Tetramorium jordani Santschi 1937
Creators: name: Mbanyana, Nokuthula
name: Garcia, Francisco Hita
name: Robertson, Hamish Gibson
name: Roux, Johannes Jacobus Le
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Tetramorium
Tetramorium jordani

description: Tetramorium jordani Santschi, 1937
Figs 3G, 14, 24
Tetramorium jordani Santschi, 1937: 62.
Tetramorium aspinatum Prins, 1973: 12 (included in Bolton 1980: 248).
Diagnosis
Tetramorium jordani is the only species in the Tetramorium solidum group with the combination of no propodeal spines (the propodeum is only angulated with PSLI 1–3) and a hairless body (Fig. 3G). The only other species without propodeal spines is T. brigitteae sp. nov., which has erect hairs covering the entire body.
Material examined
Type material
NAMIBIA: 2 syntypes of Tetramorium jordan Santschi, 1937: W of Maltahohe, 1500 m a.s.l., 12 Dec. 1933, K. Jordan leg. (BMNH: CASENT0901180; NHMB: CASENT0915021).
SOUTH AFRICA: syntypes of Tetramorium aspinatum Prins, 1973, 8 pinned workers, Northern Cape, Port Nolloth, 20 Apr. 1963, J.J. Cillie leg. (SAM-ENT0011753).
Other material
SOUTH AFRICA (112 pinned workers): Northern Cape: Rondabel 542 (Farm), 30°50′ S, 17°45′ E, 4 Sep. 1996, on vegetated red dunes, V.B. Whitehead leg. (SAM-HYM-C008958); Rietfontein bos, 23 Apr. 1963 (SAM-HYM-C019259); Calvinia, 24 Apr. 1963 (SAM-HYM-C019261); Springbok, 20 Apr. 1963, A.J. Prins leg. (SAM-HYM-C019260); Van Rhynsdorp, 5 May 1959, A.J. Prins leg. (SAM-HYM-C019262); Clanwilliam, 4 Jan. 1962, A.J. Prins leg. (SAM-HYM-C019265); Nardou Pass, 4 Jan. 1960, A.J. Prins leg. (SAM-HYM-C019266); Kamieskroon, 6 Oct. 1959, A.J. Prins leg. (SAM-HYM-C019267). – Western Cape: Namakwa Sands, 31°15′54.2″ S, 17°55′50.8″ E, 31 Mar.– 4 Apr. 2003, pitfall trap, minespoil, Strandveld, N. Netshilaphala leg. (SAM-HYM-C018132); West Coast Fossil Park (4 km 270° W of Langebaanweg), 32°58.444′ S, 18°06.731′ E, 4–11 Sep. 2002, pitfall trap, Sand Plain Fynbos dominated by Lebeckia, S. van Noort, D. Larsen and E. Bartnick leg. (SAM- HYM-C018894); West Coast Fossil Park (5.5 km 290° E of Langebaanweg), 32°57.51′ S, 18°06.728′ E, 4–11 Sep. 2002, pitfall trap, rehabilitated mine dump, S. van Noort, D. Larsen and E. Bartnick leg. (SAM- HYM-C018895); West Coast Fossil Park (3 km 280° W of Langebaanweg), 32°58.020′ S, 18°07.285′ E, 4–11 Sep. 2002, pitfall trap, rehabilitated mine dump, S. van Noort, D. Larsen and E. Bartnick leg. (SAM-HYM-C0188900); foragers, 16 mi. from Clanwilliam near Calvinia, 5 Jan. 1962, J.J. Cillie leg. (SAM-HYM-C015544); Petersfield, Citrusdal, 6 Mar. 1969, A.J. Prins leg. (SAM-HYM-C018314); Clanwilliam, Farm Sawadee, 32.3388° S, 18.987817° E, 332 m a.s.l., Fynbos, pitfall trap, A. Botes leg. (SAM-HYM-C024971).
NAMIBIA: Namib Naukluft National Park, Big Slip Face, 23.39° S, 15.20° E, 11 Sep. 1987, collected from nest, H.G. Robertson leg. (SAM-HYM-C000509); Namib Naukluft Khomabes, 23.33° S, 14.59° E, 11 Sep. 1987, collected from nest, H.G. Robertson leg. (SAM-HYM-C000498); Fish River Canyon, 1 Sep. 1998, A. Chapman leg. (BMNH: CASENT248475).
Measurements (worker N =13)
HL 0.974 –1.135 (1.071); HW 0.915 –1.121 (1.064); SL 0.777 –0.846 (0.795); EL 0.256 –0.295 (0.266); PH 0.364 –0.492 (0.453); PW 0.593 –0.734 (0.673); WL 1.072 –1.170 (1.158); PSL 0.010 –0.030 (0.017); PTH 0.305 –0.364 (0.340); PTL 0.285 –0.334 (0.306); PTW 0.305 –0.388 (0.342); PPH 0.452 –0.555 (0.490); PPL 0.256 –0.319 (0.289); PPW 0.416 –0.492 (0.460); OI 23–28 (25); CI 94–109 (99); SI 69–85 (75); DMI 47–65 (58); LMI 32–44 (39); PSLI 1–3 (2); PeNI 48–56 (51); LPeI 85–94 (90); DPeI 104– 123 (112); PpNI 62–75 (68); LPpI 55–63 (59); DPpI 136–177 (159); PPI 122–150 (135).
Distribution
This species has been recorded from arid regions of South Africa (Western Cape and Northern Cape) and Namibia in the following habitats: Succulent Karoo, Namib Desert, Lowland Fynbos and Renosterveld, Montane Fynbos and Renosterveld and Nama Karoo.
Remarks
Tetramorium jordani nests in sandy soils, with nests located either at the base of plants or with the entrance in the open, away from plants. The nest usually has a crater of soil around the entrance. In sand dunes of the Namib Desert, the tunnels inside the nest have crust-like walls to stop sand from falling in, and the entrance of one nest observed was funnel shaped due to the crust-like lining and the fact that the loose sand around the entrance was blown away by the wind. The species has been collected using yellow pan traps, pitfall traps and hand collecting. Tetramorium jordani feeds on seeds.
description: Published as part of Mbanyana, Nokuthula, Garcia, Francisco Hita, Robertson, Hamish Gibson & Roux, Johannes Jacobus Le, 2018, A taxonomic revision of seed harvester ants of the Tetramorium solidum group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in southern Africa, pp. 1-59 in European Journal of Taxonomy 454 on pages 29-31, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.454, http://zenodo.org/record/3817358