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Issue: Vol. 4410 No. 3: 18 Apr. 2018
Type: Article
Published: 2018-04-18
DOI: 10.11646/Zootaxa.4410.3.4
Page range: 497–510
Abstract views: 70
PDF downloaded: 2

Taxonomic identity of the ghost ant, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius, 1793) (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae)

Grupo de Investigación en Insectos Neotropicales, Programa de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del Magdalena, Carrera 32 # 22–08, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia.
Hymenoptera Cosmopolitan species morphological variation new synonymy taxonomic stability tramp species

Abstract

This paper revises the taxonomy of Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius, 1793) as follows: T. melanocephalum = Tapinoma luffae (Kuriam, 1955) syn. nov., = Tapinoma melanocephalum coronatum Forel, 1908 syn. nov., = Tapinoma melanocephalum malesianum Forel, 1913 syn. nov. A neotype of Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius, 1793) is designed here. Lectotypes of Tapinoma melanocephalum coronatum Forel, 1908 and T. melanocephalum malesianum Forel, 1913 are designated. Formica wallacei is proposed as a replacement name for Formica familiaris (= T. melanocephalum senior synonym). The worker, queen and male are redescribed and diagnosed. The morphological variability of populations is discussed. All castes are included in full color images.

 

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