bothroponera were completed using Golden species complex description Software MapViewer version 3.0. The terrestrial ecoregions map (Map 1) was used to display Worker Description — Specimens in the B. information about ecological and biological nature sulcata species complex are very similar within of the plant community distribution in Africa. the group. Head shape excluding mandibles Google Earth was also used to characterize the subquadrate, slightly narrowed anteriorly; posterior ant localities. The longitudes and latitudes of the border concave; mandibles narrowed, shorter specimen localities were determined using fuzzy than head length, with 6 to 9 teeth that alternate gazetteer (isodp.hof-university.de/fuzzyg/query/). in size in most species; anterior border of clypeus Lectotypes and paralectotypes were designated broadly convex, clypeus with raised medial area, with the purpose of clarifying the applications of convex, smooth or with medial longitudinal groove names to taxa. instead of narrowed flat strip in some species, often with longitudinal striae that do not form carinae; frontal lobes divided by frontal furrow, frontal lobes subquadrate anteriorly rather than The legend for Map 1 (the terrestrial ecoregions of Map 1: The terrestrial ecoregions of Africa (Burgess Africa, Burgess et al. 2004) used with permission et al. 2004) used with permission from Island Press, from Island Press, Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. 10 REVISION OF THE BOTHROPONERA SULCATA COMPLEX rounded; scape extends slightly past posterior absent. lateral corner of head in most species; compound eyes relatively small to large; pronotal humerus Key to the workers of the Bothroponera rounded; mesonotum and propodeum completely sulcata species complex fused; meso-metapleural suture well developed; propodeum angulate or rounded posteriorly, basalar sclerite oval or round, propodeal spiracle elongated; 1. Lateropropodeum (side view) strongly metapleura compressed in one species (B. crassa), compressed, distinctly concave as seen convex in other species; petiole large with spiracle from above; dorsopropodeum narrowed, and developed sternopetiolar process; metatibial about ½ width of remainder of propodeum, gland present. Head roughly sculptured, rarely slightly curved posteriorly, margins of foveolate; mandibles smooth or covered with fine posteropropodeum