Contents Contents The Ants of Egypt
SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Tetramorium - Tetramorium caldarium (Roger)

Tetramorium caldarium (Roger)

return to group key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Germany (Tetrogmus caldarius n. sp., Roger, 1857: 12, worker; Meinert, 1861: 331, male) - see https://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0102333
junior synonyms
hemisi (as variety of pusillum, Wheeler, 1922: 193, worker) from Zaïre, Niangara by H.O. Lang, in the stomach of a frog - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0003150
minutum (Tetramorium minutum sp. n., Donisthorpe, 1942a: 30, queen) from Egypt, Siwa - see below
transformans (Tetramorium pauper stirps transformans nov., Santschi, 1914b: 104, worker) from Kenya, Shimoni, xi.1911, Alluaud & Jeannel - no images on Antweb (April 2015)
(see Bolton, 1995) .


Roger's (1857) description is at {original description} and {original description}. Santschi's (1914b) description of transformans is at {original description}. Donisthorpe's (1942a) description of minutum is at {original description}.


{Tetramorium caldarium}Bolton's modern descriptions are at - (1979, based primarily on New World specimens) {original description} and (1980) {original description}.

WORKER - TL 2.1-2.4 mm; with weak frontal carinae and little trace of antennal scrobes. Short, stout blunt hairs on all dorsal surfaces of the body. Colour yellow or light yellowish brown (Bolton, 1980, not illustrated).

A panglobal tramp species, which Bolton (1980) thought to be of African origin. The sole West African records which he listed were from Nigeria, at the savannah location of Mokwa (B. Lasebikan); and Ivory Coast, at ORSTOM (W.L. Brown).


{Tetramorium caldarium heads} In his blanket description, Bolton (1980) wrote of his suspicion that there are two closely similar species, differing particularly in the width between the frontal carinae at the level of the eyes. Specimens from East Africa and India had this separation as < 0.50 X HW, whereas most Old World and all New World specimens had HW > 0.50 HW. From the specimens shown below, it seems that another consistent feature of the type form is a uniformly dark gaster. In the East African & Saudi Arabia specimens the gaster has variably lighter areas.

For more on the confused mess of susbspecies and synonyms see http://antsofafrica.org/ant_species_2012/tetramorium/tetramorium_simillimum/tetramorium_simillimum_variability.htm


Oxford University Museum specimens

Tetramorium caldarium
B Taylor det.
Egypt
Mostafa Sharaf
17.viii.2007
Marsa Matrouh
31°21' N
27°14' E
Kaseh Tourist Village
1
{album}
Tetramorium caldarium
B Taylor det.
Saudi Arabia
Mostafa Sharaf
25.ii.2005
Farasan Islands
16°42' N
42°11' E
Major Farasan I., Red Sea
1
{album}

{Tetramorium minutum}Egypt records - in HNS as Tetramorium minutum Donisthorpe (1942a) single queen from Siwa Oasis, collected by J Omer-Cooper, 17.vii.1935. Illustrated in the photomontage, which is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0102358


{Tetramorium caldarium}The photomontage is of a worker from Egypt, Kaseh; collector Mostafa Sharaf


{Tetramorium caldarium}The photomontage is of a specimen from Saudi Arabia, Farasan Islands, Major Farasan I., Red Sea, 25.ii.2005; 16°42' N, 42°11' E, collector Mostafa Sharaf.

©2005, 2006, 2009, 2015 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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