Tetramorium

Garcia, Wiesel and Fischer (2013) - Distributed worldwide with more than 400 species. The Afrotropical region holds the largest number of species with more than 220 described species (Bolton, 1976; Bolton, 1980; Hita Garcia et al., 2010a, 2010b, 2010c). Members of this genus can be found in a wide range of habitats from humid rainforests to arid savannahs and deserts and in different strata from the ground and leaf litter layer to the high forest canopy (Bolton, 1980). Most species seem to be predaceous, although some, such as the Kenyan savannah species Tetramorium rothschildi, are known to be granivorous.

Identification
Tetramorium is a diverse genus that has had many species organized into species groups. Tetramorium species groups''

Distribution
One of the most species-rich ant genera (> 400 species), Tetramorium are found in the Afrotropical, Malagasy, Palaearctic, Oriental, and Indo-Australian regions. A few species, mostly non-native, are also found in the New World. Their largest center of diversity is in the Afrotropical region where there are more than 220 described species (Hita Garcia et al. 2010).

Species richness
Species richness by country based on regional taxon lists (countries with darker colours are more species-rich). View Data



Castes
Many members of this speciose genera are either known from workers only or from a few queens but mainly workers have been collected. Males are unknown and uncollected for a majority of species.

Nomenclature

 *  TETRAMORIUM [Myrmicinae: Tetramoriini]
 * Tetramorium Mayr, 1855: 423. Type-species: Formica caespitum, by subsequent designation of Girard, 1879: 1016.
 * Tetramorium senior synonym of Tetrogmus: Roger, 1862c: 297.
 * Tetramorium senior synonym of Atopula, Lobomyrmex, Macromischoides, Tetrogmus, Xiphomyrmex: Bolton, 1976: 359; Bolton, 1980: 195.
 * Tetramorium senior synonym of Triglyphothrix: Bolton, 1985: 247.
 * Tetramorium senior synonym of Apomyrmex: Bolton, 2003: 227, 269.
 * APOMYRMEX [junior synonym of Tetramorium]
 * Apomyrmex Calilung, 2000: 66. Type-species: Apomyrmex manobo, by original designation.
 * Apomyrmex junior synonym of Tetramorium: Bolton, 2003: 227, 269.
 * ATOPULA [junior synonym of Tetramorium]
 * Atopula Emery, 1912b: 104. Type-species: Atopomyrmex nodifer, by original designation.
 * Atopula subgenus of Vollenhovia: Emery, 1912d: 273.
 * Atopula revived status as as genus: Emery, 1914a: 41.
 * Atopula subgenus of Terataner: Arnold, 1952b: 129.
 * Atopula revived status as as genus: Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1985: 257 (anachronism).
 * Atopula junior synonym of Tetramorium: Bolton, 1976: 359; Bolton, 1980: 195 Bolton, 1994: 106.
 * DECAMORIUM [junior synonym of Tetramorium]
 * Decamorium Forel, 1913a: 121 [as subgenus of Tetramorium]. Type-species: Tetramorium (Decamorium) decem, by monotypy.
 * Decamorium raised to genus: Emery, 1914a: 42; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 664, 906.
 * Decamorium junior synonym of Tetramorium: Hita Garcia & Fisher, 2014: 71.
 * LOBOMYRMEX [junior synonym of Tetramorium]
 * Lobomyrmex Kratochvíl, 1941: 84 [as subgenus of Tetramorium]. Type-species: Tetramorium (Lobomyrmex) ferox silhavyi (junior synonym of Tetramorium ferox), by monotypy.
 * Lobomyrmex junior synonym of Tetramorium: Bolton, 1976: 359; Bolton, 1980: 196.
 * MACROMISCHOIDES [junior synonym of Tetramorium]
 * Macromischoides Wheeler, W.M. 1920: 53. Type-species: Macromischa aculeata, by original designation.
 * [ Macromichoides Santschi, 1924b: 206, incorrect subsequent spelling.]
 * Macromischoides junior synonym of Tetramorium: Bolton, 1976: 359; Bolton, 1980: 196.
 *  SULCOMYRMEX [unavailable name]
 * Sulcomyrmex Kratochvíl, 1941: 84 [as subgenus of Tetramorium]. Unavailable name. Proposed without designation of type-species and therefore unavailable. Species included by Kratochvíl (1941) are all referable to Tetramorium: Bolton, 1976: 359.
 * TETROGMUS [junior synonym of Tetramorium]
 * Tetrogmus Roger, 1857: 10. Type-species: Tetrogmus caldarius, by monotypy.
 * Tetrogmus subgenus of Tetramorium: Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 141.
 * Tetrogmus junior synonym of Tetramorium: Roger, 1862c: 297; Bolton, 1976: 359.
 * TRIGLYPHOTHRIX [junior synonym of Tetramorium]
 * Triglyphothrix Forel, 1890b: cvi. Type-species: Triglyphothrix walshi, by monotypy.
 * Triglyphothrix subgenus of Tetramorium: Arnold, 1917: 274; Arnold, 1926: 272.
 * Triglyphothrix revived status as genus: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 196; Emery, 1924d: 272; Creighton, 1950a: 285.
 * Triglyphothrix junior synonym of Tetramorium: Bolton, 1985: 247.
 * XIPHOMYRMEX [junior synonym of Tetramorium]
 * Xiphomyrmex Forel, 1887: 385 [as subgenus of Tetramorium]. Type-species: Tetramorium (Xiphomyrmex) kelleri, by subsequent designation of Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 175.
 * Xiphomyrmex subgenus of Tetramorium: Forel, 1899c: 53; Arnold, 1917: 274; Arnold, 1926: 277.
 * Xiphomyrmex raised to genus: Emery, 1895j: 770; Emery, 1914a: 42; Forel, 1917: 245; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 193; Emery, 1924d: 286.
 * Xiphomyrmex junior synonym of Tetramorium: Bingham, 1903: 175; Bolton, 1976: 359; Bolton, 1980: 195; Bolton, 1994: 106.