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A New Species of Afrotropical Ants in the Genus Bothroponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae)

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A New Species of Afrotropical Ants in the Genus Bothroponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) Hindawi Publishing Corporation Psyche Volume 2013, Article ID 917847, 8 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/917847 Research Article A New Species of Afrotropical Ants in the Genus Bothroponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) Abdulmeneem M. A. Joma1,2 and William P. Mackay2 1 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, The University of Sebha, P.O. Box 18758, Sebha, Libya 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500WestUniversityAvenue,ElPaso,TX79968,USA Correspondence should be addressed to Abdulmeneem M. A. Joma; [email protected] Received 3 April 2013; Accepted 24 June 2013 Academic Editor: Abraham Hefetz Copyright © 2013 A. M. A. Joma and W. P. Mackay. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. We describe a new species of Afrotropical Bothroponera from Whittlesea City, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. This species is unique among the African Bothroponera as it is the only species with a horizontal propodeal spiracle. It is also the largest species of African Bothroponera (total length 14.80–15.65). The clypeus lacks a medial longitudinal carina, the head is subquadrate, the sculpture is mostly foveolate, and the second gastral segment nearly lacks sculpturing. We compare the new species to the similar B. cavernosa and B. cavernosa var. montivaga. Wealso compare the new species to all of the other 10 taxa that belong to the cavernosa complex. A key to the cavernosa complex species of the Afrotropical Bothroponera is provided along with diagnosis, comparison, distribution, habitat, biology, and etymology for the new species. 1. Introduction 1.2. Current Estimations of African Ant Diversity. Studies are still insufficient to estimate the actual number of species of 1.1. Ants of Africa and Their Importance. Ants are generally African ants, which includes about 16 subfamilies and 83 to considered a remarkable model for the study of population 154 genera [2, 10]. The largest subfamilies are Myrmicinae dynamics and ecosystem structure and function, especially in with about 6983 species, Formicinae with about 3709 species, tropical, subtropical, and biodiversity hotspot areas, because and Ponerinae with about 1250 species. Studies on the of the ecological roles of these organisms in ecosystems. Ant biodiversity of African ants demonstrate that these important species are considered keystone species in several terrestrial organisms have a high species richness and great biodiversity ecosystems and are unique in that they can interact bio- in African ecosystems. Afrotropical ant genera have been logically and ecologically with other organisms and display sampledinseveralprojects.BelshawandBolton[11]collected huge positive and negative effects on ecosystem [1–6]. They 47 genera in Ghana; Lindsey and Skinner [12]recorded17 play almost all of the roles of symbiotic relationships with genera in Tussen die Riviere Game Reserve, Free State in other organisms. Biologists study ant species for several South Africa; Parr and Chown [13]collected16generafrom reasons: they are easy to handle, able to survive in various the central Satara area of the Kruger National Park, South habitats, adapt to extreme environments, and are small in Africa; Fisher [14] collected 56 genera on Monts Doudou in size. Afrotropical regions are especially rich with ant species, Southwestern Gabon; Yanoviak et al. [15]collected14genera where they disperse seeds in the Fynbos biome in South in Gamba, Gabon; Braschler et al. [16] collected 35 genera in Africa [3, 7, 8]. Ant species play a central role in maintaining South Africa; Schoeman and Foord [17]collected29generaat the vegetation at the appropriate density. Afrotropical ants are theMarakeleNationalPark,Limpopoprovince,SouthAfrica; very important in optimal ecosystem management, such as Hita Garcia et al. [18] recorded 52 genera from Kakamega Oecophylla longinoda in South Africa [9]. Forest, Western Kenya. Robertson [2] listed 83 genera of 2 Psyche Afrotropical ants. Some genera (44) have received modern Pachycondyla genome, there are several genera that should be taxonomic revision, while 39 genera including Pachycondyla distinct from Pachycondyla [25]. have not been revised. By simple calculations, based on the previous studies and [10, 19], the approximate number of 1.5. Genus Bothroponera. The genus Bothroponera was African ant genera (excluding Malagasy genera) is about 126– described by Mayr in 1862 [26]. The majority of myrmecol- 154. The number will increase soon as a result of the current ogists, such as von Dalla Torre, Bingham, Ashmead, W. active work on revisions of Afrotropical ants. M. Wheeler, Bernard, Taylor et al., G. C. Wheeler and J. Wheeler, Taylor, and Dlussky and Fedoseeva [27–35], 1.3. Subfamily Ponerinae and Tribe Ponerini Characters. agreed that Bothroponera is a separate genus; however, Bothroponera belongs to the subfamily Ponerinae, which Bothroponera and Pachycondyla are closely related to each includes three tribes, Platythyreini, Ponerini, and Thaumato- other. The characteristics that are used to distinguish the myrmecini [20]. The worker of the subfamily Ponerinae can genus Bothroponera in this paper are based on descriptions of be recognized by several characters [20], including a well- theentiregroupofAfricanBothroponera species (∼40). The developed sting, the toruli are completely fused to the frontal genus is characterized by the narrowed, convex, and medially lobes, which are greatly narrowed posteriorly, and the palpal raised clypeus. The mandibles are triangular or narrowed segments are reduced in length. The promesonotal suture with 6–9 teeth. The frontal lobes are rounded or semioval, is present and flexible with the pronotum and mesonotum divided by a well-developed frontal furrow. The pronotum capable of movement relative to each other. The metapleural of the worker lacks any evidence of a carina or shelf. The gland orifice is simple. The clypeus is well developed. The mesonotum is completely fused with the propodeum, and petiole is present, the postpetiole is not separated from the the notopropodeal suture is completely absent. The petiole gaster [21]. The petiole represents the second abdominal is thick with a developed ventral process. The mesopleuron segment, the postpetiole is the third abdominal segment (first is not divided by an anapleural suture and is well separated gastral segment), and the rest of abdominal segments are from the metapleuron by the mesometapleural suture. gastral segments 4–7. The Ponerinae can often be recognized by a stridulatory organ on the dorsal surface of the second 1.6. Global Distribution of the Genus Bothroponera. The genus acrotergite [20, 21]. The petiole is without tergosternal fusion Bothroponera in Africa occurs mainly in tropical and sub- [20]. The Ponerinae is considered to be a heterogeneous tropical areas. The biogeographical information shows that assemblage of ants [6]. The worker of the tribe Ponerini also the genus Bothroponera is present only in the Afrotropical, hasspecialcharacteristicssuchasthepetiolehasaslender Oriental, and Australian Regions. There are about 92 species articulation on the ventral side of the first gastral segment, of Bothroponera distributed worldwide, but Bothroponera palpal joints are reduced in number, and the frontal carinae is absent from the Palearctic, Nearctic, and Neotropical converge posteriorly [21]. The clypeus has an anterior medial Regions. The Bothroponera species are distributed as the raised area and is narrowed from the sides of the head. The following: Madagascar 9 taxa (Bothroponera cambouei, B. frontal lobes cover the base of the insertion of the scapes. The comorensis, B. masoala, B. perroti, B. perroti admista, B. plan- helcium projects from very low down on the anterior face icornis, B. tavaratra, B. vazimba,andB. wasmannii revised as of third abdominal segment, the latter with a high vertical Pachycondyla [36]; Australia 16 taxa (Bothroponera excavata anterior face above the helcium. This tribe is considered as a var. acuticostata, B. astuta, B. barbata, B. denticulata, B. paraphyletic group based on apomorphic characteristics [20]. dubitata, B. excavata, B. piliventris var. intermedia, B. sublevis subsp. kurandensis, B. mayri, B. sublevis var. murina, B. 1.4. Genus Pachycondyla. Since 1858, when Smith described piliventris, B. porcata, B. piliventris subsp. regularis, B. sublae- the genus Pachycondyla [22], myrmecologists have continued vis r. reticulata, B. sublaevis var. rubicunda,andB. sublaevis) to add new subgenera, and recently this genus and the [33]; New Guinea has five species (Bothroponera incisa, B. proposed generic synonyms have reached a state of unclear obesa, B. simillima, B. striata,andB. verecunda); and India has taxonomic identity. This genus includes 18 subgenera, which eight taxa (Bothroponera sulcata var. fossulata, B. bispinosa, in the future will probably be separated into more than 18 B. henryi, B. leeuwenhoeki, B. rufipes, B. sulcata, B. sulcata genera, Bothroponera being one of them. The taxonomic level var. sulcatotesserinoda,andB. tesseronoda). In Asia there are of Pachycondyla is still under extensive study in that it could about 15 taxa distributed as the following: Philippines two be a paraphyletic or even a polyphyletic assemblage. The species (Bothroponera glabripes and B. williamsi);
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