Tetramorium laparum

Bolton (1977) noted: apart from the types one other specimen is known; it bears only the data, Philippines: Los Banos, in house (MCZ). Other specimens have been collected since then but none have included any ecological information.

Identification
A member of the Tetramorium tonganum-species group.

Bolton (1977) - The shape of the pedicel segments, lack of long hairs on the legs and scapes and relatively elongate, narrow scapes relate this species to Tetramorium tonganum and its allies, but the very distinctive sculpture immediately separates laparum.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines. Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 *  laparum. Tetramorium laparum Bolton, 1977: 127 (w.) PHILIPPINES.

Worker
TL 3.0, HL 0.68, HW 0.64, CI 94, SL 0.52, SI 81, PW 0.46, AL 0.78.

Mandibles striate; anterior clypeal margin entire, the median portion with an anterior narrow, translucent flange or apron. Frontal carinae weak but quite distinctive, being more strongly developed than the other cephalic sculpture, reaching back well beyond the eyes but occipitally merging into the other sculpture. Antennal scrobes feeble, broad but only shallowly impressed. Eyes prominent, their maximum diameter c. 0.15, about 0.25 x HW. Occipital margin in full-face view virtually straight, only exceedingly shallowly concave across the width of the head. Pronotal corners in dorsal view broadly rounded. Petiolar spines quite short but longer than meta pleural lobes, the spines strongly elevated, acute and feebly upcurved along their length. Metapleural lobes broad, roughly triangular, acute apically. Node of petiole in profile narrowing slightly from base to apex so that the dorsal length is less than the height of the tergal portion of the node. Anterodorsal and posterodorsal angles of node rounded, the anterior peduncle of the petiole feebly downcurved along its length. Petiole node in dorsal view distinctly broader than long. Dorsum of head weakly longitudinally rugulose with some reticulation occipitally but everywhere on the head the dominant sculpture is a fine, dense, blanketing reticulate-punctulation so that the surfaces appear matt and granular. Dorsal alitrunk finely reticulate-rugulose, the spaces filled with dense punctulation which is, however, not as strongly developed as on the head. Petiole node with traces of sculpture but postpetiole and gaster unsculptured. Dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous erect or suberect hairs, but antennal scapes and dorsal (outer) surfaces of hind tibiae only with decumbent or appressed pubescence, without longer hairs of any description. Colour uniform yellowish brown.

Type Material
Holotype worker, Philippines: Dumaguete, 28.iv.1948 (J. W. Chapman). Paratype. 1 worker with same data as holotype.

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.
 * Chen P., Y. Su, S. S. Rao, Y. F. Long, and C. H. Du. 2012. Study on the ant diversity in different Illicium verum stands. Journal of West China Forestry Science 41(1): 60-68.
 * Chen Y., C. W. Luo, H. W. Li, Y. J. Liu, H. F. Zheng, and F. C. Yang. 2013. Investigation of ant species and distribution on Wuliang Mountain. Journal of Henan Agricultural Sciences 42(5): 118-122.
 * Floren A., W. Wetzel, and M. Staab. 2013. The contribution of canopy species to overall ant diversity (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in temperate and tropical ecosystems.  Myrmecological News 19: 65-74.
 * Fontanilla A. M., A. Nakamura, Z. Xu, M. Cao, R. L. Kitching, Y. Tang, and C. J. Burwell. 2019. Taxonomic and functional ant diversity along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in southwest China. Insects 10, 128; doi:10.3390/insects10050128
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Itino T., and S. Yamane. The vertical distribution of ants on canopy trees in a Bornean lowland rainf forest. Tropics 4(2/3): 277-281.
 * Li Q., Y. Chen, S. Wang, Y. Zheng, Y. Zhu, and S. Wang. 2009. Diversity of ants in subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest in Pu'er City, Yunnan. Biodiversity Science 17(3): 233-239.
 * Li Q., Z. Lu, Z. Wei, M. Yanyan, and F. Ping. 2015. Communities of ground-dwelling ants in different plantation forest in arid-hot valleys of Jinsha river, Yunnan Province, China. Scientia Silvae Sinicae 51(8): 134-142.
 * Liu X. 2012. Taxonomy, diversity and spatial distribution characters of the ant family Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) in southeastern Tibet. PhD Thesis 139 pages
 * Liu X., Z. Xu, N. Yu, and C. Zhang. 2016. Distribution patterns of ant species ( Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Galongla Mountains and Medog Valley of Southeastern Tibet. Scientia Silvae Sinicae 52(11): 88-95.
 * Lu Z., K. Li, N. Zhang, and Y. Chen. 2017. Diversity and indicator species of leaf-litter ants in Eucalyptus grandis plantations and secondary natural forests. Forest Research 29(4): 576-580
 * Malsch A. K. F., K. Rosciszewski, and U. Maschwitz. 2003. The ant species richness and diversity of a primary lowland rain forest, the Pasoh Forest reserve, West Malaysia. in T. Okuda, N. Manokaran, Y. Matsumoto, K. Niiyama, S. C. Thomas, and P. S. Ashton, eds. Pasoh: Ecology and Natural History of a Southeast Asin Lowland Tropical Rain Forest, pp 347-374.
 * Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58
 * Roncin E. 2002. Two new Tetramorium species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Vietnam with a discussion of the mixtum, tonganum, and scabrosum groups. Sociobiology 40: 281-292.
 * Song Y., Z. Xu, C. Li, N. Zhang, L. Zhang, H. Jiang, and F. Mo. 2013. An Analysis on the Ant Fauna of the Nangun river Nature Reserve in Yunnan, China. Forest Research 26(6): 773-780.
 * Tanaka H. O., S. Yamane, and T. Itioka. 2012. Effects of a fern-dwelling ant species, Crematogaster difformis, on the ant assemblages of emergent trees in a Bornean tropical rainforest. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 105(4): 592-598.
 * Tanaka H.O., S. Yamane, and T. Itioka. 2010. Within-tree distribution of nest sites and foraging areas of ants on canopy trees in a tropical rainforest in Borneo. Popul. Ecol 52: 147-157.
 * Xu Z. H., B. L. Yang, and G. Hu. 1999. Formicidae ant communities in fragments of montane rain forest in Xishuangbanna, China. Zoological Research 20(4): 288-293.
 * Xu Z. H., J. G. Li, Q. Z. Fu, and Q. Z. Long. 2001. A Study on the Ant Communities on West Slope at Different Elevation of theGaoligongshan Mountain Nature Reserve in Yunnan, China. Zoological Research 22(1): 58-63.
 * Xu Z. 1998. A report of fourty-one ant species newly recorded in China from Xishuangbanna District of Yunnan Province (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zhongguo Xue Shu Qi Kan Wen Zhai 4: 1119-1121.
 * Yamane S., T. Itino, and A.R. Nona. 1996. Ground ant fauna in a Bornean dipterocarp forest. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 44(1): 253-262.
 * Yamane Sk., T. Itino, and A. Rahman Nona. 1996. Ground ant fauna in a Bornean dipterocarp forest. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 44(1): 253-262.
 * Yamane Sk., and T. Itino. 1995. The vertical distribution of ants on canopy trees in a Bornean lowland rain forest. Tropics 4(2-3): 277-281.
 * Zhang N. N., Y. Q. Chen, Z. X. Lu, W. Zhang, and K. L. Li. 2013. Species diversity, community structure difference and indicator species of leaf-litter ants in rubber plantations and secondary natural forests in Yunnan, southwestern China. Acta Entomologica Sinica 56(11): 1314-1323.