Tetramorium strictum

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

MCZ-ENT00032274 Tetramorium strictum hal.jpg

MCZ-ENT00032274 Tetramorium strictum had.jpg

Type Specimen Label

All specimens examined have been from rain forest and a collection from Kuranda bear the information 'rotten log, rain forest' (Bolton 1977) .

Identification

Bolton (1977) - Apart from the type-series, specimens from four other series have been examined. Some of these show variation from the types in colour and density of rugulose or rugoreticular sculpture, and in a few the sides of the petiole are more strongly sculptured. Specimens from Rocky River, Cape York, are uniform dark brown and have a sharper and less spaced-out rugoreticulum on the alitrunk. The size range in these specimens is HL 0.72-0.82, HW 0.68-0.76, CI 90-95, SL 0.52-0.62, SI 78-83, PW 0.50-0.60, AL 0.86-1.00, with the range of ocular diameter 0.14-0.18 (10 measured).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -16.08333015° to -28.18333°.

   
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.

  • strictum. Tetramorium strictum Bolton, 1977: 144, fig. 64 (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 3.1, HL 0.78, HW 0.72, CI 92, SL 0.60, SI 83, PW 0.54, AL 0.92.

Mandibles finely longitudinally striate; anterior clypeal margin without a median notch, the strongly developed median carina reaching to the margin. Eyes of moderate size, maximum diameter c. 0.16, slightly in front of the midlength of the sides of the head. Frontal carinae extending back almost to the occipital corners, forming the dorsal margin of the weak and shallow scrobes which are about as long as the scape but not deep enough to accommodate it. Metanotal groove broadly but shallowly impressed in profile. Propodeal spines long and strong, the metapleural lobes elongate and narrowly triangular. Petiole in profile with the dorsum rounding into the posterior face, the latter convex and prominent (Fig. 64). In dorsal view the petiole node longer than broad, only slightly broader behind than in front and narrower apically than at the base so that the dorsum is narrower than the body of the node. Sides of petiole in dorsal view slightly concave (sometimes feebly so) so that the dorsum has a pinched-in or constricted appearance at about its midlength. Dorsum of head with a few widely spaced longitudinal rugulae which anastomose posteriorly, the spaces between them shining and smooth or at most with a very faint trace of sculpture. Dorsal alitrunk with a loose, wide-meshed rugoreticulum, the spaces between which are smooth or have very faint traces of sculpture. Petiole and postpetiole unsculptured dorsally but the former with vestiges of striae on the sides. Gaster unsculptured. All surfaces of head and body with numerous erect hairs. Colour shining mid-brown, the gaster and appendages lighter than the head and alitrunk.

Paratypes. As holotype, with range TL 3.0-3.2, HL 0.76-0.80, HW 0.70-0.74, CI 92-94, SL 0.58-0.62, SI 80-84, PW 0.52-0.56, AL 0.88-0.94 (8 measured). The ocular diameter shows a range of 0.16-0.18 and in some specimens the dorsal constriction of the petiole is more conspicuous than in the holotype.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Australia: Queensland, Mt Alexander, NW. Daintree, 20-23.xii.1957, rain forest (P. F. Darlington) (Museum of Comparative Zoology). Paratypes. 8 workers with same data as holotype (MCZC; The Natural History Museum).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • 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
  • Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.