Tetraponera grandidieri (Forel 1891)

Colonies of T. grandidieri usually occupy dead twigs or branches on the ground, less commonly in the lower canopy. Ward (2009) collected thirteen nest series of this species in Madagascar, of which nine were in dead wood and four were located in cavities of live plants: three in stems of tree saplings (Ixora sp., Leea sp. and an unidentified plant), and one in a cavity in a live root of a tree in the genus Rhus. There were no scale insects (Coccoidea) in any of these live cavity nests, however, and there is no indication that T. grandidieri is closely associated with any particular plant species. It seems clear that it and other members of the T. grandidieri group occupy moister nest sites than most Tetraponera species. The nests of T. grandidieri apparently contain no more than one dealate queen, and colony sizes are small (5-40 workers). Alate queens and males have been collected from February to May. Workers commonly forage on low vegetation, and they appear to be mimicked by members of the Camponotus putatus complex whose workers forage in similar microhabitats. T. grandidieri is generally absent from disturbed rainforest edge and other high light environments.

Tetraponera grandidieri is widespread in eastern Madagascar, with a distribution that spans thelength of the island. Populations are restricted to rainforest, at elevations ranging from sea level to 1375 m. As a result of habitat destruction in the lowlands most populations are found at intermediate or higher elevations.

Within the grandidieri group this species is recognized by a combination of the following worker features:basal margin of mandible lacking tooth; masticatory margin with four teethpetiole slender, obovate, with an elongate anterior pedunclemetanotal spiracle more or less protruding above the profile of the mesosoma, as seen in lateral viewlegs uniformly light orange-brown, femora lacking conspicuous black bandingbody usually bicolored, such that dark head contrasts with lighter orange-brown mesosoma and metasoma, less commonly unicolorous orange

Sima grandidieri Forel, 1891c PDF: 203, pl. 5, fig. 3 (w.) MADAGASCAR. Malagasy. Primary type information: Madagascar, Central Madagascar, coll. Hildebrandt; CASENT0101652; MHNG AntCat AntWiki HOL

Taxonomic history

Lectotype designation: Ward, 2009a PDF: 289.Forel, 1891c PDF: 229 (q.m.).Combination in Sima (Sima): Emery, 1921c PDF: 24.Combination in Tetraponera: Wheeler, 1922: 1014.Status as species: Forel, 1891c PDF: 229; Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 54; Emery, 1895g PDF: 339; Emery, 1899e PDF: 273; Emery, 1921c PDF: 24; Wheeler, 1922: 1014; Bolton, 1995b: 418; Ward, 2009a PDF: 288 (redescription).Senior synonym of Tetraponera hildebrandti: Ward, 2009a PDF: 289.