Tetramorium viehmeyeri

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Tetramorium viehmeyeri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Tetramorium
Species: T. viehmeyeri
Binomial name
Tetramorium viehmeyeri
Forel, 1907

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Specimen Labels

A species of semi-arid habitats (Heterick 2009).


Photo Gallery

  • Tetramorium viehmeyeri worker, Talbot Road Nature Reserve, Stratton, Perth, Western Australia. Photo by Farhan Bokhari, 4 June 2011.
  • Tetramorium viehmeyeri worker pauses to clean herself on the white sands of Talbot Road Nature Reserve, Stratton, Perth, Western Australia. Photo by Farhan Bokhari, 4 June 2011.

Identification

Heterick (2009) - I am retaining the distinctive nature of the clypeus in the (SWBP) key as a diagnostic feature for the species. There is some question as to the nature of the variation of this character in T. viehmeyeri (see the taxonomy section below). In other respects, what I think is likely to be T. viehmeyeri has dark red workers with lighter-coloured gasters.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Nominal T. viehmeyeri in the Curtin Ant Collection from WA have mostly been collected in the Newman area in the Pilbara, but several specimens of this species have been collected at Westonia within the SWBP .

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -20.8° to -26.591164°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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.
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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.
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Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • viehmeyeri. Tetramorium (Xiphomyrmex) viehmeyeri Forel, 1907h: 275 (q.) AUSTRALIA. Bolton, 1977: 142 (w.). Combination in Xiphomyrmex: Viehmeyer, 1925a: 29; in Tetramorium: Bolton, 1977: 142. Senior synonym of venustus: Bolton, 1977: 142.

Taxonomic Notes

Heterick (2009) - Tetramorium viehmeyeri is somewhat problematic. The holotype female may well have been destroyed in WW II (Taylor and Brown 1985). The dealated queen holotype of Tetramorium viehmeyeri venustus Wheeler (WAM) is headless. This taxon was synonymised with T. viehmeyeri by Bolton (1977). However, three worker specimens on the same pin from the Mt Magnet area (in the ANIC Collection), identified by R. W. Taylor as T. viehmeyeri, do not show the supposedly characteristic clypeal feature very well, i.e., one worker does, two do not. I suspect the structure of the clypeus may be variable. More material is needed to clarify the morphological variation and limits of this species.

Type Material

Bolton (1977) - Holotype female, Australia: S. Western Australia, Day Dawn, Stat. 76 (Michaelsen & Hartmeyer) (location of type not known).

  • Tetramorium (Xiphomyrmex) viehmeyeri: Holotype, queen (apparently lost), Day Dawn, Western Australia, Australia.
  • Xiphomyrmex viehmeyeri venustus: Holotype, queen, near Government House, Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
  • Xiphomyrmex viehmeyeri venustus: Paratype, 1 worker (probably not a true type), Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia, Western Australian Museum.

Description

Worker

Bolton (1977) - TL 3.5-4.0, HL 0.78-0.90, HW 0.72-0.84, CI 90-93, SL 0.60-0.70, SI 83-86, PW 0.56-0.64, AL 0.92-1.12 (9 measured).

Mandibles striate. Anterior clypeal margin with a distinct median notch or impression. Anterior half to two-thirds of median portion of clypeus descending very steeply, almost vertical, this descending portion conspicuously transversely concave. Median clypeal carina absent from descending portion, short, present on the posterior portion and curve of the clypeus only, sometimes very faint. Frontal carinae with a raised, semi-translucent narrow flange which is distinct to the level of the posterior margins of the eyes, behind this the frontal carinae being scarcely stronger than the other sculpture. Scrobes narrow and shallow, for scape only. Eyes large and strongly convex, the maximum diameter c. 0.20-0.24 at HW 0.72-0.84 respectively. Propodeal spines narrow and acute; metapleural lobes triangular, dentiform. Node of petiole in profile angular, the tergal portion about as long as high. In dorsal view the node as broad as or slightly broader than long. Dorsum of head with spaced-out fine longitudinal rugulae, the spaces between them finely and densely reticulate-punctate. Scrobes reticulate-punctate. Dorsal alitrunk with a disorganized rugoreticulum on the pronotum, the constituents of which are sharply defined. Elsewhere on dorsal alitrunk cross-meshes are reduced in number or absent. Petiole and postpetiole finely rugulose, the spaces here and on the alitrunk densely punctulate, but much more conspicuously so on the alitrunk. Gaster smooth or with a very faint shagreening near the base of the first tergite. Hairs numerous on all dorsal surfaces of head and ali trunk, and with shorter subdecumbent hairs on scapes and legs. Colour yellow-brown, the gaster and appendages yellow.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Wheeler W. M. 1934. Contributions to the fauna of Rottnest Island, Western Australia. No. IX. The ants. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 20: 137-163.