Temnothorax smithi

Mackay (2000) "Arboreal (Hood and Tschinkel, 1990), nesting in cavities in trees under bark. This species is common in Ohio, nesting in galleries of hardened, weathered logs and old, deserted cabins exposed to the sun (Wesson and Wesson, 1940). Nests are monogynous (Frumhoff and Ward, 1992). Sexuals were found in nests in early August (Wesson and Wesson, 1940). Workers were observed feeding on exuviae of wood-boring beetles (Wesson and Wesson, 1940). This species is very desiccation resistance, having 3 rectal pads, which are used to absorb water from the feces (Hood and Tschinkel, 1990)."



Identification
Mackay (2000) "This is a large (total length over 3mm), concolorous reddish-brown species in which the head is very roughly sculptured with coarse rugae and roughened intrarugal spaces, that are only slightly shiny. The antenna has 11 segments. The propodeal spines are very well developed, their length is nearly equal to the distance between the tips. The subpetiolar process is developed, but not large. The node of the petiole is truncate in profile

This species is similar to T. silvestrii, having the same roughened sculpture, the raised area anterior to the antennal fossa (similar to Tetramorium), the long propodeal spines and the nearly quadrate petiolar node. Thus it is considered to be a member of the silvestrii species complex. It is unlikely that this species would be confused with any other species in, the subgenus Myrafant. It can be easily separated from T. silvestrii on the basis of the distribution (T. smithi in the eastern half of the US, T. silvestrii in Arizona) and the gaster is completely smooth and glossy (sculptured in T. silvestrii). In addition, T. smithi has an 11-segmented antenna, whereas T. silvestrii has a 12-segmented antenna."

Range
USA. Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Alabama.

Abundance
Common.

Original Combination
Leptothorax smithi Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 557. Replacement name for Leptothorax wheeleri Smith, M.R. 1929: 547. [Junior secondary homonym of Macromischa wheeleri Mann, 1920: 422.] Combination in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 272. See also: MacKay, 2000: 409.

Type Material
As reported in Mackay (2000) "AMNH, MCZC, USNM; [seen]."