Tetramorium sericeiventre

Tetramorium sericeiventre is a fairly widely distributed species within the Afrotropical, Malagasy, and Southern Palaearctic regions. It can be found from Northern Africa to South Africa, from West to East Africa, and is also present in the Arabian Peninsula. In the Malagasy region it is widespread in Madagascar and also occurs on the Comoros and the Seychelles. On the African continent it may be the most successful Tetramorium species in open habitats, occurring almost everywhere outside humid rain forest habitats. In Madagascar it is fairly common as well, but is less abundant than in Africa. (Hita Garcia and Fisher 2011)

Distribution
This is the most common Tetramorium species found in the Arabian Peninsula (Collingwood, 1985; Collingwood and Agosti, 1996; Collingwood et al. 2011) and is also broadly distributed in the savannah of tropical Africa (Sharaf et al., 2013).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Zimbabwe. Malagasy Region: Madagascar. Palaearctic Region: Algeria, Ethiopia, Libya, Oman, Tunisia.

Biology
In Rawdhat Khorim, Saudi Arabia, this species is very common and occurs during all months of the year, with a peak in December. It was observed foraging on Calotropis procera (Aiton) W. T. Aiton (Apocynaceae) (Sharaf et al., 2013).

Castes
Specimen Label

This is the form previously known as T. quadrispinosum, now a junior synonym of T. sericeiventre.

Nomenclature

 *  sericeiventre. Tetramorium sericeiventre Emery, 1877b: 370 (w.) ETHIOPIA. Senior synonym of hortensis: Bolton, 1976: 363; of blochmannii: Bolton, 1979: 155; of arenarium, bipartita, cinnamomeum, continentis, debile, femoratum, gamaii, hori, inversa, jasonis, munda, neuvillei, nigriventre, vascoi, vividum and material of the unavailable names colluta, defricta, evidens, georgei, gladiator, kenyense, platonis, transversa referred here: Bolton, 1980: 332.; of angolense, beirae, calvum, elegans, montanum, otaviensis, quadrispinosum, repertum: Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011: 34.
 * hortensis. Atopula hortensis Bernard, 1948: 173, fig. 9 (w.q.m.) LIBYA. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1976: 363; Bolton, 1980: 333.
 * blochmannii. Tetramorium blochmannii Forel, 1887: 384 (w.) MADAGASCAR. Forel, 1910f: 19 (q.m.). Subspecies of sericeiventre: Santschi, 1918b: 124 (in key). Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1979: 155.
 * calvum. Tetramorium blochmanni var. calvum Stitz, 1923: 162 (w.) NAMIBIA. Junior synonym of quadrispinosum: Bolton, 1980: 330; of sericeiventre: Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011: 34.
 * continentis. Tetramorium blochmanni subsp. continentis Forel, 1910e: 426 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. Forel, 1913b: 319 (q.); Arnold, 1917: 279 (m.). Subspecies of sericeiventre: Santschi, 1918b: 130; Arnold, 1926: 250. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * montanum. Tetramorium blochmannii var. montanum Forel, 1891b: 152, pl. 5, fig. 2 (w.q.) MADAGASCAR. Subspecies of quadrispinosum: Santschi, 1918b: 122 (in key). Junior synonym of quadrispinosum: Bolton, 1979: 155; of sericeiventre: Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011: 34.
 * nigriventre. Tetramorium blochmanni var. nigriventre Stitz, 1910: 144 (w.) CAMEROUN. Subspecies of sericeiventre: Santschi, 1918b: 126. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * neuvillei. Tetramorium neuvillei Forel, 1907c: 135 (w.) ETHIOPIA. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * quadrispinosum. Tetramorium quadrispinosum Emery, 1886: 362, pl. 17, fig. 8 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. Senior synonym of montanum: Bolton, 1979: 155; of angolense, beirae, calvum, elegans, eudoxia, otaviensis, repertum and material of the unavailable name benguelense referred here: Bolton, 1980: 330. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011: 34.
 * angolense. Tetramorium quadrispinosum st. angolense Santschi, 1930b: 71 (w.q.) ANGOLA. Junior synonym of quadrispinosum: Bolton, 1980: 330; of sericeiventre: Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011: 34.
 * beirae. Tetramorium quadrispinosum r. beirae Arnold, 1926: 252 (w.) MOZAMBIQUE. Junior synonym of quadrispinosum: Bolton, 1980: 330; of sericeiventre: Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011: 34.
 * elegans. Tetramorium quadrispinosum st. elegans Santschi, 1918b: 125 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. Junior synonym of eudoxia: Arnold, 1926: 252; of quadrispinosum: Bolton, 1980: 330; of sericeiventre: Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011: 34.
 * eudoxia. Tetramorium quadrispinosum st. eudoxia Santschi, 1918b: 122 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. [First available use of Tetramorium blochmanni r. continentis var. eudoxia Forel, 1914d: 231; unavailable name.] Senior synonym of elegans: Arnold, 1926: 252. Junior synonym of quadrispinosum: Bolton, 1980: 330; of sericeiventre: Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011: 34.
 * otaviensis. Tetramorium quadrispinosum r. otaviensis Arnold, 1926: 253 (w.) NAMIBIA. Junior synonym of quadrispinosum: Bolton, 1980: 330; of sericeiventre: Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011: 34.
 * arenarium. Tetramorium sericeiventre var. arenarium Santschi, 1918b: 126 (w.) TUNISIA. Santschi, 1937g: 82 (m.). Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * bipartita. Tetramorium sericeiventre var. bipartita Santschi, 1918b: 126 (w.) KENYA. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * cinnamomeum. Tetramorium sericeiventre st. cinnamomeum Santschi, 1918b: 124 (diagnosis in key) (w.) MOZAMBIQUE (attributed to Arnold). [Also described as new by Arnold, 1926: 249.] Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * debile. Tetramorium sericeiventre var. debile Forel, 1894b: 80 (w.) ETHIOPIA. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * femoratum. Tetramorium sericeiventre subsp. femoratum Emery, 1895h: 37 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * gamaii. Tetramorium sericeiventre var. gamaii Santschi, 1918b: 128 (w.) ZIMBABWE. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * hori. Tetramorium sericeiventre var. hori Santschi, 1918b: 125 (w.) SUDAN. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * inversa. Tetramorium sericeiventre var. inversa Santschi, 1910c: 384 (w.) CONGO. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * jasonis. Tetramorium sericeiventre var. jasonis Santschi, 1918b: 127 (w.q.) IVORY COAST. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * munda. Tetramorium sericeiventre var. munda Santschi, 1918b: 127 (w.) GUINEA. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * repertum. Tetramorium sericeiventre var. repertum Santschi, 1926b: 242 (w.) MOZAMBIQUE. Junior synonym of quadrispinosum: Bolton, 1980: 330; of sericeiventre: Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2011: 34.
 * vascoi. Tetramorium sericeiventre var. vascoi Santschi, 1918b: 128 (w.q.) ZIMBABWE. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.
 * vividum. Tetramorium sericeiventre var. vividum Santschi, 1926b: 242 (w.) MOZAMBIQUE. Junior synonym of sericeiventre: Bolton, 1980: 332.

Worker
Hita Garcia and Fisher (2011) - HL 0.770 - 0.990 (0.871); HW 0.665 - 0.855 (0.753); SL 0.680 - 0.910 (0.813); EL 0.140 - 0.200 (0.171); PW 0.460 - 0.630 (0.548); WL 0.950 - 1.30 (1.117); PSL 0.135 -0.205 (0.159); PTL 0.240 - 0.350 (0.296); PTH 0.220 - 0.320 (0.268); PTW 0.180 - 0.260 (0.218); PPL 0.205 - 0.300 (0.240); PPH 0.230 - 0.330 (0.273); PPW 0.250 - 0.360 (0.294); CI 83 - 90 (86); SI 102 - 113 (108); OI 20 - 24 (23); PSLI 16 - 21 (18); PeNI 36 - 43 (40); LPeI 104 - 120 (111); DPeI 68 - 81 (74); PpNI 50 - 59 (54); LPpI 81 - 94 (88); DPpI 117 - 128 (123); PPI 128 - 143 (135) (38 measured).

Head distinctly longer than wide (CI 83 - 90). Anterior clypeal margin entire and convex, lateral clypeus characteristically modified, in full-face view distinctly raised in front of antennal condyle and projecting forward as a tooth or denticle. Frontal carinae weakly developed and short, usually ending at median eye level, very often distinctly shorter and ending much before anterior eye level. Antennal scrobes absent. Antennal scapes relatively long, surpassing posterior head margin (SI 102 - 113). Eyes small to moderate (OI 20 - 24), with 11 to 14 ommatidia in longest row. Mesosomal profile relatively flat. Metanotal groove absent. Propodeal spines short to medium-sized (PSLI 26 - 30), elongate-triangular to spinose, relatively narrow and acute. Propodeal lobes relatively long, generally of same length as propodeal spines, sometimes weakly longer or shorter, shape of lobes triangular to elongate-triangular, usually acute, sometimes blunt. Node of petiole rectangular nodiform, in profile anterior and posterior faces roughly parallel, dorsum weakly convex, antero- and posterodorsal angle at about same height, node always longer than high (LPeI 104 - 120), in dorsal view distinctly much longer than high (DPeI 68 - 81). Postpetiole in profile rounded, markedly higher than long (LPpI 81 - 94), in dorsal view distinctly wider than long (DPpI 117 - 128), and much wider than petiolar node (PPI 128 - 143). Mandibles usually strongly sculptured, longitudinally striate or rugose. Clypeus with 1 strongly developed longitudinal ruga. Cephalic sculpturation highly variable, usually with reticulate-rugose or reticulate-rugulose sculpturation ventrally and posteriorly, dorsally between frontal carinae more longitudinally rugose or rugulose, often rugulation to variable degree weaker developed, rarely rugae and rugulae absent and cephalic dorsum almost unsculptured and relatively smooth, ground sculpture usually strongly and finely reticulate-punctulate providing head with a rough, matte, and granular appearance, often reduced and less conspicuous without granular appearance, rarely absent, head almost smooth and shiny. Sculpturation of mesosoma and waist segments highly variable, usually with longitudinal rugae or rugulae of varying strength with a reticulate-punctulate ground sculpturation, also with granular appearance, often only superficially punctulate with unsculptured areas and without granular appearance, only weakly matte. First gastral tergite also with variable sculpturation, generally densely punctulate and strongly shagreened along entire length, often only basally sculptured, sometimes with superficial punctulation only, and more rarely completely unsculptured, smooth, and shiny. All dorsal surfaces of head, mesosoma (except propodeum), waist segments, and gaster with very sparse and stout standing hairs, pronotum and mesonotum at most with 5 to 6 pairs of hairs, propodeum without; antennal scapes and tibiae with very short and appressed pubescence. Colouration reddish to brown, sometimes dark brown, gaster often darker than remaining body.

Additional References

 * [[Media:Forel 1894b.pdf|Forel, A. 1894b. Abessinische und andere afrikanische Ameisen, gesammelt von Herrn Ingenieur Alfred Ilg, von Herrn Dr. Liengme, von Herrn Pfarrer Missionar P. Berthoud, Herrn Dr. Arth. Müller etc. Mitt. Schweiz. Entomol. Ges. 9: 64-100 PDF]]
 * [[Media:Sharaf, M.R. et al. 2013. Rawdhat Khorim Nature Preserve.pdf|Sharaf, M. R.; Abdel-Dayem, M. S.; Al Dhafer, H. M.; Aldawood, S. A. 2013. The ants (Hymenoptera:formicidae) of Rawdhat Khorim Nature Preserve, Saudi Arabia, with description of a new species of the genus Tetramorium Mayr. Zootaxa 3709:565-580. PDF]]