Tetramorium megalops

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Tetramorium megalops
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Tetramorium
Species: T. megalops
Binomial name
Tetramorium megalops
Bolton, 1977

MCZ-ENT00032270 Tetramorium megalops hal.jpg

MCZ-ENT00032270 Tetramorium megalops had.jpg

Type Specimen Label

A species of semi-arid habitats (Heterick 2009).

Identification

Bolton (1977) - The most conspicuous character of this species is without doubt the eyes, which are both relatively and absolutely large. The maximum eye diameter of 0·24 is approached in general only by species with HW considerably greater than 0·80 so that the maximum diameter is < 0.30 x HW, usually markedly less. The position of the eyes, behind the centre of the sides, may indicate some affinity to Tetramorium viehmeyeri, but the unique form of the clypeus will quickly differentiate that species.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -32.032124° to -32.05°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (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.

  • megalops. Tetramorium megalops Bolton, 1977: 139, fig. 61 (w.) AUSTRALIA.

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 4.1, HL 0.90, HW 0.78, CI 87, SL 0.66, SI 84, PW 0.66, AL 1.18.

Mandibles distinctly longitudinally striate; anterior clypeal margin without a median notch. Median clypeal carina absent from anterior (descending) face of clypeus, not reaching anterior margin but fading out just below the clypeal curve. Frontal carinae strong, consisting of a raised, narrow, semitranslucent flange which runs back to the occipital corners where it merges with the sculpture. Scrobe a shallow groove below the carinae capable of partially accommodating the scape. Eyes relatively large, maximum diameter c. 0.24, about 0.32 x HW; the eyes situated well back on the sides of the head (Fig. 61). Propodeal spines in profile short (length c. 0.16) but acute; metapleural lobes elongate-triangular and acute. Node of petiole in dorsal view slightly longer than broad, broader behind than in front. In profile the tergal portion of the node is longer than high and the dorsum is very shallowly convex. Postpetiole in profile dome-shaped, as high as the petiole. Dorsum of head longitudinally rugose, with some anastomoses in the occipital region. Sides of head except for scrobe finely reticulate-rugose. Spaces between rugae and area of scrobe finely, densely but distinctly reticulate-punctate. Pronotal dorsum with a fine rugoreticulum but on mesonotum the cross-meshes are reduced so that the sc1erite is predominantly longitudinally rugose. Petiole and postpetiole finely reticulate-rugulose everywhere, spaces between rugae on both alitrunk and pedicel filled with dense, fine puncturation. Gaster unsculptured. All dorsal surfaces of body with short, quite stout, blunted hairs. Colour light yellow-brown, the gaster lighter in shade than the head.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Australia: Western Australia, c. 60 km NW. Balladonia, 13.ii.1955, no. 440 (E. O. Wilson & A. Douglas) (Museum of Comparative Zoology).

References

1-206.]]