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].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton B. 1977. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Oriental and Indo-Australian regions, and in Australia. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 36:67-151.
 * Bolton, B. "The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicinae. The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Oriental and Indo-Australian regions and in Australia." Bulletin of the British Museum (National History): Entomology series 36, no. 2 (1977): 68-151.
 * Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
 * Dias R. K. S. 2006. Current taxonomic status of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. The Fauna of Sri Lanka: 43-52. Bambaradeniya, C.N.B. (Editor), 2006. Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation. The World Conservation Union, Colombo, Sri Lanka & Government of Sri Lanka. viii + 308pp.
 * Dias R. K. S., K. R. K. A. Kosgamage, and H. A. W. S. Peiris. 2012. The Taxonomy and Conservation Status of Ants (Order: Hymenoptera, Family: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. In: The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Weerakoon, D.K. & S. Wijesundara Eds., Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka. p11-19.
 * Forel A. 1902. Myrmicinae nouveaux de l'Inde et de Ceylan. Rev. Suisse Zool. 10: 165-249.
 * Forel A. 1903. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part X. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 14: 679-715.
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Huang Jian-hua, and Zhou Shan-yi. 2007. Checklist of Family Formicidae of China - Myrmicinae (Part III). (Insecta; Hymenoptera). Journal of Guangxi normal University: Natural Science Edition 25(3): 88-96.
 * Tiwari R. N. 1999. Taxonomic studies on ants of southern India (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Memoirs of the Zoological Survey of India 18(4): 1-96.
 * Tiwari, R.N. 1999. Taxonomic studies on ants of southern India (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Memoirs of the Zoological Survey of India 18(4):1-96