Key to Tetramorium of the southwestern Australian Botanical Province

This worker key is based on: Heterick, B. E. 2009b. A guide to the ants of South-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 76: 1-206. Part 2.

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• Australia
• SWBP
• Tetramorium

1

• Antenna 12-segmented (introduced spp.) . . . . . 2

• Antenna 11-segmented (native spp) . . . . . 3

2

return to couplet #1

• Anterior margin of clypeus entire (Figure 691); smaller species (TL ≈ 2 - 2.5 mm) . . . . . . Tetramorium simillimum

Figure 691.

• Anterior margin of clypeus notched (Figure 692); larger species (TL ≈ 3.5 - 4.5 mm) . . . . . . Tetramorium bicarinatum

Figure 692.

3

return to couplet #1

• Dorsum of petiole and postpetiole smooth and shining, almost devoid of sculpture (black species) . . . . . . Tetramorium sp. JDM 522

• At least one of the nodes with distinct sculpture (species with some colour) . . . . . 4

4

return to couplet #3

• Propodeum unarmed or with vestigial denticles at posterior angles . . . . . . Tetramorium sp. JDM 515

• Propodeum armed with moderately stout spines . . . . . 5

5

return to couplet #4

• In profile, mesosoma smoothly curved, without a hint of a metanotal groove (Figure 693a); dorsum of petiolar node large and triangular in cross section (Figure 693b) . . . . . Tetramorium sp. JDM 1007

Figure 693a.

Figure 693b.

• In profile, promesonotum gradually declining towards propodeum, not smoothly rounded (Figure 694); metanotal groove usually indicated by shallow depression or lateral indentations; dorsum of petiolar node smaller and rectangular in cross-section (e.g. Figure 695) . . . . . 6

Figure 694.

Figure 695.

6

return to couplet #5

• Antennal scrobes distinctly continuing to or close to vertex of head, sculpture within scrobes often reduced to fine punctuation with longitudinal rugulae absent or vestigial (Figure 696) . . . . . 7

Figure 696.

• Antennal scrobes not continuing beyond eye, often indistinct; sculpture within scrobes mostly similar to rest of vertex with longitudinal rugulae distinct (Figure 697) . . . . . 10

Figure 697.

7

return to couplet #6

• Eye very large (ocular diameter > 0.3 x HW); eye situated behind midpoint of head (Figure 698) . . . . . . Tetramorium megalops

Figure 698.

• Eye smaller (ocular diameter < 0.3 x HW); eye situated at or close to midlength of head capsule (Figure 699) . . . . . 8

Figure 699.

8

return to couplet #7

• Brown species . . . . . . Tetramorium sp. JDM 884

• Concolorous orange, or orange with darker head capsule . . . . . 9

9

return to couplet #8

• Clypeus not transversely concave or with median notch; viewed from above, dorsum of node trapezoid in shape (Figure 700), the anterior margin shorter than the posterior margin, and the dorsal surface distinctly longer than broad; base of gaster usually sculptured with fine, parallel, longitudinal striolae or finely microreticulate . . . . . . Tetramorium striolatum

Figure 700.

• Clypeus transversely concave or with median notch; viewed from above, dorsum of node square, about as wide as long (Figure 701); base of gaster either smooth and shining or with faint, superficial microreticulation . . . . . . Tetramorium viehmeyeri

Figure 701.

10

return to couplet #6

• Postpetiolar dorsum smooth and shining; head, mesosoma and nodes reddish-orange, gaster and appendages yellow . . . . . . Tetramorium sp. JDM 1072

• Postpetiolar dorsum sculptured; often bicoloured black- or brown-and-yellow, or reddishbrown-and-orange, in light coloured forms coxae nearly always darker than mesosoma (possibly two or more species involved here) . . . . . . Tetramorium impressum