Tetramorium caespitum barabense

The original description of this species states: “Head weakly shiny; dorsum of promesonotum very smooth (‘so znachitel'no sglazhennoi skul'pturoj’); sides of both waist segments fully smooth, furthermore postpetiole narrowed, having the width of petiole, from above flatter (‘sverkhu bolee ploskij’). Color light, head brownish-cinnamon, mesosoma brownish-yellowish; mandibles, scapes and tarsae yellow. Size 2.1-3 mm. Nesting in soil under a stone in rout sprouts of Stipa pennata, sunny tschernozem northeast of the health resort.” This description makes a synonymy with Tetramorium sibiricum unlikely. The weak sculpture of T. barabense rather points to Tetramorium caespitum or Tetramorium indocile as well as the mean ratio PpW/PeW which is 1.349 in T. sibiricum but 1.286 in T. caespitum and 1.284 in T. indocile. According to RADCHENKO (1992), types of T. barabense are unknown but, if they should be discovered, the taxon could turn out as senior synonym of T. indocile. The former taxon is considered here as incertae sedis as long as no conclusive species identification is possible. (Seifert, 2021)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Russian Federation.

Nomenclature

 *  barabense. Tetramorium caespitum var. barabensis Ruzsky, 1925a: 288 (w.) RUSSIA.