Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) from the African Continent Abdulmeneem Joma University of Texas at El Paso, [email protected]
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
University of Texas at El Paso DigitalCommons@UTEP Open Access Theses & Dissertations 2014-01-01 Revision of the Ant Genus Bothroponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) From the African Continent Abdulmeneem Joma University of Texas at El Paso, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/open_etd Part of the Biology Commons, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Joma, Abdulmeneem, "Revision of the Ant Genus Bothroponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) From the African Continent" (2014). Open Access Theses & Dissertations. 1267. https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/open_etd/1267 This is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UTEP. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UTEP. For more information, please contact [email protected]. REVISION OF THE ANT GENUS BOTHROPONERA (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE: PONERINAE) FROM THE AFRICAN CONTINENT Abdulmeneem M. Alnour Joma Department of Biological Sciences APPROVED: William P. Mackay, Ph.D., Chair Carl S. Lieb, Ph.D. Eli Greenbaum, Ph.D. Michael Moody, Ph.D. Richard Langford, Ph.D. Charles Ambler, Ph.D. Dean of the Graduate School Copyright © by Abdulmeneem M. Alnour Joma 2014 Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my family, to my parents Mohamed Alnour and Khadija Mohamed Ali, who raised me and encouraged me thoroughout my life to be able to achieve the highest level of education. To my wife Hawa Algatroni and children Rawan and Mustafa, who always supported me wherever my study took me, filling my life with love and patience. To my brothers: Abdalrahman, Mahmoud, Abdalnour, Ali, Ibrahim and my sisters: Aisha, Fatima, Zainab, Zohra, Imbarka, Mouna, who did not neglect any opportunity to encourage me to continue my scientific journey at all times. A special dedication goes to my supervisor, Professor William Mackay, who transferred his experience in the field of myrmecology to me, opened his laboratory for my use to complete my research and supported me during my time at UTEP. REVISION OF THE ANT GENUS BOTHROPONERA (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE: PONERINAE) FROM THE AFRICAN CONTINENT by Abdulmeneem M. Alnour Joma, BSc, MSc DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at El Paso in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Biological Sciences THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO December 2014 Acknowledgements I would like to thank the curators and museums who provided me with ant specimens including Dr. Claire Villemant (MNHN), Dr. Bernhard Merz (MHNG), Drs. Stefan Cover, Jignasha Rana, Linda Ford, Philip Perkins, Jack Boyle, Charles Whittemore Farnum (MCZC), Drs. Frank Koch, Viola Richter (ZMHU), Drs. Roberto Poggi, Giuliano Doria, Maria Tavano (MCSN), Drs. Isabelle Zürcher-Pfander, Daniel Burckhardt (NHMB), Drs. Gavin Broad, Suzanne Ryder (BMNH), Drs. James Carpenter, Christine LeBeau (AMNH), Drs. Weiping Xie, Laura McGover (LACM) and Drs. Dawn Larsen and Aisha Mayekiso (SAM). Special thanks are due to Dr. Gary Alpert who offered to take photos of the Bothroponera species and allowed lodging during the study period at the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Dr. Alain Dejean provided several publications on African ants, Drs. Hamish Robertson and Robert Taylor provided their ant publication websites, Dr. Brigitte Braschler offered useful information about African ant richness and biodiversity and Dr. Nigel Worden offered historical information about South Africa. I also would like to thank Dr. Barry Bolton, who suggested useful comments for ant character descriptions and identifications and reviewed the manuscript. Dr. Brian Fisher allowed me to use figures from Antweb (http://www.antweb.org/), and photographed B. umgodikulula. Dr. Brian Taylor allowed me to use the information from his website, The Ants of Africa (http://antsofafrica.org/). Dr. Sulaiman Abushagur offered advice during my study and made important suggestions for the research. I also would like to thank Dr. Robert Kirken, Chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences of the University of Texas at El Paso who facilitated procedures to borrow specimens from SAM, Dr. Elizabeth Walsh, doctoral advisor, who encouraged me and assisted me with paperwork, and also supported me economically, Dr. William Mackay, PhD advisor as well as the doctoral committee members Dr. Carl Lieb, Dr. Eli Greenbaum, Dr. Michael Moody, Dr. Mahesh Narayan. Thanks also due to Dr. Shawn Dash and Dr. Jerry Johnson, for assistance and useful suggestions. This research was supported by the Libyan Ministry of Higher Education, Libyan-North American Scholarship Program, and the Canadian Bureau for International Education. v Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................................ vi List of Maps ................................................................................................................................................ ix List of Figures .............................................................................................................................................. x List of Plates ............................................................................................................................................. xii Chapter 1. Revision of the African ants of the Bothroponera pumicosa species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) ....................................................................................................................... 1 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Materials and Methods ....................................................................................................................... 5 Genus Bothroponera Mayr, 1862 ....................................................................................................... 8 Comparison of Bothroponera with Pachycondyla and similar genera ............................................. 10 Bothroponera pumicosa species complex description ..................................................................... 12 Key to the Afrotropical Bothroponera species complexes ............................................................... 13 Key to the Bothroponera pumicosa species complex ....................................................................... 14 Species accounts of members of the Afrotropical Bothroponera pumicosa species complex ......... 16 Bothroponera aspera Arnold, stat. nov. ........................................................................................... 16 Bothroponera berthoudi (Forel) revived status ................................................................................ 21 Bothroponera cariosa Emery ........................................................................................................... 27 Bothroponera cavernosa (Roger) ..................................................................................................... 32 Bothroponera granosa (Roger) ........................................................................................................ 36 Bothroponera laevissima (Arnold) .................................................................................................. 42 Bothroponera montivaga Arnold, stat. nov. ..................................................................................... 46 Bothroponera pumicosa (Roger) ...................................................................................................... 51 Bothroponera strigulosa Emery ....................................................................................................... 56 Bothroponera umgodikulula Joma and Mackay ............................................................................... 61 References ......................................................................................................................................... 75 Chapter 2. Revision of the African ants of the Bothroponera sulcata species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) ..................................................................................................................... 81 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................. 81 vi Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 82 Methods and materials (refer to chapter 1) ....................................................................................... 83 B. sulcata species complex ............................................................................................................... 83 Key to Bothroponera sulcata species complex ................................................................................ 85 Diagnosis for each species of B. sulcata species complex ..............................................................