Tetramorium krynitum

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Tetramorium krynitum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Tetramorium
Species: T. krynitum
Binomial name
Tetramorium krynitum
Bolton, 1980

Tetramorium krynitum casent0901213 p 1 high.jpg

Tetramorium krynitum casent0901213 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Tetramorium krynitum. The specimen information for the type collection, the only specimens for this species, is limited to the locality, collector, and date.

Identification

A member of the Tetramorium simillimum species group.

Bolton (1980) - Tetramorium krynitum is one of the four species of the oculatum-complex in which long hooked or J-shaped hairs are present on the ventral surface of the head just posterior to the buccal cavity. Among its darkly coloured relatives in the complex such hairs are also known in Tetramorium oculatum but have not been confirmed in either Tetramorium bevisi or Tetramorium argenteopilosum through lack of suitably mounted material. Characters separating T. krynitum from T. bevisi are tabulated under the latter species. The other darkly coloured members of the complex are separated by the very large eyes of T. oculatum (0:37-0:39 x HW) and by the presence in T. argenteopilosum of glittering silvery gastral hairs and a strongly punctulate base to the first gastral tergite.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Namibia (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart


Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • krynitum. Tetramorium krynitum Bolton, 1980: 313, fig. 94 (w.) NAMIBIA.

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 2.7, HL 0.68, HW 0.62, CI 91, SL 0.44, S171, PW 0.44, AL 0.78.

Mandibles longitudinally striate. Anterior clypeal margin entire, without trace of a median impression. Frontal carinae extending back beyond the level of the posterior margins of the eyes but only feebly developed, no stronger than the longitudinal cephalic rugulae which run between them. Antennal scrobes vestigial, represented only by a very weak impression in the sides of the head below the frontal carinae. Maximum diameter of eye 0.19, about 0.31 x HW. With alitrunk in profile the metanotal groove distinctly impressed. Propodeum armed with a pair of short triangular teeth. Metapleural lobes rounded. Petiole in profile with the dorsal surface shorter than the height of the tergal portion of the node, the anterior and posterior faces of the node more or less parallel so that the node is about the same thickness throughout its height, not narrowing from base to apex. Petiole in dorsal view with the node distinctly broader than long. Dorsum of head finely longitudinally rugulose, with 11-12 rugulae between the frontal carinae at eye level. Spaces between the rugulae with fine but quite conspicuous punctulate ground-sculpture. Dorsal alitrunk with reticulate-punctate sculpture on the propodeum, but this is suppressed and faint on the promesonotum where it forms a weak ground-sculpture overlaid by a series of continuous longitudinal fine rugulae, without cross-meshes. Dorsal surfaces of petiole and postpetiole very finely superficially punctulate or shagreened, the first gastral tergite unsculptured. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous stout hairs, those on the alitrunk conspicuously blunted apically. Colour dark brown.

Type Material

Holotype worker, South West Africa: Okahanja, 7.iv.1972 (P. M. Hammond) (The Natural History Museum).

References