Tetramorium saginatum

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Tetramorium saginatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Tetramorium
Species: T. saginatum
Binomial name
Tetramorium saginatum
Bolton, 1980

Tetramorium saginatum casent0901199 p 1 high.jpg

Tetramorium saginatum casent0901199 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Tetramorium saginatum collection records that include ecological information suggest this is a ground-dwelling species that lives in mesic forests. Named habitats are moist evergreen forest and mature wet forest and all state they were collected in litter samples.

Identification

Bolton (1980) - For relationships and separation of this species see under species-group discussion and under Tetramorium pylacum.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 6.216667° to 6.216667°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Angola (type locality), Ivory Coast, Uganda.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart


Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • saginatum. Tetramorium saginatum Bolton, 1980: 302 (w.) ANGOLA.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Holotype: TL 3.1, HL 0.74, HW 0.67, CI 90, SL 0.56, SI 83, PW 0.52, AL 0.84. Paratypes (17 measured): TL 2.8-3.2, HL 0.68-0.76, HW 0.65-0.70, CI 89-95, SL 0.52-0.57, SI 80-85, PW 0.48-0.53, AL 0.80-0.88. Maximum diameter of eye 0.11-0.14, about 0.17-0.20 x HW.

Mandibles coarsely longitudinally striate. Anterior clypeal margin entire, without trace of an impression medially. Median clypeal carina strong, otherwise clypeus with only scattered vestiges of rugular sculpture. Frontal carinae strong, running back onto occiput but merging with the remaining cephalic sculpture before reaching the margin. Antennal scapes of moderate length (SI 80-85 in type-series), the scrobes broad and shallow, not conspicuously developed. Eyes small, maximum diameter 0.13, about 0.19 x HW. Alitrunk convex in profile, the propodeal spines broad, only slightly longer than the long, acutely triangular and broad-based metapleural lobes. Petiole node in profile short rectangular, almost square, the dorsal length only marginally greater than the height of the tergal portion. In dorsal view the petiole node slightly broader than long. Dorsum of head irregularly longitudinally rugulose to level of posterior margins of eyes, with 7-8 rugulae between the frontal carinae at eye level and with few or no crossmeshes. Behind the level of the eyes cross-meshes increase in number until they form a rugoreticulum on the occiput. Dorsal surfaces of alitrunk, petiole and postpetiole finely reticulate-rugulose, denser on the pedicel segments than on the alitrunk. Ground-sculpture a fine superficial punctulation, effaced and vestigial on the head, more conspicuous on the posterior half of the alitrunk and on the pedicel segments. Base of first gastral tergite unsculptured except for pits from which hairs arise, which are fairly distinct basally. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous stout standing hairs, obviously blunted on the surfaces behind the head. Hind tibiae with decumbent pubescence only. Uniform dark brown, the legs lighter.

Paratypes: As holotype but some with a pair of feeble rugulae flanking the median clypeal carina. 6-8 longitudinal rugulae between frontal carinae at eye level and some specimens with distinctly more cross-meshes on the cephalic dorsum than in the holotype. Propodeal spines usually feebly sinuate, most commonly ending with the apices upcurved.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Angola: Salazar I.1.A.A., 9-15.iii.1972 (P. M. Hammond) (The Natural History Museum). Paratypes. 17 workers with same data as holotype (BMNH; Museum of Comparative Zoology).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • 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: 193-384.
  • Yeo K., T. Delsinne, S. Komate, L. L. Alonso, D. Aidara, and C. Peeters. 2016. Diversity and distribution of ant assemblages above and below ground in a West African forest–savannah mosaic (Lamto, Cote d’Ivoire). Insectes Sociaux DOI 10.1007/s00040-016-0527-6