Taxonomic studies on genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with report of two new species and three new records including a tramp species from India with a revised key

Abstract

Two new species of Tetramorium Mayr, namely Tetramorium shivalikense sp. n. and Tetramorium triangulatum sp. n. are described. Tetramorium triangulatum sp. n. belongs to the inglebyi-species group and is described based on worker, queen and male caste, while Tetramorium shivalikense sp. n. belongs to the ciliatum-species group and is described based on worker caste only. Three species viz., Tetramorium caldarium (Roger), Tetramorium tonganum Mayr and Tetramorium urbanii Bolton represent first records from India. The male caste is described for the first time in the case of Tetramorium tonganum. Among these, Tetramorium caldarium is a tramp species which extends its limit to India as well. A revised key to the Indian ants of this genus is also provided herewith.

Taxonomic overview of the hyperdiverse ant genusTetramoriumMayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in India with descriptions and X-ray microtomography of two new species from the Andaman Islands

“…The updated list of Indian Tetramorium species given below is based on Bharti (2011) , Bharti & Kumar (2012) , and Bharti et al (2016) with some corrections and additions resulting from this study ( Tables 2 and 3 ). Currently, we recognize 42 species for the country ( Fig.…”

“…230 valid and potentially 150 undescribed species are known ( Bolton, 1976 ; Hita Garcia, Fischer & Peters, 2010 ; Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014a ). The Indomalayan region also harbors a rich Tetramorium fauna with approximately 120 species ( Janicki et al, 2016 ; Guénard et al, 2017 ), of which 42 have been reported from India ( Bharti et al, 2016 ; Bharti & Kumar, 2012 ).…”

“…These works were the foundation for recent revisionary works focusing on the Afrotropical ( Hita Garcia & Fischer, 2014 ; Hita Garcia, Fischer & Peters, 2010 ; Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2013 , 2014a ), Malagasy ( Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011 , 2012a , 2012b , 2014b , 2015 ), and Palearctic regions ( Csösz, Radchenko & Schulz, 2007 ; Csösz & Schulz, 2010 ). Nevertheless, the Indomalayan Tetramorium fauna as a whole or in parts was not revised since Bolton (1977) , and our knowledge of Indomalayan Tetramorium diversity has only slightly grown through some smaller regional treatments or insular single species descriptions ( Bharti, 2011 ; Bharti & Kumar, 2012 ; Schlick-Steiner, Steiner & Zettel, 2006 ; Sheela & Narendran, 1998 ; Sorger, 2011 ; Yamane & Jaitrong, 2011 ). Despite this, compared to most of the Indomalayan region, the Tetramorium fauna of India is much better studied.…”

“…Despite this, compared to most of the Indomalayan region, the Tetramorium fauna of India is much better studied. On the basis of Bolton (1977) , eight new species have been described in the last two decades ( Bharti, 2011 ; Bharti & Kumar, 2012 ; Mathew & Tiwari, 2000 ; Sheela & Narendran, 1998 ), which increased the species count to 40. Yet, the Indian subcontinent is vast and comprises an extraordinary diversity of landscapes, climate zones, and ecosystems, but only a small fraction of habitats has been sampled well and our knowledge of ant diversity and distribution is fragmentary and will increase with future collections.…”

Taxonomy of the hyper-diverse ant genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Malagasy region (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae) – first record of the T. setigerum species group and additions to the Malagasy species groups with an updated illustrated identification key

“…These works provided an excellent foundation for the many later revisions or treatments of species groups/complexes or regions/subregions (e.g. Csösz et al 2007; Csösz and Schulz 2010; Hita Garcia et al 2010; Hita Garcia and Fisher 2011, 2012a, 2012b, 2013, 2014a, 2014b; Bharti and Kumar 2012; Sharaf et al 2012; Vásquez Bolaños et al 2011). The Malagasy Tetramorium fauna was first monographed by Bolton (1979), who treated eight species groups with 36 species (29 of these endemic to Madagascar).…”