Tetramorium avium

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Tetramorium avium
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Tetramorium
Species: T. avium
Binomial name
Tetramorium avium
Bolton, 1980

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Specimen Labels

The relatively small number of collections of this species were made in a range of habitats from grassland to forest.

Identification

This species and Tetramorium frenchi form a close species-pair within the setigerum-complex of this group. The two are best separated on the structure of the petiole which in T. avium conspicuously narrows from base to apex in profile, and has both the antero- and posterodorsal angles rounded. In T. frenchi on the other hand the node is scarcely or not narrowed from base to apex and the angles are sharply defined, especially the anterodorsal which is a sharp right-angle, often projecting as a low crest or peak. Beside this T. frenchi has a narrow band of punctulation or shagreening on the base of the first gastral tergite, although it may be faint in some individuals, and also has the alitrunk sculpture stronger, with distinct, quite coarse rugulae on the pronotum. Tetramorium avium is the host-species of the inquiline Tetramorium parasiticum, described below from a single female found in a nest of T. avium. A comparison of the female of T. avium with this parasitic species is given under T. parasiticum.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -24.97018° to -30.52138889°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: South Africa (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • avium. Tetramorium avium Bolton, 1980: 276, figs. 58, 63, 64 (w.q.) SOUTH AFRICA.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Holotype. TL 3.4, HL 0.75, HW 0.64, CI 85, SL 0.70, SI 109, PW 0.49, AL 0.95. Paratypes (29 measured): TL 3.1—3.7, HL 0.70-0.78, HW 0.60-0.67, CI 82-86, SL 0.64-0.70, SI 103-109, PW 0.44-0.50, AL 0.82-0.96 Maximum diameter of eye 0.16-0.18, about 0.25-0.28 x HW.

Mandibles longitudinally striate. Anterior clypeal margin entire, without a median notch or impression. Frontal carinae long, reaching back almost to the occipital margin and surmounted by a low rim or crest so that the carinae are more strongly developed than the remaining cephalic sculpture. Maximum separation of carinae about 0.50 x HW. Antennal scrobes vestigial, very shallow. Antennal scapes relatively long, SI > 100. Maximum diameter of eye 0.18, about 0.28 x HW. Alitrunk in profile with the metanotal groove feebly impressed. Propodeal spines relatively short, acute apically, longer than the metapleural lobes but shorter than the maximum diameter of the eye. Metapleural lobes triangular. Petiole in profile with a long anterior peduncle and a high, quite narrow node, the dorsal length of which is distinctly less than the height of the tergal portion. Anterior and posterior faces of the node in profile distinctly convergent dorsally, both the antero- and posterodorsal angles blunt, the latter more broadly rounded than the former. Petiole in dorsal view distinctly broader than long. Dorsum of head irregularly longitudinally rugulose, without a rugoreticulum occipitally although one or two weak cross-meshes or anastomoses are present. Groundsculpture of head granulate or finely punctulate, weakly developed. Dorsal alitrunk finely reticulatepunctulate, the pronotum with a few feeble, superimposed irregular rugulae which tend to fade out on the mesonotum but which are again visible in the vicinity of the metanotal groove. Dorsal petiole and postpetiole predominantly finely reticulate-punctulate but with a few very weak fine rugulae. Base of first gastral tergite smooth and highly polished. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous strong, standing hairs. Antennal scapes and tibiae of middle and hind legs with short, fine, decumbent to appressed pubescence only. Colour mid-brown, the gaster slightly darker in shade than the head or alitrunk.

Paratypes: Variation in the paratypes is predominantly in colour, which varies from mid-brown to blackish brown, and in the propodeal spine length. In most material the spines are as in the holotype but in some workers they are smaller, only about the same length as the metapleural lobes or even slightly shorter. (In one non-paratypic series the spines are reduced to teeth which are distinctly shorter than the metapleural lobes.) As the cephalic rugulae between the frontal carinae are irregular and usually broken or interrupted it is difficult to assess the number of them, but there are generally 7-10 at the level of the midlength of the eyes.

Type Material

Holotype worker, South Africa: Cape Prov., Seaview, Port Elisabeth, 2.iii.1969, hillscrub, no. M325 (W. L. Brown) (Museum of Comparative Zoology). Paratypes. South Africa: 14 workers with same data as holotype; 14 workers and | female, Cape Prov., Grahamstown, Fern Kloof, 19.ii.1969, no. M87, rotten wood, damp kloof (W. L. Brown); 1 worker, Grahamstown, iv.1915 (J. Hewitt). (MCZ; The Natural History Museum; Albany Museum; Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe)

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Kotze D. J., and M. J. Samways. 2001. No general edge effects for invertebrates at Afromontane forest/grassland ecotones. Biodiversity and Conservation 10: 443–466.
  • Kotze D. J., and M. J. Samways. Invertebrate conservation at the interface between the grassland matrix and natural Afromontane forest fragments. 1999. Biodiversity and Conservation 8: 1339-1363.