Tetramorium hortorum

Tetramorium hortorum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Tetramorium
Species:	T. hortorum
Binomial name
	Tetramorium hortorum; Arnold, 1958 Specimen Labels

Tetramorium hortorum has been collected from savannah and woodlands habitats. Robertson found two ground nests, one (sam-hym-c000999) in an open area away from the base of any plant and the other (sam-hym-c000556) with an entrance at the base of a grass tuft. He observed mites on the workers in the latter colony.

Identification

Bolton (1980) - In the last analysis T. hortorum is really no more than a densely sculptured version of Tetramorium bulawayense and the two may eventually be shown to be variants of a single species. For the present, however, I have elected to keep them separate as no intermediates are known, despite the fact that sculptural density and intensity are notoriously variable in this species-group.

Keys including this Species

Key to Afrotropical Tetramorium sericeiventre species group

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -17.93333° to -27.6°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: South Africa, Zambia, Zambia, Zimbabwe (type locality), Zimbabwe (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.

hortorum. Tetramorium hortorum Arnold, 1958: 121, fig. 2 (w.) ZIMBABWE. See also: Bolton, 1980: 327.

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

Description

Worker

Bolton (1980) - TL 3.0-3.2, HL 0.72-0.74, HW 0.60-0.64, CI 83-86, SL 0.62-0.66, SI 103-105, PW 0.45-0.50, AL 0.86-0.96 (5 measured).

Answering to the description of Tetramorium bulawayense in all particulars except sculpture, which is. denser and coarser in T. hortorum, as follows. Dorsum of head finely, densely and conspicuously longitudinally rugulose with dense reticulatepunctulate or granular ground-sculpture. Occipital region with a weak ruguloreticulum or at least with numerous anastomoses or cross-meshes. Sides of head in front and behind eye with reticular rugulae, the sides above the eye densely punctulate and sometimes with sparse rugulae. Dorsal alitrunk finely rugulose, longitudinal on the promesonotum but predominantly transverse on the propodeum. Some traces of reticulation may be present on pronotum. Entire alitrunk with dense reticulate-punctate ground-sculpture between the rugulae. Petiole and postpetiole finely rugulose, usually irregular or even reticulate in places, the interspaces punctulate. First gastral tergite finely and densely sculptured, at least basally. Otherwise as T. bulawayense.

Type Material

Bolton (1980) - Syntype workers, RHODESIA: Victoria Falls, 14.ii.1953 (G. Arnold) (Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe) [examined].

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection