Tetramorium arnoldi
Tetramorium arnoldi | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
Genus: | Tetramorium |
Species: | T. arnoldi |
Binomial name | |
Tetramorium arnoldi (Forel, 1913) |
Limited habitat information, bushveld and woodland, taken from label data of the meager collection records of this species is all that is known about this ant's biology
Identification
Bolton (1980) - Easily distinguished from its relatives in this group by its combination of pale yellow colour, lack of hairs on the dorsal alitrunk and unarmed or merely angular propodeum, T. arnoldi is one of the most distinctive members of the oculatum-complex. Three yellow species are known in this complex and T. arnoldi is separated from them by the characters just noted. In Tetramorium berbiculum the propodeum lacks teeth as is the case in T. arnoldi, but this species has hairs present on the alitrunk and longer antennal scapes, SI 77-80 as opposed to SI 68-72 in T. arnoldi.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -19.75° to -24.90867°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: South Africa, Zimbabwe (type locality), Zimbabwe (type locality).
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Countries Occupied
Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species. |
Estimated Abundance
Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species. |
Biology
Castes
Worker
Images from AntWeb
Syntype of Tetramorium arnoldi. Worker. Specimen code casent0901140. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by NHMUK, London, UK. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- arnoldi. Triglyphothrix arnoldi Forel, 1913j: 220 (w.) ZIMBABWE. Arnold, 1917: 339 (q.). Combination in Tetramorium: Arnold, 1917: 338; Bolton, 1985: 247. See also: Bolton, 1976: 318.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Bolton (1980) - TL 2.8-3.0, HL 0.66-0.70, HW 0.57-0.65, CI 89-94, SL 0.41-0.45, SI 68-72, PW 0.40-0.46, AL 0.72-0.78 (10 measured).
Mandibles longitudinally striate. Anterior clypeal margin entire, without a trace of a median notch or impression. Frontal carinae variable but very feebly developed, in some specimens merely a narrow ridge which is no more strongly developed than the cephalic rugulae and which sometimes runs back beyond the level of the eyes. In others the carinae are broken or disjointed, or fade out posteriorly, and in some they are absent or absolutely indistinguishable from the remaining cephalic sculpture; most of these variations are visible in any single nest-sample. Antennal scrobes vestigial to absent. Eyes situated at about the midlength of the sides of the head, maximum diameter 0.18-0.19, about 0.29-0.32 x HW and with 10-11 ommatidia in the longest row. Metanotal groove impressed in profile. Propodeum unarmed, rounded or at most with feebly prominent angles, without differentiated teeth. Metapleural lobes rounded. Petiole in profile high and fairly narrow, the height of the tergal portion of the node slightly greater than the dorsal length. In dorsal view the node slightly broader than long, narrowly rounded in front and much broader behind than in front. Dorsum of head longitudinally rugulose with a fine reticulate-punctate ground-sculpture. Dorsal alitrunk finely and densely reticulate-punctulate and dull, the pronotum and sometimes also the mesonotum with weak longitudinal rugulae. Petiole and postpetiole dorsally extremely finely punctulate or granular, base of first gastral tergite finely and faintly granular or shagreened. Short, stout hairs fairly numerous and conspicuous on gaster and postpetiole, more scattered and shorter on head but completely absent from dorsal alitrunk and petiole node. Colour uniform clear pale yellow.
Type Material
Bolton (1980) - Syntype workers, RHODESIA: Victoria Falls, xii.1914 (G. Arnold) (The Natural History Museum; Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel; Museum of Comparative Zoology) [examined].
References
- Bolton, B. 1980. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The genus Tetramorium Mayr in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology. 40(3):193-384.
- Arnold, G. 1917. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Part III. Myrmicinae. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 14: 271-402 (page 339, queen described;page 338, Combination in Tetramorium)
- Arnol'di, K. V. 1926. Studien über die Variabilität der Ameisen. I. Die ökologische und die Familienvariabilität von Cardiocondyla stambulowi For. Z. Morphol. Ökol. Tiere 7: 254-278 (page 271, Replacement name: Tetramorium incruentatum)
- Bolton, B. 1976. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Constituent genera, review of smaller genera and revision of Triglyphothrix Forel. Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Entomol. 34: 281-379 (page 318, see also)
- Bolton, B. 1985. The ant genus Triglyphothrix Forel a synonym of Tetramorium Mayr. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Nat. Hist. 19: 243-248 (page 247, see also)
- Devenish, A.J.M., Newton, R.J., Bridle, J.R., Gomez, C., Midgley, J.J., Sumner, S. 2021. Contrasting responses of native ant communities to invasion by an ant invader, Linepithema humile. Biological Invasions 23, 2553–2571 (doi:10.1007/s10530-021-02522-7).
- Forel, A. 1913k. Ameisen aus Rhodesia, Kapland usw. (Hym.) gesammelt von Herrn G. Arnold, Dr. H. Brauns und Anderen. Dtsch. Entomol. Z. 1913(Su Suppl: 203-225 (page 220, worker described)
- Santschi, F. 1916b [1915]. Descriptions de fourmis nouvelles d'Afrique et d'Amérique. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 84: 497-513 (page 503, worker described)
- Santschi, F. 1917b [1916]. Fourmis nouvelles de la Colonie du Cap, du Natal et de Rhodesia. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 85: 279-296 (page 286, Combination in Tetramorium (in text))
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection