Tetramorium christiei

Tetramorium christiei
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Tetramorium
Species group:	tonganum
Species:	T. christiei
Binomial name
	Tetramorium christiei; Forel, 1902 Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Tetramorium christiei.

Identification

A member of the Tetramorium tonganum-species group.

Bolton (1977) - The propodeal spines are longer in the Bhutan specimen than in the types and the sculpture is somewhat more conspicuous, but the similarities far outweigh the differences and I have no doubt that the Bhutan specimen represents a variant within the limits of christiei. The species is related to Tetramorium tonganum and its allies but is separated by its relatively long scapes and uniformly dark colouring.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 26.85° to 26.85°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: India (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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

christiei. Tetramorium christiei Forel, 1902c: 232 (w.) INDIA. See also: Bolton, 1977: 124.

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

Description

Worker

Bolton (1977) - TL 3.4-3.5, HL 0.78-0.80, HW 0.70-0.72, CI 87-90, SL 0.62-0.64, SI 87-91, PW 0.50-0.52, AL 0.94-0.98 (4 measured).

Mandibles striate; anterior clypeal margin entire. Frontal carinae reaching back almost to occiput but only weakly developed, only a little stronger than the remaining cephalic sculpture. Antennal scrobes feeble but distinct, their ventral margins not at all demarcated. Eyes of moderate size, maximum diameter c. 0·16. Antennal scapes narrow and relatively long (SI above). Anterolateral pronotal angles rounded in dorsal view. Propodeal spines dentiform, acute, usually much shorter than the triangular metapleural lobes (but in the Bhutan specimen slightly longer). Petiole in profile with an elongate, feebly downcurved peduncle anteriorly, the node itself with rounded angles (Fig. 58). In dorsal view the petiole node varies from as broad as long to slightly broader than long. Rugulation of head predominantly longitudinal to region of occiput, with few or no cross-meshes, but with some feeble reticulation on the occiput itself. Dorsal alitrunk finely reticulate-rugulose, the petiole, postpetiole and gaster unsculptured. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous fine hairs of varying length but the scapes and hind tibiae only with short, decumbent pubescence. Colour uniform black or blackish brown.

Type Material

Bolton (1977) - Syntype workers, India: Darjeeling (Christie) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève; The Natural History Museum) [examined].

References

Agavekar, G., Hita Garcia, F., Economo, E.P. 2017. Taxonomic overview of the hyperdiverse ant genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in India with descriptions and X-ray microtomography of two new species from the Andaman Islands. PeerJ 5:e3800 (DOI 10.7717/peerj.3800).
Bharti, H. and Kumar, R. 2012. Taxonomic studies on genus Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with report of two new species and three new records including a tramp species from India with a revised key. ZooKeys. 207:11-35. doi:10.3897/zookeys.207.3040
Bolton, B. 1977. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Oriental and Indo-Australian regions, and in Australia. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology. 36:67-151.
Bolton, B. 1980. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region. Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Entomol. 40: 193-384 (page 124, see also)
Dendup, K.C., Dorji, C., Dhadwal, T., Bharti, H., Pfeiffer, M. 2021. A preliminary checklist of ants from Bhutan. Asian Myrmecology 14, e014005 (doi:10.20362/am.014005).
Forel, A. 1902c. Myrmicinae nouveaux de l'Inde et de Ceylan. Rev. Suisse Zool. 10: 165-249 (page 232, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bolton B. 1977. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Oriental and Indo-Australian regions, and in Australia. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 36:67-151.
Bolton, B. "The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicinae. The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Oriental and Indo-Australian regions and in Australia." Bulletin of the British Museum (National History): Entomology series 36, no. 2 (1977): 68-151.
Forel A. 1902. Myrmicinae nouveaux de l'Inde et de Ceylan. Rev. Suisse Zool. 10: 165-249.
Forel A. 1903. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part X. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 14: 679-715.
Forel A. 1906. Les fourmis de l'Himalaya. Bulletin de la Société Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles 42: 79-94.
Mathew R., and R. N. Tiwari. 2000. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Pp. 251-409 in: Director; Zoological Survey of India (ed.) 2000. Fauna of of Meghalaya. Part 7. [State Fauna Series 4.] Insecta 2000. Calcutta: Zoological Survey of India, 621 pp.
Pajni H. R., and R. K. Suri. 1978. First report on the Formicid fauna (Hymenoptera) of Chandigarh. Res. Bull. (Science) Punjab University 29: 5-12.
Roncin E. 2002. Two new Tetramorium species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Vietnam with a discussion of the mixtum, tonganum, and scabrosum groups. Sociobiology 40: 281-292.
Tak N., and S. I. Kazmi. 2013. On some ants (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Nagaland, India. Rec. zool. Surv. India: 113(1): 169-182.
Tiwari R. N., B. G. Kundu, S. Roy Chowdhury, and S. N. Ghosh. 2003. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Fauna of Sikkim. Part 4. State Fauna Series. 9.Zool.Surv.India. i-iii, 1-512. Chapter pagination: 467-506.