The ant genus Tetraponera in the Afrotropical region: the T. grandidieri group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

This dataset contains the digitized treatments in Plazi based on the original journal article Ward, P. S. (2009): The ant genus Tetraponera in the Afrotropical region: the T. grandidieri group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 18: 285-304, URL: http://antbase.org/ants/publications/22935/22935.pdfAbstract.-Ants in the Tetraponera grandidieri group are endemie to the island of Madagascar, where they occur in relatively undisturbed mesic forest. In this taxonomic revision of the group seven species are recognized: T. grandidieri (Forel), T. hespera sp. п., T. hirsuta sp. п., T. inermis sp. п., T. manangotra sp. п., T. merita sp. n. and T. variegata (Forel)stat. n.T. grandidieri hildebrandti (Forel) is proposed as a new synonym of T. grandidieri. The species in this group show limited morphological and genetic divergence. The justification for treating them as different species is that they occur sympatrically in various combinations, without showing genetic or phenotypic intergradation. Although differences in shape, pilosity and sculpture are not pronounced, there is notable color pattern variation, both within and among species. The conspicuous orange and reddish-brown color that characterizes the workers and queens likely serves as warning coloration. These ants have painful stings and several species of ants in the Camponotus putatus complex exhibit color patterns that apparently mimic those of the T. grandidieri group.Twig-dwelling ants in the subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae are a distinctive component of the arboreal ant fauna in forests and woodlands of both the Neotropics and Paleotropics (Ward and Downie 2005). The Afrotropical representatives of the subfamily, currently placed in the genus Tetraponera F. Smith, were recently divided into five monophyletic species groups (Ward 2006). Four of the five groups occur in Madagascar and one of these, the Tetraponera grandidieri group, is endemie to the island. The group has never received the benefit of a modem taxonomic treatment. There is only a single named species, T. grandidieri (Forel), with two nominai Subspecies, but the Current study reveals substantially greater species-level diversity, paralleling the situation for the ant fauna of Madagascar as a whole, where considerable numbers of species remaki undescribed (Fisher 2003). Species are here delimited using a Combination of morphological, geographica! and genetic evidence, while working within the framework of the biological species concept (Mayr 1963; Coyne and Orr 2004).This paper is dedicated to the memory of Roy Snelling, a colleague, friend and ardent hymenopterist. In his later years Roy developed an interest in the ant fauna of the Afrotropical region, specifically that of Kenya, and his last days were spent there. Roy's generosity, candor, pungent humor, and enthusiasm for ants and other aculeate Hymenoptera left an indelible impression on those who had the pleasure of interacting with him.