Key to Tetramorium of Hispaniola

Additional information about the ants of the island can be found here: Ants of Hispaniola

Key to Workers

1

• Spines small triangles, poorly developed . . . . . 2

• Well developed spines . . . . . 3

2

return to couplet #1

• Dorsum of mesosoma with more than 10 spatulate hairs that steadily decrease in height from anterior to posterior . . . . . Tetramorium caldarium

• Dorsum of mesosoma with less than 10 erect hairs . . . . . Tetramorium simillimum

BOLTON (1979) distinguished Tetramorium caldarium from T. simillimum using four characters that in combination can differentiate the two species. Compared with T. simillimum, T. caldarium has "frontal carinae less strongly developed", "antennal scrobes feeble", "cephalic sculpture weak", and "head differently shaped" (i.e., T. simillimum with head broadening behind eyes and T. caldarium with no such broadening).

3

return to couplet #1

• Mesosoma dorsum rounded in profile, forming continous convex curve; dorsal surfaces of body with a dense abundance of erect hairs (explaining its common name of "wooly ant") . . . . . Tetramorium lanuginosum

• Mesosoma in profile roughly linear from posterior of pronotum to propodeal spines; many erect hairs present on dorsum of body but not forming a continuous, thick pubescence . . . . . 4

4

return to couplet #3

• Mesosoma in profile with both long and medium length hairs extending above the dorsal margin; orange/yellow head, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole with darker brown gaster . . . . . Tetramorium bicarinatum

• Mesosoma in profile with a few rows, running anterior to posterior, of similar length erect hairs extending above the dorsal margin; body from head to gaster dark brown . . . . . Tetramorium lucayanum