Tetramorium ferox

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Csösz and Schulz (2010) - A member of the Tetramorium ferox species complex in the Tetramorium caespitum species group. The feebly rugulose general sculpture, the microreticulate ground surface, and the relatively sparse pubescence on the first gastral tergite make the T. ferox gynes unique within this group.

Tetramorium ferox workers cannot be confused with those of Tetramorium diomedeum or Tetramorium aegeum. The general appearance of the head and mesosoma of T. ferox workers is always rugulose, microreticulate and dull, but head and mesosoma of the latter two species are always shiny and usually at least partly smooth.

Tetramorium feroxoides workers usually bear much feebler (and often parallel) rugulae on head and mesosoma than T. ferox workers, but in a few cases T. feroxoides workers can be confused with the smallest T. ferox workers.

A discriminant function using various morphological measurements has also been defined and can be used to make determinations in this species group.

Distribution
Widely distributed over the western Palaearctic, from Central Europe to the Caucasus and Turkey. (Csösz and Schulz 2010)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Armenia, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Montenegro, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan.

Nomenclature

 *  ferox. Tetramorium caespitum var. ferox Ruzsky, 1903b: 309 (w.q.m.) RUSSIA. Subspecies of caespitum: Emery, 1909d: 703; Emery, 1916b: 194. Raised to species: Cori & Finzi, 1931: 239; Soudek, 1931: 10; Menozzi, 1933b: 75 (in key); Kratochvíl, 1944: 72; Tarbinsky, 1976: 112; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 155. Senior synonym of silhavyi: Bernard, 1967: 235; Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 201; Radchenko, 1992b: 55; of confinis, perspicax: Csösz & Schulz, 2010: 20; material of the unavailable name striaticeps referred here by Radchenko, 1992b: 55.
 * silhavyi. Tetramorium (Lobomyrmex) ferox subsp. silhavyi Kratochvíl, in Novak & Sadil, 1941: 84, fig. 1 (w.q.) CZECHOSLOVAKIA. [Also described as new by Kratochvíl, in Kratochvíl, Novak & Snoflak, 1944: 72.] Junior synonym of ferox: Bernard, 1967: 235; Radchenko, 1992b: 55.
 * confinis. Tetramorium confinis Radchenko & Arakelian, 1990: 374, fig. 2 (w.q.m.) ARMENIA. Junior synonym of ferox: Csösz & Schulz, 2010: 20.
 * perspicax. Tetramorium perspicax Radchenko, 1992b: 56 (w.q.) TURKEY. [First available use of Tetramorium caespitum st. ferox var. perspicax Santschi, 1921a: 111; unavailable name.] Synonym of feroxoides: Radchenko, 1992b: 56. [Radchenko gives perspicax as senior name, but feroxoides has priority: Bolton, 1995b: 412.] Junior synonym of ferox: Csösz & Schulz, 2010: 21.

Worker
Csösz and Schulz (2010) - Medium to large size, CS 825 [693, 918]. Whole body and appendages greyish brown to dark brown. Head slightly longer than broad, CL/CW 1.03 [0.99, 1.09], with feebly convex sides, straight posterior margin with widely rounded corners. Eyes small, EYE 0.16 [0.15, 0.18]. Frons moderately wide, FR/CS 0.39 [0.36, 0.41], frontal lobes usually as wide as the frons, rarely slightly broader, FL/FR 1.01 [1.00, 1.03]. Scape long, SL/CS 0.79 [0.74, 0.83], with a feeble dorsal carina basally, its surface very finely microreticulate. Promesonotal dorsum slightly convex, metanotal groove shallow. Propodeal denticles moderately long. Petiolar node moderately high, NOH/NOL 1.05 [0.88, 1.29] trapezoid to cubic seen in profile.

Head longitudinally rugulose and microreticulate, posterior surface ruguloso-reticulate, ground surface microreticulate, appears dull. Mesosoma dorsum and mesopleura ruguloso-reticulate, ground surface coarsely microreticulate. Dorsum of petiolar node ruguloso-reticulate, ground surface microreticulate, median part smooth. Dorsum of postpetiole rugulose and microreticulate. First gastral tergite smooth, appears shiny. Ventral surface of head with a row of short setae only (without long C-shape hairs).

Queen
Csösz and Schulz (2010) - Medium to large size, CS 999 [955, 1095]. Whole body and appendages black. Head broader than long, CL/CW 0.92 [0.90, 0.94] with sides and posterior margin straight, with widely rounded corners. Head trapezoid in full face view, narrower at genae. Frons moderately wide, FR/CS 0.40 [0.39, 0.42]. Scape long, SL/CS 0.75 [0.70, 0.81], with a feeble dorsal carina basally, its surface smooth and shiny. Head slightly narrower than scutum, MW/CS 1.03 [0.99, 1.08]. Propodeal teeth long. Petiole and postpetiole wide, CS/PEW 1.65 [1.56, 1.78], CS/PPW 1.29 [1.11, 1.43].

Head dorsum, posterior surface and sides ruguloso-reticulate, ground surface microreticulate. Frons longitudinally rugulose and microreticulate. Scutum and scutellum longitudinally rugulose. Sides of mesosoma, rugoso-reticulate and microreticulate, ventral part of katepisternum always rugulose, or microreticulate. Dorsum of petiolar node and postpetiole coarsely reticulate and microreticulate. First gastral tergite smooth, appears shiny. Ventral surface of head with a row of short setae only (without long C-shape hairs).

Male
Csösz and Schulz (2010) - Head sides feebly convex, posterior margin widely rounded. Scutum much broader than head. Propodeal denticles reduced, propodeum nearly rounded in profile. Dorsum of petiolar node blunt, dorsolaterally sharp and angulate. Whole body and appendages black. Head, scutum, scutellum, anepi- and katepisternum as well as petiole and postpetiole finely rugulo-reticulate, between main sculpturation microreticulate. First gastral tergite smooth, appears shiny.

Type Material
Csösz and Schulz (2010) - Syntype workers, gynes, male (2w, 2q, 1m): Russia, Saratov (Ruzsky) [labels: ''Tetr. caespitum L., v. ferox'' Rusz, Ssaratov M.R.] (examined),.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Agosti, D. and C.A. Collingwood. 1987. A provisional list of the Balkan ants (Hym. Formicidae) and a key to the worker caste. I. Synonymic list. Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 60: 51-62
 * Bernard F. 1960. Fourmis récoltées en Corse par J. Bonfils (1957). Compte Rendu Sommaire des Séances de la Société de Biogéographie 36: 108-114.
 * Bernard F. 1967. Faune de l'Europe et du Bassin Méditerranéen. 3. Les fourmis (Hymenoptera Formicidae) d'Europe occidentale et septentrionale. Paris: Masson, 411 pp.
 * Bezdecka P. 1996. The ants of Slovakia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomofauna carpathica 8: 108-114.
 * Bezdeckova K., P. Bexdecka, J. Macek, and I. Malenovsky. 2017. Catalogue of type specimens of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) deposited in Czech museums. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 57(1): 295-308.
 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2012. Ants of Greece - Checklist, comments and new faunistic data (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus 23(4): 461-563.
 * Bracko G., H. C. Wagner, A. Schulz, E. Gioahim, J. Maticic, and A. Tratnik. 2014. New investigation and a revised checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Republic of Macedonia. North-Western Journal of Zoology 10(1): 10-24.
 * Bracko G., K. Kiran, C. Karaman, S. Salata, and L. Borowiec. 2016. Survey of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Greek Thrace. Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e7945. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.4.e7945
 * Bracko, G. 2006. Review of the ant fauna (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) of Croatia. Acta Entomologica Slovenica 14(2): 131-156.
 * Collingwood, C. A. 1993. A Comparitive Study of the Ant Fauna of Five Greek Islands. Biologia Gallo-hellenica. 20,1:191-197
 * Csősz S., B. Markó, and L. Gallé. 2011. The myrmecofauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Hungary: an updated checklist. North-Western Journal of Zoology 7: 55-62.
 * Csősz S., and A. Schulz. 2010. A taxonomic review of the Palaearctic Tetramorium ferox species-complex (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Zootaxa 2401: 1-29.
 * Czechowski W., A. Radchenko, W. Czechowska and K. Vepsäläinen. 2012. The ants of Poland with reference to the myrmecofauna of Europe. Fauna Poloniae 4. Warsaw: Natura Optima Dux Foundation, 1-496 pp
 * Dlussky G. M., O. S. Soyunov, and S. I. Zabelin. 1990. Ants of Turkmenistan. Ashkabad: Ylym Press, 273 pp.
 * Dubovikoff D. A., and Z. M. Yusupov. 2018. Family Formicidae - Ants. In Belokobylskij S. A. and A. S. Lelej: Annotated catalogue of the Hymenoptera of Russia. Proceedingss of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences 6: 197-210.
 * Emery C. 1925. Notes critiques de myrmécologie. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 64: 177-191.
 * Gratiashvili N., Barjadze S. 2008. Checklist of the ants (Formicidae Latreille, 1809) of Georgia. Proceedings of the Institute of Zoology (Tbilisi) 23: 130-146.
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Karaman M. G. 2011. A catalogue of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Montenegro. Podgorica: Catalogues 3, Volume 2, Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, 140 pp.
 * Kiran K., and C. Karaman. 2012. First annotated checklist of the ant fauna of Turkey (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3548: 1-38.
 * Kiran K., and N. Aktac. 2006. The vertical distribution of the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Samanh Mountains, Turkey. Linzer Biol. Beitr. 38(2): 1105-1122.
 * Kratochvíl J., V. Novák, and J. Snoflák. 1944. Mohelno. Soubor práci venoványch studiu vyznamne památky prírodní. 5. Hymenoptera - Aculeata. Formicidae - Apidae - Vespidae. Arch. Svazu Ochr. Prír. Domov. Moravé 6: 1-155.
 * Kuznetsov G. T. 1990. Comparative analysis of Hymenoptera (Formicidae) population on altitudinal zones of central Kopetdag. Izvestiya Akademii Nauk Turkmenskoi SSR. Seriya Biologicheskikh Nauk 1990(3): 64-67.
 * Lapeva-Gjonova A., and K. Kiran. 2012. Ant fauna (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Strandzha (Istranca) Mountain and adjacent Black Sea coast. North-western journal of Zoology 8(1): 72-84.
 * Legakis Collection Database
 * López, F. "Estudio morfológico y taxonómico de los grupos de especies ibéricas del género Tetramorium Mayr, 1855." Boletín de la Asociación Española de Entomología 15 (1991): 29-52.
 * Marikovsky P. I. 1979. Ants of the Semireche Desert. [In Russian.]. Alma Ata: Nauka, 263 pp.
 * Markó B., B. Sipos, S. Csősz, K. Kiss, I. Boros, and L. Gallé. 2006. A comprehensive list of the ants of Romania (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecologische Nachrichten 9: 65-76.
 * Nezhad S. H., S. P. Rad, F. Firouzi, and D. Agosti. 2012. New and additional records for the ant fauna from Iran (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zoology in the Middle East 55: 65-74.
 * Paknia O., A. Radchenko, H. Alipanah, and M. Pfeiffer. 2008. A preliminary checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Iran. Myrmecological News 11: 151-159.
 * Petrov I. Z., B. Petrov, D. Milicic, T. Karan-Znidarsic. 2007. Contribution to the Myrmecofauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of East and South Serbia. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 59(3): 295-299.
 * Petrov I. Z., and C. A. Collingwood. 1992. Survey of the myrmecofauna (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) of Yugoslavia. Archives of Biological Sciences (Belgrade) 44: 79-91.
 * Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2018. Taxonomic and faunistic notes on Greek ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 27: 1-51.
 * Sandor C., and M. Balint. 2004. Redescription of Tetramorium hungaricum RÖSZLER, 1935, a related species of T. caespitum (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecologische Nachrichten 6: 49-59.
 * Santschi, F. "Fourmis d'une croisière." Bulletin et Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique (Bruxelles) 74 (1934): 273-282.
 * Schlick-Steiner B. C., and F. M. Steiner. 1999. Faunistisch-ökologische Untersuchungen an den freilebenden Ameisen (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Wiens. Myrmecologische Nachrichten 3: 9-53.
 * Schultz, R., A. G. Radchenko, and B. Seifert. "A critical checklist of the ants of Kyrgyzstan (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Myrmecologische Nachrichten 8 (2006): 201-207.
 * Soudek, S. "Dalmatsti mravenci." Casopis Csl. Spolecnosti Entomologické 20 (1-2) (1925): 12-17.
 * Steiner F. M., S. Schödl, and B. C. Schlick-Steiner. 2002. Liste der Ameisen Österreichs (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Stand Oktober 2002. Beiträge zur Entomofaunistik 3: 17-25.
 * Tausan I., M. M. Jerpel, I. R. Puscasu, C. Sadeanu, R. E. Brutatu, L. A. Radutiu, and V. Giurescu. 2012. Ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Sibiu County (Transylvania, Romania). Brukenthal. Acta Musei 7(3): 499-520.
 * Tausan I., and B. Marko. 2009. Comparative analysis of ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the surroundings of Sibiu (Romania). Brukenthal. Acta Musei 4(3): 635-644.
 * de Haro, Andrés, and C. A. Collingwood. "Prospección mirmecológica por la península Tingitana al norte del Rif (Marruecos)." Orsis (Organismes i Sistemes) 12 (1997): 93-99.