Tetramorium flaviceps

Specimen records that include how the ants were collected are all pitfall trap samples, which suggests this is a ground-dwelling species. The majority of samples have been found in bushveld and woodland habitats.

Identification
Bolton (1980) - Within the squaminode-complex T. flaviceps is most closely related to Tetramorium jejunum and the two together form a close pair which is best separated from allied forms by a lack of specialized characters rather than their development. Thus Tetramorium squaminode, Tetramorium umtaliense, Tetramorium platynode and Tetramorium nube have strongly sculptured mandibles; Tetramorium matopoense lacks sculpture on the pronotum; Tetramorium akermani has abundant long fine pilosity; Tetramorium frigidum is very size-variable and has very sharply defined sculpture and do has the postpetiole almost as strongly squamate as the petiole. By comparison T. flaviceps and T. jejunum have the mandibles feebly sculptured at most (usually smooth), have pronotal sculpture present, are fairly consistent in size, with irregular sculpture, lack elongate fine pilosity and do not have the postpetiole squamiform. Differences separating T. jejunum and T. flaviceps may be tabulated as follows.

T. flaviceps
 * Yelowish brown with much darker gaster
 * Postpetiole in profile feebly antero-posteriorly compressed
 * Frontal carinae more widely separated; at level of mid-length of eye their distance apart is 0.64-0.70 x HW.
 * Ground-sculpture of head between rugulae a conspicuous punctuation.
 * Anterior clypeal margin without a narrow projecting apron

T. jejunum
 * Uniform clear pale yellow
 * Postpetiole in profile not antero-posteriorly compressed, evenly rounded
 * Frontal carinae less widely separated; at level of midlength of eye their distance apart is 0.55-0.60 x HW.
 * Ground-sculpture of head between rugulae superficial, faint and inconspicuous.
 * Anterior clypeal margin with a narrow projecting apron

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe.

Nomenclature

 *  flaviceps. Tetramorium do var. flaviceps Arnold, 1960a: 82 (w.) ZIMBABWE. [First available use of Tetramorium squaminode r. do var. flaviceps Arnold, 1917: 316; unavailable name.] Raised to species and senior synonym of mus: Bolton, 1980: 255.
 * mus. Tetramorium do var. mus Arnold, 1960a: 82 (w.) ZIMBABWE. [First available use of Tetramorium squaminode r. do var. mus Arnold, 1917: 316; unavailable name.] [Unresolved junior secondary homonym of mus Santschi, above.] Junior synonym of flaviceps: Bolton, 1980: 255.

Worker
Bolton (1980) - TL 2.4-3.2, HL 0.60-0.76, HW 0.57-0.72, CI 90-95, SL 0.40-0.54, SI 68-75, PW 0.44-0.54, AL 0.68-0.86 (20 measured).

Mandibles usually unsculptured with scattered fairly large pits, but in some faint traces of very fine longitudinal striation are visible. Anterior clypeal margin entire or at most with a vestigial median impression, sometimes only visible with the mandibles open. Frontal carinae gently sinuate, reaching back almost to the occiput. Antennal scrobes shallow but broad and conspicuous. Maximum diameter of eye 0.16-0.19, about 0.26-0.29 x HW. Propodeal spines long and strong, metapleural lobes low and triangular. Petiole squamiform, in profile much higher than long and narrowly rounded above, in dorsal view much broader than long. Postpetiole in profile slightly antero-posteriorly compressed, lower than the petiole and more broadly rounded, its ventral process with sharp anteroventral angle, not a rounded lobe. Postpetiole in dorsal view much broader than long, slightly broader than the petiole. Head sparsely but usually quite sharply longitudinally rugulose, with a few anastomoses or a feeble reticulum occipitally. In some specimens the rugulae reduced and quite weak mediodorsally, becoming stronger posteriorly. Groundsculpture of head a conspicuous punctulation. Dorsal alitrunk predominantly longitudinally rugulose with a number of cross-meshes on the promesonotum, but in some the rugulae reduced and faint in places. Petiole, postpetiole and gaster unsculptured. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous short, quite stout, blunted hairs. Scapes and tibiae with short decumbent to appressed pubescence only. Colour light yellowish brown, the gaster a much darker shade of brown.

Type Material
Bolton (1980) - Syntype workers, RHODESIA: Matopo Hills, World’s View, 23.v.1915 (G. Arnold) [examined]. Tetramorium squaminode race do var. mus Syntype workers, RHODESIA: Bulawayo, Hillside, 23.i.1916 (G. Arnold), BMNH [examined]. [Name unavailable.]

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection