Pavement Ants

Tetramorium

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Superfamily: Formicoidea
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Tetramorium

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Tetramorium: /tɛtrəˈmɔːriəm/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Tetramorium blochmannii var. montanum by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Tetramorium rugiventris by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Tetramorium melanogyna by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Tetramorium caespitum ghindanum by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Tetramorium fezzanense by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Summary

Tetramorium is a genus of pavement ants containing over 520 species, noted for their nesting habits and diverse diet. The taxonomy has been revised to elevate T. immigrans to species status and recognize cryptic species complexes.

Physical Characteristics

Workers have a ridged clypeus, an appendaged stinger, mandibles with 3 or 4 teeth, and antennae with 11 or 12 segments or with 3-segmented clubs on the tips.

Identification Tips

Look for the characteristic ridged clypeus and the number of teeth on mandibles during identification.

Habitat

Nests are typically found in soil, decaying wood, or leaf litter; some may live in trees or termite nests.

Distribution

Most species are distributed throughout the Afrotropical and Indomalayan realms with 10 species recorded from Japan; T. immigrans is native to Europe and likely introduced to North America in the 18th century.

Diet

Scavengers, predators, and some species collect seeds.

Evolution

The genus was first described by Gustav Mayr in 1855 and underwent a revision recognizing a complex of 10 cryptic species.

Misconceptions

Some species were previously classified as subspecies of T. caespitum, causing confusion in their identification.