Tetramorium deceptum

Known from rainforest and Araucaria forest litter samples.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia.

Nomenclature

 *  deceptum. Tetramorium deceptum Bolton, 1977: 146 (w.) AUSTRALIA.

Worker
Holotype. TL 2.9, HL 0.68, HW 0.64, CI 94, SL 0.48, SI 75, PW 0.48, AL 0.80.

Mandibles striate, anterior clypeal margin entire. Frontal carinae extending back well beyond the level of the eyes but only weakly developed, not stronger than the remaining cephalic sculpture. Antennal scrobes present but only weakly developed. Eyes of moderate size, maximum diameter c. 0.14. Occipital margin broadly but shallowly concave in full-face view, the sides of the head behind the eyes feebly convex. Pronotal corners rounded in dorsal view. Dorsal alitrunk evenly but shallowly convex in profile. Propodeal spines short, stout and acute in profile, more or less straight, only fractionally longer than the metapleural lobes; the latter elongate-triangular and upcurved. Petiole in profile with a narrow, weakly downcurved anterior peduncle and a relatively high, blocky node. Dorsal and posterior surfaces of the node meet in a curve which is much less pronounced than the angle separating anterior and dorsal surfaces; dorsum of node feebly convex in profile. In dorsal view the petiole node is very slightly broader than long, broadest posteriorly. Dorsum of head with numerous longitudinal fine low rugulae, the majority of which are irregular or show some tendency to meander. The spaces between rugulae show a quite conspicuous reticulate-punctate ground sculpture. Dorsal alitrunk sculptured much as head but the rugulae tending to form a weak reticulum on the pronotum and the puncture between them somewhat less conspicuous. Sides of pronotum reticulate-rugulose, the remainder of the sides of the alitrunk with fine longitudinal rugulae and conspicuously reticulate-punctate inters paces. Sides of petiole and postpetiole, and the dorsum of the petiole faintly rugulose with still fainter punctulation, but the postpetiole dorsum tending to be unsculptured at least mediodorsally. Gaster unsculptured. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous fine hairs of varying length but antennal scapes and dorsal (outer) surfaces of hind tibiae only with very short, fine, sub decumbent to decumbent hairs. Colour dark brown, the appendages yellowish brown.

Paratypes. TL 2.8-2.9, HL 0.66-0.68, HW 0.60-0.64, CI 90-94, SL 0.46-0.48, SI 74-80, PW 0.46-0.48, AL 0.78-0.80 (4 measured). Maximum diameter of eye c. 0.13-0.14. As holotype but some showing very faint, superficial punctulation mediodorsally on postpetiole.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Australia: Queensland, Shipton's Flat (S. of Cooktown), June 58 (Darlingtons). Paratypes. 4 workers with same data as holotype (MCZC; ).