Tetramorium rigidum

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Tetramorium rigidum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Tetramorium
Species: T. rigidum
Binomial name
Tetramorium rigidum
Bolton, 1977

Tetramorium rigidum casent0901084 p 1 high.jpg

Tetramorium rigidum casent0901084 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

A rainforest species that has been found in litter and rotten wood.

Identification

Bolton (1977) - The very distinctive reticulate-punctate sculpture which fills all the spaces between the rugose sculpture is characteristic of this species and of Tetramorium basum in the ornatum-group. However, basum lacks cross-meshes in the cephalic dorsal sculpture, which are conspicuous in rigidum, and the gaster is basally yellow in basum but unicoloured in rigidum.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -6.733329773° to -9.25°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea (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.

  • rigidum. Tetramorium rigidum Bolton, 1977: 108, fig. 28 (w.) NEW GUINEA.

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 2.9, HL 0.70, HW 0.64, CI 91, SL 0.52, SI 81, PW 0.50, AL 0.86.

Mandibles striate; anterior clypeal margin entire. Frontal carinae long, extending back almost to the occipital margin. Antennal scrobes present but weak, consisting of a shallowly impressed area which extends back beyond the level of the eye in profile and is less strongly sculptured than remainder of head. Maximum diameter of eye c. 0.14. With the alitrunk in profile the propodeal dorsum strongly sloping downwards to the bases of the spines. Propodeal spines long, tapering and acute, feebly downcurved along their length. Metapleural lobes elongate-triangular and acute. Petiole in profile with a long, downcurved peduncle and a relatively high, angular node, the height of the tergal portion of the node greater than its dorsal length. Clypeus with five main longitudinal carinae and in places with traces of other, weaker rugulae between them. Dorsum of head densely longitudinally rugose with numerous conspicuous cross-meshes behind the level of the eyes. Spaces between the rugae packed with a very conspicuous reticulate-puncturation. Area of antennal scrobe reticulate-punctate with only faint traces of rugulae. Dorsal alitrunk reticulate-rugose, the spaces densely reticulate-punctate. Petiole similarly but much less strongly sculptured, both components faint. Sides of postpetiole even more faintly sculptured, the dorsum smooth or with vestiges of sculpture which are almost completely effaced. Gaster unsculptured. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with fine erect or suberect hairs. Dorsal (outer) surface of hind tibiae with very short hairs which are decumbent or appressed. Colour uniform very dark reddish brown, the appendages somewhat lighter.

Paratype. TL 2.8-3.0, HL 0.68-0.76, HW 0.62-0.70, CI 88-92, SL 0.48-0.54, SI 77-81, PW 0.48-0.54, AL 0.84-0.92. Maximum diameter of eye c. 0.13-0.15 (15 measured). As holotype but some paratypes teneral, without full adult coloration.

Type Material

Holotype worker, New Guinea: Papua, Karema, Brown R., 8-Il.iii.I955, no. 564, lowl. rainfor. (E. O. Wilson) (Museum of Comparative Zoology). Paratypes. 11 workers with same data as holotype; 3 workers with same data as holotype but no. 563; 2 workers as holotype but no. 546 (MCZC; The Natural History Museum).

References

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.
  • CSIRO Collection
  • Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
  • Snelling R. R. 1998. Insect Part 1: The social Hymenoptera. In Mack A. L. (Ed.) A Biological Assessment of the Lakekamu Basin, Papua New Guinea, RAP 9. 189 ppages