Tetramorium hispidum

This ant nests in soil with small mounds surrounding the nest entrance. Thorn scrub desert at lower elevations is the preferred habitat although occasionally nests are found as high as 1000 meters.

Distribution
Southern Arizona through New Mexico and into western Texas. Northern Mexico.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States. Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Biology
Number of workers in a nest can exceed several hundred or more. Typically nesting in lower elevation thorn scrub, they are occasionally found at elevations up to 1,400 meters in oak woodland.

Nomenclature

 *  hispidum. Xiphomyrmex spinosus subsp. hispidus Wheeler, W.M. 1915b: 415 (w.) U.S.A. Combination in Tetramorium: Bolton, 1979: 161. Raised to species: Bolton, 1979: 161.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton B. 1979. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Malagasy region and in the New World. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 38:129-181.
 * Cover S. P., and R. A. Johnson. 20011. Checklist of Arizona Ants. Downloaded on January 7th at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/AZants-2011%20updatev2.pdf
 * Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
 * Johnson R. Personnal Database. Accessed on February 5th 2014 at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/resources.htm
 * Mackay W. P., and E. E. Mackay. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 400 pp.
 * Mackay, W., and E. Mackay. The ants of New Mexico. The Edwin Mellen Press, 2002.
 * Mackay, W.P. and E. Mackay. XXXX. The Ants of New Mexico
 * McDonald D. L., D. R. Hoffpauir, and J. L. Cook. 2016. Survey yields seven new Texas county records and documents further spread of Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren. Southwestern Entomologist, 41(4): 913-920.
 * Miguelena J. G., and P. B. Baker. 2019. Effects of urbanization on the diversity, abundance, and composition of ant assemblages in an arid city. Environmental Entomology doi: 10.1093/ee/nvz069.
 * O'Keefe S. T., J. L. Cook, T. Dudek, D. F. Wunneburger, M. D. Guzman, R. N. Coulson, and S. B. Vinson. 2000. The Distribution of Texas Ants. The Southwestern Entomologist 22: 1-92.
 * Quiroz Robledo L. N., and J. E. Valenzuela Gonzalez. 1993. Contribucion al conocimiento de la mirmecofauna del estado de Hidalgo, Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). En: Villavicencio-Nieto (ed) Flora y Fauna del Estado de Hidalgo. Universidad Autónoma de Hidalgo. p. 340-393. ISBN 968-63 40-36-X
 * Vasquez-Bolanos, M. 2007. Una especie nueva del genero Tetramorium Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Mascota, Jalisco, Mexico. Dugesiana 14(2):93-97.
 * Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133