Tetramorium breviscapus

More thermophilic than Tetramorium alpestre, Tetramorium caespitum, Tetramorium indocile, Tetramorium caucasicum, and Tetramorium impurum; TAS of three sites 22.1 ± 1.4 °C [20.6, 23.2]. Open habitats. (Wagner et al. 2017)

Identification
A member of the Tetramorium caespitum complex. The species can be determined with a discriminant analysis of a set of morphological measurements. See Wagner et al. (2017) and https://webapp.uibk.ac.at/ecology/tetramorium/

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece.

Nomenclature

 *  breviscapus. Tetramorium breviscapus Wagner, et al. 2017: 115, fig. 15 (w.) CROATIA, BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA, GREECE.

Worker
Smaller than most species of complex, CS = 714 ± 26 [689, 740] μm. Dark brown to blackish, mesosoma frequently lighter than head and gaster.

Head rather truncated compared with other species of complex, CL / CW = 1.002 ± 0.012 [0.989, 1.010]. Eye rather small, EYE / CS = 0.169 ± 0.010 [0.163, 0.180]. Scape shortest of complex, SLd / CS = 0.728 ± 0.010 [0.722, 0.739]. Mesosoma short and moderately wide, ML / CS = 1.119 ± 0.013 [1.107, 1.133], MW / CS = 0.631 ± 0.002 [0.629, 0.634].

Promesonotal dorsum convex, metanotal groove shallow. – Head dorsum and occiput with longitudinal costae and costulae. Postoculo-temporal area of head with rather few longitudinal costae and costulae, POTCos = 5.95 ± 0.53 [5.45, 6.50]. Mesosoma dorsum longitudinally rugulose, lateral side of propodeum with large smooth and shiny area, Ppss = 73.6 ± 16.6 [57.9, 91.0]. Dorsum of petiolar node usually smooth, exceptionally microreticulated. General surface appearance rather smooth and shiny compared with other species of complex. – Connected stickman-like or reticulate microsculpture: moderate-sized units scattered over 1st gastral tergite, MC1TG = 15.77 ± 1.20 [14.58, 16.97]. – Some workers with long c-shaped, crinkly, or sinuous hairs on ventral head just posterior to buccal cavity.

Type Material
Dubrovnik (Croatia), 42.650° N, 18.083° E, 3 m a.s.l., leg. D. Dender, 29.X.2005.

All type material from one nest, labeled "CRO: 42.650° N, 18.083° E Dubrovnik coast, 3 m D.Dender 2005.10.29-18071". Holotype worker and eleven paratype workers in Senckenberg Naturkundemuseum Görlitz (Germany). Five paratype workers in Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA), five in Natural History Museum in London (UK), five in Natural History Museum Basel (Switzerland), five in Museum of Nature South Tyrol (Bozen, Italy), five in Tiroler Landesmuseum (Hall, Austria), five in Natural History Museum in Vienna (Austria), five in Budapest Hungarian Natural History Museum (Hungary), and five in Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology Kiev (Ukraine). Holotype in μm: CL = 724, CW = 724, dAN = 197, EL = 130, EW = 99, FL = 276, HFL = 551, MC1TG = 15.7, ML = 789, MPPL = 234, MPSP = 309, MPST = 189, MtpW = 361, MW = 449, PEH = 245, PEL = 149, PEW = 245, PLSP = 168, PLST = 176, PnHL = 172, PoOc = 292, POTCos = 7.8, PPH = 269, PPL = 106, Ppss = 79, PPW = 306, PreOc = 180, RTI = 295, SLd = 512, SPST = 133, SPWI = 200.

Etymology
Named after its proportionally short scape, one of the best morphological characters for discrimination from related species. Because "breviscapus" is a noun in apposition, "us" is the correct ending.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Wagner H. C., W. Arthofer, B. Seifert, C. Muster, F. M. Steiner, and B. C. Schlick-Steiner. 2017. Light at the end of the tunnel: Integrative taxonomy delimits cryptic species in the Tetramorium caespitum complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 25: 95-129.