Tetraponera unidens Santschi - new status

Type location Zaïre (Tetraponera ophthalmica Em. stirps unidens n.st., Santschi, 1928d: 60, illustrated, queen); junior synonym nasuta (Tetraponera nasuta, Bernard, 1952: 222, illustrated, queen; Terron, 1971: 74, all forms) from Guinea .

Santschi's (1928d) description of unidens is at .

New Status - from Santschi's description and illustration, together with the specimens from Cameroun, that I have identified and photographed, it seems highly likely that unidens is readily separable from Tetraponera ophthalmica and, so, merits the status of a full species. Moreover, it seems identical with the later described nasuta and so that must be reduced to the status of a junior synonym.

Ward (1990:489) gave the "current nominal combination" as Tetraponera nasuta Bernard (1952: 22; from Guinea); and Tetraponera ophthalmica unidens Santschi (1928: 60; from Zaïre); with the annnotation that he had examined specimens, as well as others of T. ophthalmica Emery (1912: 98; from Cameroun).

Tetraponera nasuta Bernard -
type location Guinea, Mt. Nimba, holotype dealated queen only, from Zouépo, forest, 1250 m, collector Lamotte; also from Cameroun (Terron, 1971: 74, who described all morphs).

QUEEN (nasuta) - TL 5.1, HL 1.3, HW 0.6 mm; entirely clear yellow-orange, except for thin brown bands on the posterior two-thirds of each gastral tergite; all of body shiny, finely shagreened. Hairs rare; but sparse, recumbent golden pubescence. Head cylindrical, narrowing in the posterior quarter - the most elongated of known Tetraponera; with a unique elongated anterior process on the clypeus, Eyes relatively enormous - 0.46 X 0.30 mm. Thorax also special in the form of the pronotum, which is waisted; most of thorax finely reticulated, without large puncturations or ridges. Petiole very slender, sculpted as the thorax. Gaster elongated and shiny. Anterior legs with slender femora and tibia dilated as other genus members (after Bernard, 1952).

Unique in having a major caste with unknown functions (Terron, 1971). Worker TL 4.1-4.7 mm; Soldier TL 4.6-4.9 mm; see - .

The photomontage of the phragmotic soldier is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0091649, where it is labelled as Tetraponera ophthalmica. The answer to Terron's question as to the function of the major morph may be that it is a phragmotic form used to block nest entrances - as the head in lateral profile is flattened dorsally, to some extent ventrally and has an abrupt flattened anterior; there also are shallow scrobes into which the flattened scapes fit so that they are below the main plane of the face.

The photomontages are of specimens collected in Cameroun - south-western tropical coastal forest area between Edéa and Campo (McKey Wolbachia project) - Cameroon 20 from location MAM, 25 March 2001 (Mamelles - mountainous massif at 2°34.07' N 9°53.80'), on Leonardoxa africana africana. The minor has enormous eyes set in the posterior 3/5 of the face and no ocelli; alitrunk flat-topped and marginate but with curious metanotal spiracles prominent and almost on the dorsum. Petiole relatively long and low with blunt postero-ventral process. Other images can be seen in the folders at -

The queen, as T. nasuta, illustrated by Terron (1971)

The photomontage is of a queen collected in Cameroun - south-western tropical coastal forest area between Edéa and Campo (McKey Wolbachia project) Other images can be seen in the folders at -

The photomontage is of a queen from Gabon, collected by Yves Braet, 2006. Other images can be seen in the folder at -