Tetramorium breviscapus

Tetramorium breviscapus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Tetramorium
Species:	T. breviscapus
Binomial name
Tetramorium breviscapus Wagner, Arthofer, Seifert, Muster, Steiner & Schlick-Steiner, 2017

More thermophilic than Tetramorium alpestre, Tetramorium caespitum, Tetramorium indocile, Tetramorium caucasicum, and Tetramorium impurum; TAS of three sites 22.1 ± 1.4 °C [20.6, 23.2]. Open habitats. (Wagner et al. 2017)

Identification

A member of the Tetramorium caespitum species complex. See Wagner et al. (2017) and https://webapp.uibk.ac.at/ecology/tetramorium/ for keys.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 43.67° to 39.705°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia (type locality), Greece (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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.

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.

Nomenclature

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

• breviscapus. Tetramorium breviscapus Wagner, et al. 2017: 115, fig. 15 (w.) CROATIA, BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA, GREECE.

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

Description

Worker

Smaller than most species of complex, CS = 714 ± 26 [689, 740] μm. Dark brown to blackish, mesosoma frequently lighter than head and gaster.

Head rather truncated compared with other species of complex, CL / CW = 1.002 ± 0.012 [0.989, 1.010]. Eye rather small, EYE / CS = 0.169 ± 0.010 [0.163, 0.180]. Scape shortest of complex, SLd / CS = 0.728 ± 0.010 [0.722, 0.739]. Mesosoma short and moderately wide, ML / CS = 1.119 ± 0.013 [1.107, 1.133], MW / CS = 0.631 ± 0.002 [0.629, 0.634].

Promesonotal dorsum convex, metanotal groove shallow. – Head dorsum and occiput with longitudinal costae and costulae. Postoculo-temporal area of head with rather few longitudinal costae and costulae, POTCos = 5.95 ± 0.53 [5.45, 6.50]. Mesosoma dorsum longitudinally rugulose, lateral side of propodeum with large smooth and shiny area, Ppss = 73.6 ± 16.6 [57.9, 91.0]. Dorsum of petiolar node usually smooth, exceptionally microreticulated. General surface appearance rather smooth and shiny compared with other species of complex. – Connected stickman-like or reticulate microsculpture: moderate-sized units scattered over 1st gastral tergite, MC1TG = 15.77 ± 1.20 [14.58, 16.97]. – Some workers with long c-shaped, crinkly, or sinuous hairs on ventral head just posterior to buccal cavity.

Type Material

Dubrovnik (Croatia), 42.650° N, 18.083° E, 3 m a.s.l., leg. D. Dender, 29.X.2005.

All type material from one nest, labeled "CRO: 42.650° N, 18.083° E Dubrovnik coast, 3 m D.Dender 2005.10.29-18071". Holotype worker and eleven paratype workers in Senckenberg Naturkundemuseum Görlitz (Germany). Five paratype workers in Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA), five in Natural History Museum in London (UK), five in Natural History Museum Basel (Switzerland), five in Museum of Nature South Tyrol (Bozen, Italy), five in Tiroler Landesmuseum (Hall, Austria), five in Natural History Museum in Vienna (Austria), five in Budapest Hungarian Natural History Museum (Hungary), and five in Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology Kiev (Ukraine). Holotype in μm: CL = 724, CW = 724, dAN = 197, EL = 130, EW = 99, FL = 276, HFL = 551, MC1TG = 15.7, ML = 789, MPPL = 234, MPSP = 309, MPST = 189, MtpW = 361, MW = 449, PEH = 245, PEL = 149, PEW = 245, PLSP = 168, PLST = 176, PnHL = 172, PoOc = 292, POTCos = 7.8, PPH = 269, PPL = 106, Ppss = 79, PPW = 306, PreOc = 180, RTI = 295, SLd = 512, SPST = 133, SPWI = 200.

Etymology

Named after its proportionally short scape, one of the best morphological characters for discrimination from related species. Because "breviscapus" is a noun in apposition, "us" is the correct ending.

References

• Moss, A.D., Swallow, J.G., Greene, M.J. 2022. Always under foot: Tetramorium immigrans (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a review. Myrmecological News 32: 75-92 (doi:10.25849/MYRMECOL.NEWS_032:075).
• Seifert, B. 2021. Surviving the winter: Tetramorium sibiricum n. sp., a new Central Siberian ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Osmia 9, 15–24 (doi:10.47446/osmia9.3).
• Wagner, H.C., Arthofer, W., Seifert, B., Muster, C., Steiner, F.M. & Schlick-Steiner, B.C. 2017. Light at the end of the tunnel: Integrative taxonomy delimits cryptic species in the Tetramorium caespitum complex. Myrmecological News 25: 95-129.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Wagner H. C., W. Arthofer, B. Seifert, C. Muster, F. M. Steiner, and B. C. Schlick-Steiner. 2017. Light at the end of the tunnel: Integrative taxonomy delimits cryptic species in the Tetramorium caespitum complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 25: 95-129.