Tetramorium yerburyi

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Bolton (1977) - Of the three species of this group occurring in Sri Lanka two (Tetramorium pilosum and yerburyi) are endemic, and a third, Tetramorium tortuosum, is also found in south India. (The fourth Sri Lankan species, Tetramorium smithi, is widespread in the Oriental region but does not belong to this group.) T. pilosum and yerburyi are closely related and share the character of having the postpetiole sculptured. In tortuosum this sclerite is smooth. The two endemic Sri Lankan species are quickly separable by the shape of the pedicel, and a comparison of Figs 6 and 7 conveys these differences better than a verbal description.

Distribution
Reported from Yunnan, China (Huang & Zhou, 2007; Guenard & Dunn, 2012) but this is considered to be dubious by Agavekar et al. (2017) who treat this taxon as endemic to India (although it was described from Sri Lanka).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India, Sri Lanka.

Nomenclature

 *  yerburyi. Tetramorium (Xiphomyrmex) pilosum r. yerburyi Forel, 1902c: 238 (w.) SRI LANKA. Raised to species: Bingham, 1903: 187. See also: Bolton, 1977: 85.

Worker
Bolton (1977) - TL 4.2-5.0, HL 1.02-1.10, HW 0.94-1.04, CI 90-95, SL 0.94-1.02, SI 98-102, PW 0.70-0.74, AL 1.24-1.36 (11 measured).

Mandibles striate. Frontal carinae extended back almost to the occipital margin, becoming confused with the sculpture close to the margin, the latter broadly and distinctly concave. Scapes of moderate length, SI in range given above. Antennal scrobes feebly developed, merely a short, shallow impression below the anterior half of the frontal carina. Pronotal corners rounded in dorsal view. Propodeal spines long and acute, meta pleural lobes very obtusely triangular, variable in shape. Petiole shape in profile characteristic of the species, the anterior face straight and vertical, the dorsal surface flat or at most very feebly convex, the two meeting in a sharply defined right-angle. The node itself is longer than high and the post petiole is broadly rounded above in profile. In dorsal view petiole node narrowed in front. Head longitudinally rugose, finely reticulated posteriorly. Dorsal alitrunk with a rugoreticulum which is coarser than that on the head though less clearly defined. Dorsal surfaces and sides of petiole and post petiole rugose, usually reticulate on the sides; the postpetiolar dorsum with weaker sculpture than the petiole, often longitudinal. Dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous hairs, some of which are extremely long and fine. Colour orange-brown.

Type Material
Bolton (1977) - Syntype workers, Sri Lanka (Yerbury) [examined].