Tetramorium curtulum

One collection of this species notes it was found in rainforest leaf litter.

Identification
A member of the Tetramorium scabrosum-species group.

Bolton (1977) - In the scabrosum-group this species is recognizable by its reduced eyes, which are fairly conspicuous in the group as most other species have a maximum eye diameter of > 0.20 x HW.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore. Oriental Region: Myanmar. Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  curtulum. Tetramorium curtulum Emery, 1895k: 471 (w.) MYANMAR. See also: Bolton, 1977: 116.

Worker
Bolton (1977) - I have not been able to see the types of curtulum and I am not truly convinced that the material from which the description below is based is really referable to curtulum in the sense which Emery originally described it. Whether this doubt is justified or not must await a re-examination of the curtulum types.

TL 2.8-3.1, HL 0.64-0.74, HW 0.58-0.70, CI 90-94, SL 0.40-0.50, SI 70-75, PW 0.42-0.50, AL 0.68-0.80 (16 measured).

Mandibles striate; anterior clypeal margin arcuate and entire. Frontal carinae long and conspicuous, extending back well behind the eyes. Antennal scrobes quite well developed, distinctly concave. Eyes small, maximum diameter c. 0.10-0.14, about 0.16-0019 x HW. Dorsal alitrunk evenly convex in profile. Propodeal spines quite short, narrow and acute, as long as or only slightly longer than the metapleural lobes which are broad, triangular and acute. Petiole in profile with the dorsal length about equal to the height of the tergal portion of the node. In dorsal view the petiole node is usually as broad as long, but in some specimens it is slightly longer than broad. Dorsum of head to behind level of eyes predominantly or entirely sculptured with spaced-out longitudinal rugulae with few or no cross-meshes, the spaces between the rugulae with faint superficial punctulation. A fine ruguloreticulum is present on the occiput. Dorsal alitrunk with a fine, dense reticulate-rugulation, the same sculpture present on the petiole dorsum but varying from almost as strong as on the alitrunk to very faint. Postpetiole often with faint traces of sculpture on dorsum, more rarely with rugulae developed. Gaster unsculptured, All dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous hairs; the antennal scapes with a spaced row of longer, stouter hairs projecting beyond the short pubescence and the dorsal (outer) surfaces of the posterior tibiae with numerous erect or suberect quite long hairs. Colour usually uniform yellowish brown but in some darker, reddish brown.

Type Material
Bolton (1977) - Syntype workers, Burma: Palon (L. Fea) (probably in ).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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 * 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.
 * Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
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 * Hashimoto Y., M. Mohamed, and H. Sakata. 1999. The ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah. Tabin Scientific Expedition 69-74.
 * Hua Li-zhong. 2006. List of Chinese insects Vol. IV. Pages 262-273. Sun Yat-sen university Press, Guangzhou. 539 pages.
 * Ito, F.; Yamane, S.; Eguchi, K.; Noerdjito, W. A.; Kahono, S.; Tsuji, K.; Ohkawara, K.; Yamauchi, K.; Nishida, T.; Nakamura, K. 2001. Ant species diversity in the Bogor Botanic Garden, West Java, Indonesia, with descriptions of two new species of the genus Leptanilla (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Tropics 10:379-404.
 * Mezger D., and M. Pfeiffer. 2011. Influence of the arrival of Anoplolepis gracilipes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on the composition of an ant community in a clearing in Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia. Asian Myrmecology 4: 89-98.
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 * Pfeiffer M., D. Mezger, and J. Dyckmans. 2013. Trophic ecology of tropical leaf litter ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a stable isotope study in four types of Bornean rain forest. Myrmecological News 19: 31-41.
 * Pfeiffer M., and D. Mezger. 2012. Biodiversity Assessment in Incomplete Inventories: Leaf Litter Ant Communities in Several Types of Bornean Rain Forest. PLoS ONE 7(7): e40729. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040824
 * Pfeiffer M., and D. Mezger. 2012. Biodiversity Assessment in Incomplete Inventories: Leaf Litter Ant Communities in Several Types of Bornean Rain Forest. PLoS ONE 7(7): e40729. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041008
 * Pfeiffer M., and D. Mezger. 2012. Biodiversity Assessment in Incomplete Inventories: Leaf Litter Ant Communities in Several Types of Bornean Rain Forest. PLoS ONE 7(7): e40729. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041094
 * Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58
 * Wheeler W. M. 1919. The ants of Borneo. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 63:43-147.
 * Yamane S., T. Itino, and A.R. Nona. 1996. Ground ant fauna in a Bornean dipterocarp forest. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 44(1): 253-262.
 * Yamane Sk., T. Itino, and A. Rahman Nona. 1996. Ground ant fauna in a Bornean dipterocarp forest. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 44(1): 253-262.